Building their own communities can offer publishers numerous advantages over relying solely on third-party social media platforms. Here are 10 great reasons why publishers should consider focusing on building their own communities:
1. Control Over Content and Data
- Ownership: Having their own community allows you to have full control and ownership over the content and data generated.
- Data Privacy: You can ensure the privacy and security of their user data without being dependent on the policies of external platforms.
- Customization: You can customize the user experience, content, and interactions based on their audience’s needs and preferences.
2. Direct Relationship with Audience
- Engagement: Direct engagement with the audience allows for building stronger relationships and understanding their needs and preferences better.
- Loyalty: A dedicated community can enhance brand loyalty and create advocates who can further promote the brand, your main subscription or membership program
- Feedback: Direct feedback from the community can be invaluable for improving products, services, and content.
3. Monetization Opportunities
- Diversification: You can explore various monetization strategies like subscriptions, memberships, or selling merchandise directly. A community is a great add on.
- Ad Revenue: If its your own community, you can control ad placements and keep all ad revenue, instead of sharing it with social media platforms.
- Sponsored Content: You can work directly with sponsors for content partnerships without restrictions from third-party platforms.
4. Algorithm Independence
- Visibility: Content visibility is not subject to the changing algorithms of social media platforms.
- Reach: Publishers can ensure that their content reaches all members without being filtered or limited by external algorithms.
- Consistency: The user experience and content delivery remain consistent and are not influenced by external platform updates.
5. Branding
- Identity: Having a dedicated community platform allows you to establish and maintain you own brand identity, your own look&feel.
- Consistency: You can maintain consistency in branding, messaging, and user experience across all interactions.
- Reputation Management: You can manage and control the narrative around their brand and address issues directly.
6. Reduced Risk
- Platform Risk: Relying on third-party platforms exposes you to the risk of policy changes, algorithm updates, or even platform shutdowns.
- Community Stability: Having your own platform ensures that the community remains stable and accessible even if external platforms face issues.
- Policy Control: You can establish and enforce your own community guidelines and policies without being constrained by external rules.
7. Niche Communities
- Specialized Content: You can create content that is highly specialized and tailored to the interests of their community. Focus on what really matters to your users.
- Targeted Interaction: You can facilitate interactions and discussions that are highly relevant to their niche.
- Expertise: You can establish your team as experts in their niche by providing specialized content and discussions.
8. Innovation and Adaptability
- Feature Development: You can innovate and introduce new features based on the specific needs and feedback of their community.
- Adaptability: You can quickly adapt to changes in the market or user behavior without being constrained by external platforms.
- Experimentation: You have the freedom to experiment with different content formats, engagement strategies, and monetization models.
Conclusion
While social media platforms can still play a vital role in content distribution and audience engagement, having a dedicated community platform provides publishers with control, stability, and direct access to their audience. This enables them to build stronger relationships, explore various monetization strategies, and create a tailored experience for their community members.
Your have full control. Own 100% of data. This is the key.
Want to learn more about community building? Check other great posts in our blog..