Creating a community has become much more than a marketing trend: it's a strategic lever for all companies and associations wishing to strengthen loyalty, develop commitment, co-construct with their audiences and unite players around a common mission.
But what exactly do we mean by "creating a community"? How can it be distinguished from an 'audience'? And above all, where do you start?
Whether you're a company, a brand, an association, a business network, a competitiveness cluster or a training organisation, the challenges are often the same: federating, structuring, leading and sustaining a collective dynamic.
That's why we often talk about "building a community", and why a new profession has been created in recent years: that of "Community Builder".
In this comprehensive guide, we cover :
The fundamental difference between audience and community
The different types of communities customers, members, partners, learners, employees, franchisees, etc.
The key stages in creating a community objectives, mission, activities, first ambassadors...
Whether you want create a BtoB, association, brand or regional communitythis guide will help you lay the right foundations for a successful creating a community.
Audience or community: what are the differences?
Creating a community starts by making a clear distinction between a concept that is often confused: the hearing. Although these two terms refer to groups of people linked to an organisation, they have radically different meanings.
The audience: passive, ad hoc, disembodied
A audience refers to a group of individuals exposed to a particular content or brand. It can be large, occasional or volatile.
On social networks, an audience is measured in followers, impressions or views. But these indicators say nothing about real engagement or the quality of the relationship.
Audiences are by nature focused on the sender The brand communicates, the audience receives.
The link is often unidirectional, and audience involvement is limited. They may consume, like or comment... but rarely contribute actively or forge links with other members.
The community: active, sustainable, involved
A community is based on a logic of relationships.of share and active participation. It involves people coming together around a common interest, a mission or a collective experience. Its members are not simply exposed to a brand: they are part of it.
A community creates horizontal link between its members. Everyone can have their say, share their experiences, respond to a peer, recommend a good practice or a person.
The organisation is no longer the only transmitter: it becomes the facilitator, the host of this collective dynamic. The community acts as a trusted third party.
The community is also part of the long time. It evolves, changes and grows with its members. It is not a channel, but a a living, interconnected space.
Why create an engaged community rather than accumulate followers?
Many organisations still confuse visibility with engagement. By extension, there is confusion between "audience" and "community".
However, a wide audience is not necessarily a loyal community. You can have 50,000 subscribers and zero real interaction. Conversely, a community of 500 active members can generate dozens of contributions, ideas and recommendations every week.
Creating a communityis to choose relational value rather than raw reach (mass). It means investing in depth of connection instead of chasing ephemeral virality.
It means banking onlasting commitment, l'collective intelligence and co-construction rather than simply pushing content.
In short, an audience look at. A community participate. A hearing follows. A community acts.
And in a world where loyalty, differentiation and activation are key, it's the community that makes the difference.
What are the different types of community?
Creating a communityAbove all, it means creating a space of trust where people share a common identity, mission, interests or objectives.
But not all communities are the same. Here is an overview of the main types of community you can create, depending on the nature of your organisation.
Create a customer community (BtoB or BtoC)
Creating a customer community for your company, means creating a space where your customers can be promoted, be the first to hear about your news, exchange ideas, ask questions, share feedback, recommend your solution or even co-create products and services with you.
For a BtoB communityThis often encourages information about the company's products and services, training, peer support, loyalty development and product improvement.
For a BtoC communityThis can take the form of groups of enthusiasts, ambassadors, advanced users or VIP clubs.
A community platform for your BtoB or BtoC customer communityThis is an essential tool for managing and promoting your brand.
Key benefits of a customer community :
Strengthen loyalty and retention rates by involving customers in a discussion forum.
Encourage peer-to-peer support and reduce pressure on customer service.
Gather valuable feedback to improve products or services.
Creating a brand community
La brand community brings together people who share a common strong commitment to the world, values and image of a brand. It often goes beyond simple consumption to create a real sense of identity. sense of belonging.
It can include customers, prospects, ambassadors, fans or influencers.
It strengthens identification with the brand and boosts its profile, particularly through a branded platform to animate your community.
Key benefits of a brand community :
Strengthen brand identification, a sense of belonging and market differentiation.
Amplify visibility through unsolicited recommendations and word-of-mouth.
Create a strong and lasting emotional bond with the brand's ambassadors and committed fans.
Create a community of ambassadors or influencers
Members of a community of ambassadors or influencers are often advanced users, passionate customers or key influencers.
They represent the voice of your brand, take part in your campaigns and carry your message. Bringing them together in a dedicated community strengthens their commitment, the recognition they receive for their role and their ability to spread your brand.
Key benefits of a community of ambassadors or infuencers :
Create a solid bond of trust and increase the number of organic talks about your products or services.
Facilitate the co-creation of content and personalised offers.
Strengthen social proof and trust in your brand.
Create a community of partners (resellers, distributors, integrators)
Members of a community of ambassadors or influencers are often advanced users, passionate customers or key influencers.
They represent the voice of your brand, take part in your campaigns and carry your message. Bringing them together in a dedicated community strengthens their commitment, the recognition they receive for their role and their ability to spread your brand.
Key benefits of a community of ambassadors or infuencers :
Create a solid bond of trust and increase the number of organic talks about your products or services.
Facilitate the co-creation of content and personalised offers.
Strengthen social proof and trust in your brand.
Create a community of testers or beta users
Ideal for software publishers, start-ups or innovative brands, the community of testers or beta users helps to improve the offering before it goes to market.
It involves users in the idea generation, creation and validation process.
Key benefits :
Build user loyalty and gather concrete feedback on the "user experience".
Involving customers in product innovation and iteration.
Encouraging future adoption through co-construction.
Create a community of investors or strategic stakeholders
The community of investors or strategic stakeholders is particularly useful in growing structures, mission-driven companies or cooperatives.
This community makes it easier to involve shareholders or financial backers in the long-term vision of a company's development and its latest news, while at the same time benefiting from proven consideration and recognition.
Key benefits :
Promoting transparency and trust in governance.
Provide access to high-level strategic feedback.
Facilitate buy-in to the strategy and the involvement of investors.
Create a community of members (association, federation, trade union, cluster, competitiveness centre, etc.)
In associations, members are not simply members: they are often active contributors, project leaders or even representatives.
La community of members of an association or federation provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the economic ecosystem, the industry or the profession in a given region, to share best practice and to speak out more forcefully as a group to public and private partners.
A community platform to help you managing your professional association is becoming essential for managing members and running the community all in one place.
Key advantages of a membership community for an association or federation :
Encouraging the exchange of best practice and skills development.
Provide feedback on needs on the ground to better guide local, regional, national and international initiatives.
Strengthen collective representation with partners and institutions.
Clusters (Numeum, Digital League, etc.) or competitive clusters (Axelera, Tenerrdis, etc.) are unique in that they bring together companies, research organisations, schools and institutions to work on a common project. common sectoral or territorial issue.
A community platform becomes a collaborative platform to connect members, encourage cross-fertilisation of innovation, structure collaborative projects, promote local expertise, and manage the network at the industry level.
Key benefits :
Stimulate inter-company and inter-organisational collaboration.
Accelerating shared innovation and structuring projects.
Promote the expertise and successes of its members and the local ecosystem.
Inter-professional trade union networks (MEDEF, CPME, etc.) represent and defend collective interests by federating different branches and economic sectors with state and institutional authorities, but these networks also create cross-disciplinary exchange dynamics.
Running an inter-professional union community means enabling members to get informed, debate, make suggestions, get involved and a shared vision. It also means providing tools for coordination between local, regional and national levels.
Key benefits of a cross-industry union community :
Promoting the circulation of strategic information between members.
Unite around common positions and actions.
Create a foundation of solidarity and cross-sector mutualisation.
Create a business network community or business club
Often referred to as "business clubs" or "clubs d'affaires", the business networks bring together entrepreneurs, managers and decision-makers with the aim of develop their business thanks to the strength of the collective.
Creating a community as part of a business network is about giving depth to meetings and building trust between its members to facilitate business referrals The aim is to extend exchanges, create synergies and foster a network spirit on a day-to-day basis, at physical events and via a community platform to facilitate the exchange of information. networking between its members.
An application for Business Club is often the best solution for facilitating communication and access to the network between members.
Key benefits of a business network community or business club :
Multiply business opportunities through regular exchanges and business recommendations.
Foster trust and local synergies between members.
Structuring a team around events and relationship rituals.
Create a community of volunteers or contributors
Used extensively by NGOs, associations and events groups, the community of volunteers aims to coordinate people who give up their time for a common project.
Targeted promotion helps to strengthen their commitment and loyalty over the long term thanks to a strong mission which supports the association.
Key benefits :
Facilitating the organisation of collaborative projects and field missions.
Create a lasting link with committed people who are not employees.
Publicly promote the actions and impact of the collective.
Create a community of learners (training organisation, school, alumni, etc.)
Whether they are learners in initial training, continuing education or graduates, these learning communities facilitate mutual support, access to resources, peer mentoring, networking and alumni involvement.
They extend the value ofeducational experience long after classes have finished and become a veritable a lever for attractiveness for future learners in joining a network of professionals.
A platform dedicated to a learning community for its training organisation is ideal for during the course and for build loyalty among your members once this has been completed.
Key benefits of a community of learners for a training organisation :
Stimulate mutual support and the sharing of teaching experiences.
Create a lasting link between the institution and its former learners.
Enhance the attractiveness and reputation of the school.
Create an employee community (internal, CSR, corporate culture)
As part of an HR, CSR or internal transformation strategy, creating a employee community allows strengthening corporate culture, internal commitment and cross-functionality.
This encourages the sharing of knowledge and collective intelligence, and enables employees to be more involved and, why not, to become ambassadors for the organisation. A an internal communication platform or application is ideal for achieving these objectives.
Key benefits of an employee community :
Improve internal communication, cohesion and support for the company's values.
Encouraging participative innovation and distributed leadership.
Creating a cross-functional, inclusive channel for teams to express themselves.
Create a community for a network of franchisees or sites (multi-establishment)
Networks of sales outlets, boutiques, agencies or franchisees share the need for internal communication, harmonisation, dissemination of best practice and a sense of belonging to the network.
A community of a network of franchisees or multi-sites via a platform and a internal community application in the company's colours creating links despite geographical dispersionThe aim is to promote local success stories and create a space that brings together all the members of the network.
Key benefits :
Harmonise practices and service levels between establishments.
Create a sense of belonging and recognition for the network.
Encourage internal communication, feedback on local initiatives and the pooling of expertise.
In short: choosing the right community model for a sustainable community
Creating a community isn't just about opening an online group or organising a few events.
Creating a community is a real strategic project which requires a vision, a strong mission and a detailed understanding of its audiences.
By making a clear distinction between "audience" and "community", choosing the right type of community to build and laying the right foundations, you maximise your chances of creating a lasting community, a space that is engaging and useful for all its members.
In the next article, we'll look at how to move from choosing the type of community at the stages of creating and managing a communityDiscover how to identify and develop your ambassadors, industrialise your processes and effectively manage a community over the long term.
See you in our next article:
Building a community: the 10 key steps.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why create a professional (BtoB) community?
Creating a community allows you to gather around you members who share the same issues, interests or values. It's a powerful way of building loyalty, generating collective value and strengthening the feeling of belonging to a project, an association, a company or a network.
What is the difference between an audience and a community?
An audience is passive: it receives a message. A community is active: it interacts, exchanges and contributes. A community lives, evolves and makes a lasting commitment to a relationship of trust with your organisation.
What type of community should I create for my business?
It all depends on your objectives:
To build customer loyalty: customer community
To bring your partners together: ambassador community
To set up an economic or business network: business club or B2B community
To represent a group : member community
To support learners or employees: internal community or training
The number one challenge is always to clearly define the mission and the value provided.
Do I need a specific tool to manage my community?
Yes. Platforms like SuperConnectr are designed to save you time: a good community platform centralises the management of members, the sending of emails, the publication of content, the organisation of events, the connection and exchange between members and the collection of data, while guaranteeing complete customisation to your image.
Is a mobile application really useful?
For professional use, yes. A mobile community application allows your members to stay connected, receive real-time notifications, register for events, view content or chat, all in a seamless, colourful environment.
Discover the SuperConnectr community platform!
An All-in-one Community Platform, 100% personalised with your Brand identity.
Give the members of your community a community web platform and mobile application in your colours to manage, animate and promote your community!
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