Boost Business Growth with Customer Communities

Customer communities have become a key asset for businesses.

Companies use them to connect, help, and collaborate with their customers.

They're not just forums for troubleshooting.

But rather powerful ecosystems that impact the company's growth and customer satisfaction.

💡According to a 2023 study by Forrester Research, 76% of companies with online customer communities improved customer satisfaction scores.

So here’s why building and nurturing a powerful customer community is a must today:

The Power of Customer Communities

Customer communities bring many benefits that will boost your customer success efforts:

1. Peer-to-peer support

   As customers help each other, it reduces the load on your support team and builds a sense of community.

   💡A 2024 report by Gartner found that companies with active customer communities saw a 35% reduction in support tickets.

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   For more on leveraging peer support, check out my guide on Customer Success Engagement Expert Insights.

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2. Reduced support costs

   Communities give customers a platform where they can solve each other's problems.

   And this makes you save on massive support resources.

   💡The Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) reported in 2023 that companies with robust customer communities reduced their support costs by an average of 25%.

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   Learn more about optimizing support costs in my article on Time-Saving Tips for Customer Success Productivity.

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3. Increased customer engagement

   Communities drive ongoing interactions.

   They keep your brand top-of-mind and encourage product usage.

   💡A study by the Community Roundtable in 2024 found that engaged community members are 37% more likely to remain loyal to a brand.

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   Discover more strategies for boosting engagement in my Customer Engagement Tactics guide.

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4. Valuable product feedback

   Direct insights from users help product development and improvements.

   This leads to better customer satisfaction.

   💡According to a 2023 McKinsey report, companies that leverage customer communities for product feedback see a 20% higher success rate in new product launches.

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   For tips on gathering and using customer feedback, see my Customer Feedback Survey Template.

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5. Improved brand loyalty

   Strong communities create emotional connections to your brand, increasing customer retention and advocacy.

   💡The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer found that customers who take part in brand communities are 62% more likely to become brand advocates.

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   Explore more ways to build brand loyalty in my Customer Success Fundamentals & Strategies article.

"The purpose of a business is to create a customer who creates customers." - Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon

Types of Customer Communities

There are several types of customer communities, each with its own strengths:

1. Online forums

   Dedicated platforms for discussions and knowledge sharing.

2. Social media groups

   Using existing social platforms for community building.

3. User groups

   Focused communities organized around specific products or use cases.

4. Customer advisory boards

   Exclusive groups of key customers that provide strategic input.

Key Steps for Using Customer Communities

To make customer communities effective, here are the most important steps you need to follow:

1. Choose the right platform

   Know your audience demographics, technical requirements, and community goals.

2. Define clear objectives

   Set specific, measurable goals for what you want to achieve with your community. For example, reducing churn or increasing product adoption.

3. Create engaging content

   Develop a content strategy that provides value to community members.

   This is about how-to guides, best practices, and industry insights.

4. Promote your community actively

   Use different channels to invite customers to join and participate.

   This includes email campaigns, in-product notifications, and social media.

5. Build a welcoming environment

   Set clear community guidelines, moderate discussions effectively, and encourage positive interactions among members.

For more detailed guidance on implementing these steps, see my Customer Success Plan guide.

"Customers won't care about any particular technology unless it solves a particular problem in a superior way." - Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal

Part 2: Practical Strategies for Community Success

Now let’s see how you can build and grow a customer community in practice.

Here’s what I’m covering in the 2nd part—exclusive to my premium subscribers:

1. Building a Thriving Community

2. Growing Your Community

3. Engaging Your Community

4. Measuring Community Success

5. Overcoming Common Challenges

6. Tools Recommendation

7. Customizing Per Business Type And Industry

8. Case Study: Real-Life Example From a $6.2 billion company

9. ⬇️[Download] My Exclusive Customer Community Success Checklist

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Don't just build a customer community—grow it and engage!

“The CS Café Newsletter is the quintessential resource for all things Customer Success. Always current and actionable for all CS organizations.”

-Kevin Herrholtz, VP of Client Success, AddShoppers

1. Building a Thriving Community

Platform Selection Deep Dive

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