What Is Community? (Newsletter #98)

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What Is Community?

I've been thinking a lot lately about community.

I've built a business around community (Exit Five) and community building has been one my key plays as a B2B marketer.

But I've never really sat down to define community, so I wrote something about it - reply back and let me know what you think or how you define community.

Here's my take. Maybe this is helpful for you and your business.

***

What Is Community?

Community is about bringing people together around a shared interest.

• Communities take place online and offline; they can also be super niche or broad
• Community can be hyper-local: this could be your local running club
• Community can be broad: this could be the 3 million members r/running on Reddit

Community building is a great business strategy because you are building a relationship with future customers; it’s much easier to sell something when someone knows you, likes you, and trusts you first.

Community building also has to be done authentically for it to “work” - which is a good guardrail for business. Your purpose has to be this shared interest, not just selling your product.

Community is built through content: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, podcasts, events, meet-ups. Those channels all work to build community.

You can also have “a community” - a dedicated space online for “your community.”

To build strong community, you typically don’t want to lead with your product - you want to make it about the shared interest. But over time as products become become popular, communities often spin up around products - the product becomes the shared interest. Salesforce has their Trailblazer community for its power users. There’s a community for Strava athletes. There’s a community for Lego builders.

Community can be especially powerful in B2B, where there’s much more at stake when buying a product. Deals are bigger, the sales cycle is longer. People are spending the company’s money vs. their own. Community can dictate which brands customers choose to work with. You want to build the brand that customers say “yes. I feel like they really get me” or “they taught me how to do my job better” or “they made me smarter at work.” That’s what community building can do.

Community also gives you a direct relationship to customers. Instead of spending money with Google and Meta in order to reach the people you want to sell to, you can simply turn to your audience and tell them about the new thing you’re doing. That’s the power of community.

P.S. Reply back and let me know what you think or how you define community. We read every reply.

Podcast #139: Building Community in B2B, LinkedIn Organic, and Influencer Partnerships

I joined Chris Walker for a Refine Labs Expert Series event. Chris is the Founder & Executive Chairman of Refine Labs and Founder & CEO of Passetto. We discuss

• The principles of building a community
• LinkedIn personal vs. company page engagement
• The role of executives in thought leadership content
• How companies are leveraging influencer partnerships
• How to approach LinkedIn organic and grow your audience

Listen to the Episode Now on Spotify

Or find it everywhere you listen by searching "exitfive" podcast.

Podcast #140: Intent Data, Back to Basics with ABM, and B2B Non SaaS

I'm joined by Christopher Rack, CEO of pharosIQ. Chris is a seasoned leader with a track record of driving remarkable growth. With experience spanning individual contributions to executive leadership, he's led four sales organizations to achieve 10x growth in just 2-3 years. His leadership ethos prioritizes building robust processes and fostering winning cultures rooted in a human-first approach.

We discuss

• The future of intent data
• ABM in 2024
• The importance of unique positioning
• Marketing in industries like packaging and logistics
• How to stand out in a crowded market

Listen to the Episode Now on Spotify

Or find it everywhere you listen by searching "exitfive" podcast.

Upcoming Events

Every B2B marketer knows about ABM, but its meaning varies significantly based on factors like the product being sold, target audience, and sales cycle length. In fact, numerous misconceptions surround ABM, leading to confusion about its true essence. In this session we aim to clarify what ABM isn't and how its meaning has evolved in 2024.

We’ll discuss common ABM misconceptions:

• ABM isn’t a product
• ABM isn’t new
• ABM should not be your only strategy

And dive into what ABM IS in 2024:

• Leveraging real-time data to optimize ABM strategies
• Anticipating changing buyer personalization preferences
• Finding the right mix of content and tactics to convert faster

RSVP here

Open Roles

HOT JOB OF THE WEEK: Frogslayer is looking for a VP/Director of Marketing to play a pivotal role in building a world-class marketing organization — a team that will be the "secret sauce" behind Frogslayer's continued growth and the envy of our competitors. You’ll have the authority (and budget) to challenge assumptions, experiment with new ideas, and invest in building out your team as you see fit.

If you're interested, you can apply here. 

Other open roles on the Exit Five job board this week:

• Sidebar is hiring a Head of Growth. Remote Role.
• Modulate is hiring a Marketing & Partnership Ops Specialist. $95k salary. 
• Culture Partners is hiring a Digital Product Manager. $115k salary. Remote Role.
• Freshpaint is hiring a Senior Manager, Product Marketing. $185-$220k. Remote Role.
• Spot AI is hiring a Director of Demand Generation. $185-200k salary.
• RethinkFirst is hiring a Social Media Manager. Remote Role 
• RethinkFirst is hiring a Growth Marketing Director. Remote Role. 
• Tribunus Health is hiring a Growth Marketing Manager. Remote Role. $80-120k salary.
• Meter is hiring a Field Marketing Manager. Remote Role. $85-143k salary.
• Auror is hiring a Director of Field Marketing. $150-168k salary.
• Aimtal is hiring a Marketing Account Manager. Remote Role.
• OlyBet Group is hiring a Group Director, Customer Marketing. 96-144k€.
• ContactMonkey is hiring a Senior Website Growth Lead. Remote Role.
• MightyScout is hiring a Growth Marketing Manager. $90-$110k salary. Remote Role.
• Flowhub is hiring a Demand Generation Manager. $95-$125k salary. Remote Role.

See all open roles

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