How building a Community Can Benefit Your Business From cave paintings to posting videos, let's explore the significance of the community
By Vincent Lim
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Content and its marketing have been with us for centuries. While some argue that the history of content marketing dates back to some 40,000 years old cave paintings, others believe its genesis was when the Gutenberg printing press get invented.
Whatever you believe signifies its beginning, there's one thing common through these channels- reaching out to people. At the time of cave paintings, several important messages have been shared with communities. The printing press had the power to mobilize revolutions with the emotions it conveyed through words. Today, it is the year 2018, and if you think about it, not a lot has changed.
The Modern Ways
We are still living to witness revolutions, the most recent example is that of the blockchain technology and decentralized virtual tokens. We continue to be smitten by creative and stirring content. Another thing that has stayed the same is that even today, possibly unintentionally, we become members of several communities- or more informally, fan clubs. Whether it's about supporting a politician or iOS vs Android, with some, we stand united and with others, divided.
However, there's a strange similarity even among the fragmented populations- probably that of being a community member. Whether you are a die-hard loyal Apple customer or you think that it's somewhat over-hyped, you are in both cases part of a brand's community. And, the brand that has your support is lucky for that matter.
Connecting to People
Why? Well, because no business has ever survived the endless struggle without its loyal customers or users. This has been true ever since the start of companies. What has changed is the medium of communication. From walls of a cave to printed pamphlets to published pages on world wide web, we have come a long way. And today, the most critical medium for brands to form a lasting connection with their customers is video content. It's not what I think; it's what the data reveals-
Global consumer Internet video traffic will form 80% of all the consumer Internet traffic by 2019
As per YouTube data, there's a 100% rise in video consumption every year
Product videos are believed to be useful in the decision process by 90% of the users
Video posts on Facebook generate 135% higher organic reach than photo posts
64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching its video
There are several other numeric indicators to support the role that video content plays today. So, we have probably reached a consensus here- video content is indispensable for building community. Now, let's see if we can also agree on the importance of communities for businesses.
An example
Instead of numbers, we will use an example for this one. Let's say, you are an entrepreneur and your business is all about shoes. You understand how integral shoes are in defining one's personality, and your team is striving to showcase different personalities through designs. So that, there's a pair for everyone out there. What a novel idea, right?
But, is it enough for the idea to be brilliant? Let's say you also have a hardworking team, enough funds and a supportive family. Nothing will suffice if people don't buy your shoes. And well, people won't get to know about the awesomeness of your product through telepathy. You will have to ensure that the idea, product and the message that it holds, all get communicated to the consumer or user.
That's why having a loyal community is the quintessential ingredient for a successful business. Given that video content is the next medium of communication, before the next revolution sets in, this is the best time to use all your videography skills and tricks to build a following for your brand or business.
