How Businesses Can Build Community

In today’s modern workforce, more and more workers seek companies who support their local communities. Not only does community-building inspire loyalty amongst your staff, but it will make your brand more visible and desirable to your customer base.

On Season 5, episode 11 of the Survive and Thrive podcast, host Jennifer Ayres shares how businesses can build community-based initiatives and inspire gratitude as a result.

Why You Should Prioritize Community-Building

According to the Atlanta Business Journal, 71% of Millenials, 69% of Gen X, and 46% of Baby Boomers want to create more socially-driven projects in their workplace.

Similarly, a Deloitte study revealed that two-thirds of Millennial candidates seek companies that offer volunteer opportunities, and 83% of Gen Z candidates seek companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion.

Nowadays, workers want their employers to understand how their business can impact their communities at large.

Since a solid team remains a significant factor in a successful business, both financially and productively, it becomes imperative for leaders to take action and attract top candidates by matching their employment expectations.

Another reason to consider community-building is its popularity amongst consumers. According to 5WPR’s Consumer Report, 83% of US millennials want to purchase from companies that align with their beliefs. 67% admire CEOs who advocate for real-world issues.

A Nielson survey found that 55% of respondents were willing to pay extra for goods and services if the company made a positive social or environmental impact.

Consumers understand that companies have societal influence and want to support those who match their values. With all this in mind, finding ways to do your part must be essential to any business model.

How To Get Involved

There are many ways to participate in community-building on both a local and global level. 

Be Visible In Your Community

Community-building locally is a natural way to get started, which you can accomplish through running a workshop, partnering with a non-profit, donating school supplies, organizing a scholarship fund, or participating in local events. You can also join your local chamber of commerce, attend a National Small Business event, or attend town hall meetings. Your local community will be inspired to refer your business through word-of-mouth, allowing you to cast a wider net to consumers or potential employees. The more you show that you care about your community, the more your community will care about you and helping your business flourish.

Start A Local Internship Program

To become well-known and well-respected in your community, you can also start an internship program with local schools and colleges. Not only will you be seen as someone who wants to nurture local talent, but you will also be able to support your staff better. According to a NACE survey, only 8% of interns perform non-essential tasks. Interns can learn important tricks of the trade, and your employees will have more time for high-level work. As a bonus, the Pew Research Center found that the 18-24 demographic unsurprisingly is more adept at social media, seeing as 75% use Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat and are well-versed in current events and culture. The younger members of your team can help you conduct social media outreach to a larger pool of people, further building your brand.

Try Community-Based Marketing

If you want to extend past your local community, try community-based marketing. This strategy lets you incorporate human-centric mindsets into your messaging, linking you to people worldwide. You can build your community over shared interests through online groups and forums at a low cost. According to a Salesforce report, 84% of customers want to be treated like humans from a business, not a sales number. With this type of marketing, you can tailor your communication with a more personalized approach and demonstrate to the consumer why you care. There are many people out there in the world, and many of them may have a reason to join your community and support your business. Community-based marketing simply provides you with the opportunity to connect.

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For your business to succeed, you must prioritize people, whether they work for you or not. By gaining visibility in your community, consumers can learn more about you and are inspired to support your brand–and spread the word. When you have a strong community behind you, you can reach a more extensive base, and the sky is the limit on what you can accomplish.

If you would like to learn more about how to get involved locally, check out this week’s episode of the Survive and Thrive Podcast.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/02/01/how-to-create-a-strong-community-to-boost-your-brand/?sh=2c00fcdb6990

https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/community-based-marketing-the-future-of-business/

https://www.diversityinc.com/the-importance-of-business-community-partnerships/

https://zapnito.com/insights/top-6-community-marketing-strategies-for-businesses/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-reasons-your-business-should-give-community-ana-koza-phrca/?trk=articles_directory

https://www.ahoyconnect.com/blog/community-marketing

https://ianmitchellking.com/5-ways-community-involvement-benefits-a-business/

https://ewor.io/how-does-community-engagement-impact-your-business/

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9033-small-business-community-involvement.html

https://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/benefits

https://catapultcreativemedia.com/benefits-involving-business-community/