Kendall CrammWe speak a lot about the importance of building an online community and strategies to engage with followers. But in some ways technology has made us more anti-social, at least in the offline world. We are all glued to our phones/tablets/ and computers addicted to staying up to date on everything going on online, that we often forget there is a whole physical meaningful world that surrounds us. In our personal lives this is a choice, as a brand it is important to not only show your human side online but also offline.
Online Community Manager Definition
Someone who acts as the ambassador of a company or brand on the web. They build, monitor, and grow online communities, and often becomes the authorized voice of the company.
Why You Need an Offline Strategy
This definition is great and nails the job description on the head. Now what if this same job description and duties was given to someone regarding your offline community? To ease the fear that some may have with creating these experiences and physically interacting with the outside world, here are the most important reasons why you need an offline community strategy.
1) People Become Real
It’s hard to tell someone’s true personality through an e-mail or post. An in-person meeting deepens the bond and relationship and makes them more invested in your success.
2) Deeper Connection
While you can meet people and share your interests online, an in-person meeting again, has a special magic power. When we confine our conversations to the online world, we often forget that we are interacting with a full human being, with many layers and facets.
3) More Tolerance and Respect
People can sometimes hide behind their computer when posting negative content. If you take the time to get to know the person on the other end and they see you too are just a human, it will be harder for them to be negative to someone they may have just started a relationship with.
4) Better Feedback
You’ll get feedback from your online community if you solicit it, but observing an offline community take shape is invaluable. You’ll see firsthand what makes people tick and why they find value in the community you are building.
5) Increased Engagement Online
If you give members a good experience offline, they will want to engage further with you and the other people they’ve met. They feel even more compelled to answer that question on your forum or share user-generated content, and see you are not just a computer robot.
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