¡Sigue Creciendo!- How to Grow Your Community

Creating a community is one of the most important components when launching a business! In fact you can establish trust with your community than you are golden. Think of trust as street cred. Investing time into your business to create trust is quintessential. 

Community will not only grant you access to a larger audience, but also help you identify your VIPs. Your VIPs are people who will help you advocate for your brand with time and eventually become loyal supporters. 

To acquire a strong community think about the following 3 steps: 

1. Make them feel heard. Take them into account when seeking feedback. As VIPs they are constantly keeping a close eye on your brand. Inviting them into the conversation through feedback is a way for them to feel a part of something more and beyond anything it’s a way of making them feel valued. 
2. Make them feel appreciated. A way of making them feel appreciated is by sending out regular updates on where the you as the business owner find yourself in the journey. People like people, and letting them in the journey is a way of helping them understand you. This is the perfect way to spark conversation about partnerships or even new introductions based on a shared experience. 

Make them feel special. Whether it’s through a giveaway, a special promo, being part of a beta team; as a business going out the of the way to create a unique experience to make the community member feel special is another way of acknowledging them and showing them through action that they are important to the development of your community.

Pro tip: Growing a community is crucial to your business strategy. Start by understanding your community’s needs and build product around that. -Mary Hernandez Chief Operating Officer

As you’re cultivating community, it is also important to consider how a s a business owner more exposure can acquired. If you want to be featured in magazine, news outlets, podcasts, blogs, etc. you should approach having a strategy and a good story. 

The follow are few steps you can take to create your strategy: 

1. Do your research: Spend some time researching different outlets and writers to whom pitching to a good story would be a good idea. Identifying multiple outlets will allow you to place into perspective the variety of people who share your story. Not everyone will reply, however keeping in mind that the brand aligns with your story is a solid first step.
2. Personalize your pitch: Take the time to curate the pitch you send to each publication. A good pitch will make the difference between someone wanting to take interest in your story and choosing to follow up on the story. Publications will notice if you recycle a pitch. 
3. Be conscious of timing: Avoid reaching out to publication during holidays, days off, when sensitive events are happening. 
4. Get to the point: People don’t have too much time to read through a long pitch. That is why it is important to take advantage to create something that is meaningful. Start with using direct subject lines. 
5. Be careful with the press release: When it comes to a press release do not send it with your immediate outreach email with an attachment because it is more likely to end up in spam. 

Follow the steps knowing that you are not alone in the journey. SUMA’s goal tracker is the perfect amigo in this journey helping to set those goals to accomplish quite clear. If you haven’t already, check it out HERE!

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