The Difference Between Online Brand Communities & Social Media Communities
Sometimes, it’s easy for me to forget that there are still so many people who don’t know this difference, but I’m reminded of it because I’m talking to people every week about this very thing. I take this as a great sign that more and more people are continuing to learn about the power of an online brand community! Still, these ARE different from social media, and for a while now I’ve been meaning to write a post about this. Then, I was reminded that some of the greatest minds in this field have already covered this topic. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I wanted to share some of these phenomenal resources:
Online Community Platforms vs. Social Media – The Great Debate
Via Community By Association. Written by Marjorie Anderson.
It’s not apples to apples
Via In Before The Lock podcast.
Building Brand Communities: Chapter 3 on Distinguishing Community
Written by Carrie Melissa Jones and Charles Vogl.
After reading/listening to these resources, you’ll have a MUCH clearer understanding of the differences and benefits of online brand communities as compared to social media ones. Now, it’s just a matter of deciding which is better for your clients/audience.
Last Chance to Register for Community (re)Focus
You still have time to be part of this community-focused FREE event taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, October 12! If you can attend, I hope you’ll consider joining my session.