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As time passes, creating an open and free online community could be a great way to generate all the top of funnel leads you'll ever need. Sound too good to be true? Maybe. It's an issue that's not easy to resolve, as you don't want so much value in the community for free that paying members aren't enticed to become members of your paid community.
In the event that there's an active, non-profit community within your field, do you have an unique benefit proposition that can attract people from the community they're currently being part of - the place they have friends and have a reputation - to be part of your community?
If you are, then good luck to ya. If not, think about how you can come alongside that existing thriving community and become a valued member. More on that shortly. Two platforms that are commonly used to build communities for free are Facebook Groups and discussion forums. If you go with Facebook, we recommend a closed Facebook Group where non participants are able to see the group exists and can join in without being approved by the leader of the group. If you have a completely public group, discussions which take place tend to revolve about the least common denominator , and can quickly degenerate. The goal is to make an inviting, welcoming environment so people actually participate, as they do in your paid subscription. Facebook has also hidden "secret" invitation-only groups. However, you do not want this as you're using it for an upper-end source that must be found.
The most significant drawback with Facebook is that you're essentially being a part of the sandbox of someone else. If they alter the rules, as they've done in the past the community could disappear overnight. Having more control and assuming lesser risk is crucial, considering the time and effort required to create an effective community. An open discussion forum could also be an effective community option. Check if the software for forums you're using within your membership lets you create an off-site community that is in front of the wall.
In any case, be sure to clearly state the rules of your community and prepare to moderate discussions as required. If there are moderators in your paid community, expand their responsibilities to include guarding the community that is free as well.
In conclusion, I would strongly recommend creating a formalized free or. paid content strategy. When you've got one, you may start a discussions in your community using your free content and thus promote your paid membership in a non-pushy way.
No matter where you manage a community that is free, you're going to need to devote a considerable amount of energy into the community at the very beginning. It is essential to be the one to establish yourself as the chief of your group as well as an industry professional. Give a lot of value up front and answer questions thoroughly and promptly. As time goes along, as long as you've got an adequate number of members, you should pull your participation in the group for free. As an example, inform your members know that the times you'll be available on Wednesdays and Fridays, to respond to questions and take part. If they'd like to speak with you earlier, you're always available in your paid membership community forum.
Also, you should leave some less specific responses to the questions over time. Give answers by any means, but do not give away the full answer as you would to a paying member. Try a small sample, and then point the free community member towards your paid membership, where they can get the entire answer to the question, and other questions. It's also beneficial when you are able to point them to content within your membership that addresses specific questions asked in the group you are in. Similar to any other channel for acquisition it is essential to have a method to collect leads and bring people to join your funnel. Download your lead magnet and start sending out your email nurture series. Do not skip this step.
Also make sure you're regularly marketing your paid membership to the community you're in. Be respectful, not pushy, or in-your-face about it, but putting links to your entire free content (which of course contain lead magnets that allow opt-ins throughout the piece) Podcasts, episodes of podcasts, announcements of new features to your membership that you pay for, as well as promotional offers to encourage sales.
Create a community for free after very careful consideration by you. This is a long-term endeavor, much like running your own show, and if you're able gain momentum, you can start the race for the paid membership!
Participate as a leader within the existing communities.
If there is any or more online communities that are devoted to your field of expertise it is possible to join one of them and frequently contribute to, assist others, and provide worth, instead of making a fresh start by creating your own competing community.
The idea of this could be thought of as an extension of your existing social strategy , and should form part of your weekly process. That is it is important to be able to keep track of all Facebook and Twitter interactions that you wish to have during the course of the week. Include participation in these community sites one of the primary points on your checklist. Make it a priority to add it to your schedule and commit to it because if your participation is spotty, you're wasting your time as it's unlikely to be recognized or be noticed significantly.
In time, if you're consistent to this method, you'll build up a reputation as an authority that people will pay attention to and seek out within those free communities. Do not believe me when I say you need to bombard someone else's community with spammy, salesy junk. This will earn you a one-way ticket to the end of the road, courtesy of your community's coordinator. Follow their rules, only promote your membership as allowed in your natural influencer plan The first goal is to become a positive individual who adds lots of value to your group.
Reddit and Quora
Reddit along with Quora are two often overlooked gems that serve as a catch-all for anyone seeking information on the web. I'd be flabbergasted by the results of a search on these two websites and didn't find anything related to the topic of your membership.
The ability to answer questions on Quora and Reddit that pertain to your membership space creates the gift that keeps on providing. If you're a valuable source on these sites, people will find your replies repeatedly.
It is possible to add participation in these websites in your social media strategies checklist as well. Even if you check the sites every month , or even once per quarter, you should establish a certain amount of engagement if your business topic is discussed on either site. Spend an hour searching those websites for queries you could solve or threads that you could provide something useful to. If you are able to write a dozen replies in that hour, you've planted little seeds which will soon bear fruits as these questions and threads get referenced often later on.
If you're visiting these websites be sure to remember that one of the most important principles of marketing: First, be useful, and then even more helpful, then be truly helpful in providing so much value that you have no choice but that your intended audience pay you money for additional delicious, sweet value.