How to Build a Community Around Your Indie Business

Are you interested in learning how to build a community around your independent business? If so, you're in the right place!

Building a community is one of the best ways to boost rapport with your audience, drive engagement, and increase customer satisfaction. When you think about it, this actually makes sense.

People really aren't on board with faceless companies anymore. They want to associate with businesses that show they care and proactively offer ways to stay in touch.

This is reflected not only in consumer sentiment but also in startup founders. Research shows that a whopping 80% of successful startup founders say community building was important to their long-term success.

Today, I'm going to share some actionable advice you can follow if you want to create a community that keeps your customers coming back for more. I've broken this down into three key phases that leaders across all industries need to consider before kicking off their community.

On that note, let's dive in!

Lay the Foundation

The very first overarching topic I want to discuss is laying the foundation for your community. It doesn't matter how passionate you are or how much money you throw into it; if you don't have a strong foundation, you're going to run into problems.

Understand Your Audience

Imagine trying to sell a product on a street corner. You call out to everyone who walks by, hoping that someone will come over and at least hear you out. Sounds frustrating, right?

Now, consider how different things could be if you knew (almost) everything there is to know about your target audience, including where they hang out. You would, rightfully so, use this information to tailor your product and marketing to their needs.

This same concept applies to community building. Specifically, you need to understand the people you want to take part in your community. Once you know their goals, needs, and pain points, you can begin shaping your business -- including your community -- around this information.

My advice is to start building detailed buyer personas that help you learn everything there is to know about the different people who will likely want to engage with your community.

You can do this by reviewing your Google Analytics metrics and other on-site data. I also highly recommend using social listening and feedback forms to get to know your audience. Use this data to start building the foundation for your community so your community is built around your customers from day one.

Define Your Goals

Once you know who you want to reach, it's time to start thinking about and defining your goals. It's safe to say that this will vary wildly based on your industry and what you ultimately want to achieve with your community-building efforts.

Here are a few common goals:

• Improve Brand Loyalty: Build long-term relationships and make customers feel personally connected to your brand.

• Boost Engagement: Encourage members to interact with your content and each other, which will drive interest in your products.

• Improve Customer Support and Satisfaction: Create a space where customers can easily get support, share feedback, or learn more about your products.

• Increase Brand Awareness: Reach people who've never heard of your business before since community posts are sometimes shown to your target audience via the algorithm.

Clearly defining your goals will help guide everything you do and help you stay focused on creating content that aligns with what you'd like to achieve.

I also think it's worth mentioning that it's not uncommon for businesses to have more than one long-term community goal!

Choose the Best Platforms

With a well-defined audience and clear goals, the next step is choosing the right platform for your community.

Not all platforms will be a fit for every business, and it's worth thinking it over and choosing one that aligns with your plan.

For many independent businesses, popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok are great places to start. However, other platforms like LinkedIn, Discord, or even a private website forum can be just as effective, depending on your target audience.

The key is to choose a platform that both you and your community members will find accessible, easy to use, and enjoyable.

Starting with one or two platforms and expanding as the community grows is a practical approach that keeps things manageable while you get a feel for what resonates most with your audience.

We created our first big group on Facebook. Now, our community, WPBeginner Engage, has 98.7K members! It took time to build up to this point, but it was certainly worth it and required us to build a strong foundation.

Source: WPBeginner Engage

Spark Engagement

If there's one thing I learned over the years about this, it's that successful communities thrive on consistent, meaningful interactions.

If your audience feels invited to contribute, share, and connect with you and other members of the community, there's an excellent chance growth will follow.

With that in mind, here are a few great ways to spark engagement

Don't be Afraid to Start Conversations

It's up to you and your team to start conversations within the group, especially when you're just starting out. People are more likely to follow your lead than they are to speak up on an empty message board or social media group.

Luckily, there are quite a few ways to do this. In my opinion, one of the best ways to start conversations is to ask open-ended questions. These types of questions prompt thoughtful responses and are great at driving discussions.

Think about everything you learned when you analyzed your target audience and ask questions that resonate with either a goal or a pain point. In our case, we ask, "What hurdles are you encountering when you set up your website?" Not only does this help us uncover hidden roadblocks, but it also gets people to speak up.

We've also had a lot of luck with live events, like Q&As and webinars. These conversation-starters provide an opportunity for your audience to speak directly to you. Not only does this help build trust, but it also allows you to address questions, misconceptions, or feedback in real time.

Encourage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is perhaps one of the best ways to build trust and skyrocket engagement within your community.

There are a ton of reasons for this, but let's start with this core idea: UGC encompasses anything and everything people outside your business create that shines a positive light on your brand, including images, videos, and customer reviews.

When people see this type of stuff, they see a business as more experienced and authentic since other people have basically said, "I trust this business, and you should too!"

Whether you sell digital products or something a little more tangible, there are a ton of ways to generate UGC. But the simplest rule to remember is to ask!

Simply saying things like, "Show us how you're using our tool today!" or "How would you rate our product?" can generate a tremendous response and help you build more UGC for your community and brand as a whole.

Give Your Audience a Reason to Engage

If you want your community to thrive, you need to offer members something valuable or interesting that makes them want to be there. Since value can take many forms, it makes sense that you'll need to consider this step carefully since it needs to be directly relevant to your community and their needs.

Here are a few great options to consider:

• Share Exclusive Content: Offering content that is accessible only to your community members, such as in-depth guides, tutorials, or insider tips, gives them a reason to stay engaged. For example, a beauty brand could share exclusive skincare routines or expert Q&As that aren't available on its main social channels.

• Early Access and Special Discounts: Rewarding your community members with early access to new product launches or limited-time discounts not only incentivizes loyalty but also adds excitement. When people feel they're getting special treatment, it reinforces their desire to be part of the community.

• Run Loyalty Programs or Referral Incentives: A loyalty or rewards program can be a fantastic way to drive consistent engagement. Offer points, credits, or small perks in exchange for participation, such as leaving reviews, referring new members, or actively contributing to discussions. We've actually had a ton of luck with refer-a-friend giveaways since they give people a reason to engage and increase brand awareness.

You'll likely find a ton of other ways to give your audience a reason to engage. These strategies have worked exceptionally well for us, so they're certainly worth considering if you're just starting out!

Fueling Long-Term Success

Finally, let's wrap this up by talking about a few things you can do to ensure your community thrives. These are all things that take a while to accomplish, but if you start now, you'll be in a position to make use of them long before your competitors.

Ask for Feedback

In my experience, one of the most effective ways to keep your community growing is to ask for feedback. Regularly checking in with the people in your group helps you better understand their needs, as well as what's working and what isn't.

Aside from learning about your audience, you also help members feel valued and acknowledged, which will reinforce their commitment to your community.

There are a ton of great ways to ask for feedback. You can send a survey to email subscribers, post a poll to your social media group, or simply listen to what people are saying about your brand with a social listening tool.

For the best results, you'll want to combine all three of these information-gathering tactics so you can make well-rounded, meaningful decisions for your community.

Add New Features

Once you have enough feedback, you can start using all that data to add new features to your community and even expand to other platforms.

Introducing new features will help you keep things fresh, which means people are more likely to stick around.

You'll want to consider all of your options. For instance, if people still have a lot of questions about your product or service, consider hosting more interactive webinars so these folks can understand the value you bring to the table and build a stronger relationship with your brand.

Another common feature that many successful groups use is membership tiers. Basically, members of the community can unlock special rewards based on what level of membership they choose. While I think this strategy is a net positive, I do want to mention the importance of creating tangible value for people who would rather stick with the free option.

Ultimately, adding new features will help you gradually create a better experience for your community, which means they're more likely to stay involved and invested.

Final Thoughts

Building and sustaining a community around your indie business takes a lot of time and effort, but I promise it's worth it. By taking the time to talk to your audience and grow your group, you unlock countless opportunities to engage with your audience, enhance brand awareness, and take your business to the next level.

All of the strategies outlined above have helped us find success, and I firmly believe they can do the same for you. Make sure you're patience and persistent, and you'll be well on your way to building a thriving community that will keep your customers engaged for years to come.