Establishing an online community can return human interaction to the company and consumer relationship.  However, simply creating a blog, forum, social network, or messaging platform with your company's logo does not make a community.  Both physical and virtual communities require shared beliefs, resources, needs, identities, etc to form a functional network. 

Prior to launching a branded community, consider the following questions:

1. Is participation simple?  Twitter exemplifies the power of easily accessible community - simply create a profile and start typing without an extensive learning curve.  Simple connection with other community members and administrators is also imperative. 
   
2. Who will generate content? Brands do not need to replicate the success of large-scale networks, but should receive benefit from the organic growth enjoyed through user-generated content.  
   
3. How will the community attract members? Even in private networks, maximum and minimum values are important for community health.  If planning to expand beyond Dunbar's number, administrators should be present to help manage the growing distributed network.
4. How long will the community last?  Leaving a vacant portal to perish on the web reflects poorly on a brand's overall Digital Footrpint.  Clearly define your network as temporary or long-term from launch.  
   
5. Is building or borrowing more practical? Creating a respectable white label social network or messaging service is increasingly feasible, but interacting with an establish community might be more realistic for general messages. 
   
6. What unique benefits are provided?  Users are more likely to participate if the service provides a unique offering.  A number of considerations exist including bigger, stronger, faster, easier, better-looking, etc.
7. What is the uniting theme or community interest? Building a topic agnostic community is unrealistic for most brands.  Determining a niche area for conversation provides an interesting exercise in brand analysis as well. 
   

For information concerning the reasons behind failure in certain online communities, visit a recent posting from Internet Communications firm, The Bivings Group, entitled "A Look At Failed Social Networks."


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Ryan's recent post titled "Disclosure is not enough" outlined considerations for entering conversations on behalf of a brand.  Outside of the usual reminders to be authentic and familiarize yourself with the content creator, Ryan also prompted slight consternation through "Make the message relevant, personal, and 'invited.'"



A recent example of a message containing relevancy and personalization but not invitation occurred after I recommended a search plugin via Twitter.  The startup responsible easily located my suggestion and sent several messages surrounding new products with praise from other users - obvious attempt to spread adoption of new offerings.  Fantastic!  I obviously enjoy the plugin (demonstrated through my unsolicited promotion) and am glad the company is still in producing new products.  However, immediately responding to my comment presumptively assumes all mentions of your product are potential engagement points.

"But Andy," you might be asking, isn't interacting with customers essential to WOM?" Is this not a good sign for social media adoption in DWOM?  Perhaps, but in a situation where no immediate action is required - a simple follow might have sufficed.  The gesture of following on twitter (interchangeable with friending, subscribing, digging, etc) informs me that the company was "listening" and establishes a direct line of communication for any future questions. 

So as an add-on to Ryan's previous post, I would like to suggest that listening is not enough either.  A conscious effort to make "invitation" possible is also required before engagement.  Any suggestions on creating an environment conducive for brand invitation?         

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Serial Entrepreneur and NBA franchise owner Mark Cuban appeared in headlines today.  The SEC accused Cuban of insider trading for selling 600,000 shares of Mamma.com in 2004 after agreeing to participate in a dilutive follow-on stock offering. So how does a billionaire's trouble with the SEC relate to social media and word of mouth marketing?

In addition to running several companies, Cuban also maintains a well trafficked journal on business, NBA, investing, and Internet technologies at Blog Maverick. A prescient post from Aug 2008 entitled "The Life of a Story? The 3s" provided advice for public figures condemned by bloggers, journalists, and other media professionals.  Cuban suggests negative press has a maximum lifespan of 3 weeks if the involved individual or group does not provide additional fodder to continue the story. 

Cuban's public profile is his brand.  Similar to the perception of any corporation, Cuban's commentary (good or bad) reverberates across the Internet in different communities.  As demonstrated by the Techmeme snapshot below, the story has already spread through a number of high profile blogs with active communities commenting on each post.

Will Mark Cuban follow his own advice and avoid commenting on the story?  This afternoon, Cuban posted correspondence between his lawyer and the SEC but refrained from opinion or self defense. However, THREE HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT comments followed as of 9:38 CST.  Read for yourself, the commentary is overwhelmingly positive including snippets like:

"This is typical of the SEC, Freddie and Fannie go bust and the congressional committees that have oversight get million in donations and nothing happens, but should a high profile investor make money..."

AND

"I cannot think of anyone who does not appreciate how you have given your insights into business and economics both freely and frankly.  The generous ways in which you sought to educate any who read your blog (with regard to markets) make these charges seem all the more ludicrous.  I say you go Larry Flynt and Kenneth Langone on their ass! Give 'em hell!"
 

How would your brand respond to allegations of illegal activity?  Do you have supporters to flood the comment section of your website with support?  Could Motrin have followed Cuban's theory?

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