Customer Communities
Customers rely on word-of-mouth feedback when making some purchases. With the Internet, word-of-mouth feedback has evolved into entire web sites devoted to recording customers' opinions of a vast array of products. Companies actively try to create positive "buzz" about their products by sending press releases, holding events, offering free samples, writing blogs, or through podcasts.
Influencer Panels
A marketing strategy being increasingly used is influencer marketing, or targeting people known to influence others for special attention so that they will use their influence in the marketer's favor. The idea is that new offerings should be co-created with influencers because they are more likely to be both lead users, early adopters of new offerings, and influence other people's decisions to buy them. Community or social network in the marketing sense is the form of social group that centers its attention around a particular brand or product category. Formal communities are known as influencer panels and are organized by the company. Informal communities are generally organized by customers or users and are more loosely formed. Members of the panel may come from people who responded to surveys or customers that had complaints resolved. Company should answer the following questions before activating an influencer panel:
- What does the company want from the influencer panel?
- How much are the panel members willing to do?
- What's in it for the panel members?
