The internet links people together. Social media and email help us connect with people across the world. And in the business world, a sense of community is crucial for keeping high engagement. Building authentic relationships with your audience means more revenue.

Content is everything. Because even without the marketing budget or ad spend, you can leverage content to get your message out. And by creating content that offers value to people, you can build a loyal following — a community hungry for your content.

However, this can seem secondary to other focuses. Marketing a product or service and bringing traffic seems to be our biggest priority and we forget the value of building a community. While all these concepts are crucial, putting them first won’t make you successful.

Your primary goal should be to build a community that’s sustainable in the long run. Because the benefits of a community are more than just bringing in the numbers.

So, how you get started and how can you keep the community going? Here are five tips for building a sense of community with your content.

1. Create Valuable Content Consistently

Content is king. And while this may seem overplayed, it’s true. Content generates engagement and builds a loyal following. It stands at the forefront of a business.

Stop thinking you need to create content for your brand; you need to create it for your target audience. Your content should appeal to your audience in different ways, too. So think of ways to make your content more useful and valuable to your readers.

2. Understand Your Readers

Knowing who you’re talking to is crucial. This way, you’ll know what they need and the problems they’re going through, and you can come up with solutions to their problems. You’ll entice them to visit and read your content again and again.

Build personas, create surveys and look into Google Analytics regularly to understand who your target customers are and what they need.

Understanding your audience helps you to create quality content that solves their problems. By doing this, you’ll be able to build a community of loyal followers who are eager to read your content and willing to pay for the value you offer.

3. Fully Integrate Your Social Presence

There are dozens of other communities out there, so sharing your content to platforms which your target audience frequent can help you build a following.

When you post a link to your content on the various social media platforms, add an engaging or a provocative introduction. Ask people what they think about the content and be sure to respond. When people are invested, they share and start a conversation of their own. And they become active readers.

4. Comment Back

If a reader comments on your content, make sure to respond. This shows readers that you value and appreciate them.

Thank them for reading, even if they don’t agree with your opinion. By being part of the conversation, you’ll build a sense of community around your content.

5. Host Regular Chats

One of the greatest inventions for community building online is the Twitter chat. And using hashtags, you can host regular discussions with your readers in real-time.

Announce a topic in advance, have several moderators to keep the discussion on track and host regular meet-ups. Soon you’ll be able to build a core list of dedicated users that will become a primary audience.

Using TwChat, a free Twitter chat manager, you can assign mentors or speakers to each chat for your community to make it easier for users to follow the conversation.
Link – http://twchat.com/