What exactly is a micro-community? And why do you need one?

Two businesses are selling similar goods, but one of them has a higher growth rate, and is attracted by better clients, and quickly expanding into new market.

What's the difference between the two? A micro-community is where users gather and exchange opinions, basically telling company owners what options and features they'd like to see.

If you want to build good relationships with clients, increase leads conversion speed and provide value to your audience A niche community could be just what you need. They may be small (as the phrase "micro" indicates), but they provide significant benefits to both businesses and customers alike.

Do you want to know what micro-communities are? And how you can easily use these to help increase your sales? Stick with us for brief, but comprehensive run-down.

What is a microcommunity?

Micro-communities are extremely-focused, exclusive online groups which are run by a business to support prospective customers or customers. Although micro-communities can be tiny (up to say 100 members), "micro" doesn't necessarily refer to the community's size. However, "micro" refers to the niche or micro aspect of the community, not the size of the community.

A few examples of micro-communities

Micro-communities can be found in a vast range of structures and formats. How you structure and format your micro-community will depend on your goals for the group. Here's a little inspiration for those of you...

Glossier's customer communities

Glossier, fondly known as the "people-powered beauty ecosystem" has developed the art of keeping in touch with customers. They do this by inviting top customers to Slack chat groups which allow them to connect and keep in touch.

The groups are hyper-localized, the members communicate more than 1,100 messages weekly and create feedback from the most active fans of Glossier.

Doodle Institute's members clubhouse

Doodle Institute sells online courses that teach people how to doodle. Students get basic training during the course. Then, as a bonus students also have access to access to the Doodle Clubhouse.

The Clubhouse offers students the opportunity to have a secure space to ask questions, share their work, and network with other doodlers.

MyYogaPal's Community

MyYogaPal assists users connect to themselves and their yoga practice. It also offers an online yoga community in which students are able to connect with people who are passionate about yoga.

The big benefits of micro-communities

Micro-communities encourage feedback

Micro-communities are typically informal and intimate , and provide an environment where members can discuss their ideas and hopes. This makes them an effective method of gathering honest feedback on your product and services.

A study by Zak discovered that 60 percent of those who are younger than 30 prefer sharing their thoughts in secure places like groups that are private and feel less comfortable talking on public forums. However, this isn't a purely age-related issue. In a community that's composed of members "like me" people tend to be more comfortable speaking out.

When you create a small community where customers are heard (and involved), they're more likely to express their opinions and stories.

Tips for a successful HTML0: Don't let good feedback go to waste. Take action on it and clients will feel more special and appreciative, like this user of Stripe, the payment processor..

From anonymity to genuine connection

Sometimes, it's difficult to create a persona for an individual's name when you're receiving reviews from your customers on the Internet. While Google reviews and the comments posted on open forums act as an excellent source of social proof for your business but they might not be so valuable as you think they could be. There are people on forums that don't fit into your ideal customer profile--the individual you can get the most information from.

However, if you establish an online community for 100 of your most valuable customers, you can be sure that you can be sure to trust their opinions.

When you interact with them in the community and interact with them, you'll become acquainted with each of them. It will become clear what the goals they have, and the things they're trying to achieve. With this information it will be possible to create new products and features that help them achieve those goals.

Build a mutually beneficial community of support

Because community members have common objectives and desires and goals, they form strong bonds. This means that they'll be supportive of one another, making your job simpler.

If your clients post questions about your product or service on a micro-communitysite, chances are, they'll receive responses from a variety of like-minded people who are eager to share their stories, experiences as well as ideas and tales.

These are rich interactions centered around your brand. It's a winning combination for both your company and the people who follow you.

How do you start an micro-community?

In the past, we've seen that micro-communities can be a great addition to any business. You may still be wondering if a community is the perfect option for your business. To help make your decision easier, here are the three main reasons to think about creating an online micro-community.

Your business becomes more than just an individual service provider.

If you can make your clients feel involved (through micro-focus communities or otherwise), you become far more than a simple brand or star personality. Communities can help build authentic connections with your customers, increasing the sense of belonging as well as loyalty.

You're now seen as a mentor or friend and not just another course creator. That expands your network, making it easier to create and sell new products.

It's simpler to cater to different types of customers.

Micro-communities can be a fantastic option for serving customers from many different industries and specific niche.

As an example, say you do corporate training for large companies and sell self-guided classes that cover the same material to individuals. Rather than creating one community which doesn't meet the needs of both audiences efficiently, it is possible to develop a separate community that is specific to each audience.

You can laser focus on the requirements of your clients, and customize content to meet their requirements. This way, each customer will get the support that's the most beneficial for them.

It is a form of social proof.

Micro-communities can provide " social proof" to your business. Once someone signs up to your group and sees other posts and the respect they feel for your brand. If they don't know about who you were prior to joining your community it will be easy for them to see that your authority and is trustworthy.

Positivity is contagious. Members who are new will absorb the positive energy that is present in the group and will adopt the same optimistic attitude. Note, if your product has issues or your brand gets criticized for their ethical conduct (may this not be the case) Communities can turn into an avenue for the venting of anger.

How does a micro-community develop to become something larger?

When you create an online community that gives users with a secure space to interact with you and others, it creates loyalty.

In the world of business the value of loyalty is higher than gold. It's the only thing that cannot be purchased, regardless of the money you put into marketing.

Customers who are loyal to you are not only more likely to shop with you, but they're also more likely to talk highly of your products and services in conversation with others who share the same values which can increase your profits.

By fostering loyalty and improving the customer experience, micro-communities can become the growth engine for your company, which can lead to customer retention, new customers, and even fantastic ideas for innovative goods and services that people are looking for!

Here's a great way to develop a micro-community to something larger.

In the group, discuss your plans for creating the course. Examine your material with participants in the group, and ask for their opinions. Once you've identified what they require, you are able to create the final course.

You can use your group to create an environment for the development of other products also. After you've released the course, ask your best students to join your micro-community. Invite them to provide you with comments on the course, and get their opinions in the process of create your next course.

Then, you can establish a spin-off social network where all of your students engage with one another, work through the course material together, and answer one another's questions.

Start building your micro-community

Are you convinced of the potential and potential of micro-communities? If so, the next step is to create one. Here are our tips to help you get going:

Select the best strategy for you. You can either create micro-communities by yourself, or work with influencers. Influencers already have an engaged followers, however making your own micro-community makes the micro-community seem more significant.

Invite members. Spread the word about your group. Invite people who will assist you in creating an active, positive environment you envision.

Nurture relationships in your community of interest. Engage with your members. Be present and accessible. It's also an excellent idea to provide them with first glimpses into new products and services. Make members feel special by providing them with access to exclusive services.

Make it enjoyable and engaging. Be empathetic, friendly and focused. Don't use the group to sell or market. The focus is building relationships and sharing knowledge.

is specifically made for knowledgeable entrepreneurs. This means you are able to host your community, courses and even coaching through the same platform for building your business.

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