Learn Speak Teach Episode #61 with Mark Schaefer.

Join us with our guest Mark Schaefer, as we dive into the world of community marketing. In a digital world where we can easily mistake online connections for true connections, brands must foster genuine relationships with their customers. A strong sense of belonging can create loyalty, trust, and engagement, all critical components for success in today’s competitive market.

Community marketing offers a powerful way for brands to cultivate relationships with their customers, establish long-term loyalty, and create a sense of belonging. It’s the ultimate form of marketing that requires no marketing because when you have a community, people will support you no matter what you do.

But how do you build a community? According to Mark Schaefer, globally recognized keynote speaker, futurist, and business consultant, it starts by creating a purpose that goes beyond market differentiation and intersects with the audience’s purpose. In his book, Belonging to the Brand, Mark shares valuable insights on community marketing, including why it’s often overlooked by most organizations and how an organization’s culture can impact the community’s success.

Don’t miss out on this insightful episode as we explore the benefits of community marketing and the first step to building a thriving community.

Mark is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, futurist, and business consultant. Additionally, he is the bestselling author of 10 path-finding books, including Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy.

In this episode, Mark discusses his book Belonging to the Brand. Mark explains the benefits of community marketing strategy and discusses the first step to community building. Moreover, he discusses how an organization’s culture impacts the community’s success and why the community is a vastly overlooked marketing opportunity by most organizations.

Tune in for valuable insights!

During this episode, you will learn about:

[00:50] Introduction to the episode

[03:08] Introducing our guest; Mark Schaefer

[06:35] How Mark started creating community-based content

[09:22] 4 things you should do to become known in the digital age

[12:31] The difference between an audience and a group of social media followers

[17:11] A case study of the 4 things you should do to become known

[21:17] The benefits of community marketing strategy

[22:14] Mark’s book; Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing

Strategy: https://bit.ly/3Z9Yv4n

[23:05] What inspired Mark to author Belonging to the Brand?

[24:09] Do we have enough space for everybody to build an online community?

[25:01] Creating a purpose for people to gather that is beyond market differentiation

[31:13] How the culture of the company/business impacts community success

[32:40] How a person working for an organization can pitch the idea of building a community to the leadership of the organization

[36:25] Why community is a vastly overlooked marketing opportunity by most organizations

[43:04] The psychological and sociological connection between communities and brands

[47:40] What is the first step to building a community?

[49:27] Rapid Fire Round

[55:20] Support Mark by leaving a review on his book: https://bit.ly/3IJzWG3

Key Takeaways:

“The only thing that’s going to save us in this world from AI disrupting our skillsets and our jobs is the emotional connection we have with the audience.”~Mark Schaefer [11:01]
“People who subscribe to your blog or podcast or videos series are in a virtual way raising their hand saying I believe in you, I wanna learn more about you and what you do, and it’s ok for you to send me communications and even market to me occasionally.” ~Mark Schaefer [13:40]
Community marketing is the ultimate marketing without marketing because if you have a community, people will buy whatever you’ve got going on because they love and support you.[21:27]
“Creating a community is really no different than starting a blog or having a podcast. You are fighting for attention.” ~Mark Schaefer [24:34]
“Every community’s success has to start with the culture.” ~Mark Schaefer [31:13]
“Transformation creates transactions.” ~ Ben Albert [41:25]

Watch The Full Episode:

People Mentioned and Other Resources:

Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy: https://bit.ly/3Z9Yv4n
KNOWN: The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age: https://bit.ly/3ZdDBkY
Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins: https://bit.ly/3ZfdtpS