Recently I attended the first Community Cove event. Community Cove has been started by giffgaff and aims to examine and discuss the value of communities and how they can help businesses.
The first event looked at how to build internal and external communities for start-ups and other businesses.
Some interesting points raised at the event:
Some interesting points raised at the event:
- Technology allows customers to filter out company communication but also allows companies to reach customers on a one to one basis – iPod, RSS, Sky box are all filtering devices and that is their value.
- Customer community is key to giffgaff. The community answers 50% of customer queries.
- Staff, member community, external communities; the three key components of a successful community business. As well as creating its own community giffgaff has embraced Twitter and Facebook.
- giffgaff launched their community before they launched their product. Setting up a community before launching a product helps to frame the product.
- 10% of customer suggestions have been implemented by giffgaff.
- Build trust with your customers via your community.
- Customers of giffgaff have found a home with a mobile operator they identify with. They've become the community.
- Building a community team requires individuals with four attributes – digital understanding, analytics, networks and content.
It's great to see businesses starting to embrace community as a way not just of engaging with customers but using community as a fundamental tenet of the business.
With thanks to giffgaff for organising an excellent event.
