The ability to create a community is crucial to the success of any brand. Think about your favorite brands and how you discovered them. You may have found about your favorite helmet brand through a Meetup with your fellow mountain bikers. On a another day, you might've discovered a new investing platform on a Reddit thread that you've been a part of. For many consumers, the realization that they can be a part of something bigger is what convinced them to join the brand community they now support wholeheartedly.
We'll be reviewing several brands and some of the things they did to create strong communities that have led their growth. There's a good chance you'll learn a few tips that you can use to grow your own brand!
FanX Salt Lake: This haven for lovers of comic books grew at a rapid rate thanks to its dedicated fan base. The Utah-based convention focused on featuring its community in everything from its promo videos on Facebook to its Instagram posts. This attention that they gave their attendees resulted in greater love shown through social media.
Patagonia: The outdoor clothing gear's 3.5 million followers on Instagram is no joke. Like FanX, Patagonia features the adventures of its customers. The pictures they share showcase nature in an amazing way. Patagonia's feed is filled with everything from rock climbers to surfers to trail runners. A few words that you might use to describe the outdoor brand's feed include:
Inspiring
Breathtaking
Positive
Organic
Thanks to brand enthusiast photos shared on its Instagram account, Patagonia created a social community that takes pride in its outdoor lifestyle. 📸: @_drew_smith_
Fortnite: This free-to-play video game is most popular for its Battle Royale mode where up to 100 players battle in order to be the sole survivor. Thanks to its cartoony animation, Fortnite has developed a big following online with more than 125 million players logging in in less than a year. Fortnite has not ignored social media marketing. In fact, it has stayed busy by sharing updates on networks such as Facebook and Instagram. Fortnite shares Twitch clips of people's top moments in the game and also asks engaging questions to get fans to comment on its social posts.
Fortnte is a hit with all ages 📸: @fortnite
Harley-Davidson: In response to the need to better connect with owners, the motorcycle company created Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.). Harley-Davidson worked to better meet the needs of its dedicated customer base while trying to connect with the mainstream population according to Entrepreneur.com. It was a little rough for Harley to get the group off the ground due to the criticism of die-hard bikers, but Harley continued to move forward with its plan. Over time, Harley won over its core group and grew H.O.G. with everything from charity drivers to special promotions. The group grew in diversity and now has more than one million members in 25 different countries.
The Harley community continues to grow thanks to H.O.G. 📸: @kurpius
You've just read about four brands that have built thriving communities. With patience and a lot of hustle, brands can create strong communities that meet the needs of its customers. The good news is that your brand can grow in the same way brands such as Patagonia and Fortnite have grown. These customers, when satisfied and happy with your current efforts, respond by converting other people into die hard supporters of your brand.
How will you build a community to rally around your brand? Let us know in the comments below!