Web Marketing 101 - Communities of Interest

This idea is not particularly new. Political parties, religious organizations, professional organizations, and many other organizations have been formed for reasons of shared interest or purpose. Members of such organizations might have little else in common with other members, and might not even like them or socialize with them outside the community. It is the strength of the shared interest or purpose which brings members together, and the motivation to perform shared tasks to reach a shared goal can be a real strength to the organization.

Web Marketing – The Dark Side
There is definitely a dark, destructive side to communities of interest on the web. A decade ago this author was asked to find a technical manual for a Packard Bell computer. When I did a search for the company web site I found “hate” sites in several countries which listed complaints of poor support, poor warranty service, and no manuals or documentation for users. Chat areas on these sites detailed personal experiences which reflected very poorly on the computer company, which apparently solved its problem by becoming the eMachine company. After several years of less web strife, Gateway computers bought the company, and recently (written in 2008) Acer bought Gateway.

If you “google” Nescafe you will find similar communities of “disinterest,” brought together to share complaints about the company. There are other “dark side” examples, including Walmart.
Web marketing – The Treasure Awaits

When selling on the web, a company’s ability to succeed can be seen to improve if a relevant community of interest can be established. Tigerdirect.com, for example, sends out email ads on a regular basis to customers and former customers. Of course customers willingly give their email address in order to be told when their order has been shipped as well as to receive a copy of the invoice. The ads after that always include an “unsubscribe,” or “opt-out,” selection to stop the ads, but the offerings reveal many very low prices and some items are even “FREE.” In fact, some of my professional IT friends gossip about the prices on some of the ads when we meet. I regularly inspect the ad prices to compare with what I see in my area. This is an example of developing a community of interest for “marketing” goals. Here, the customers “opt-in” to the initial email concept, and further, remain community members for later advertising or services. Of course, the customer base expects continuing good service, good prices, and good support from the company. This is a good example of a web marketing plan which uses a community of interest specifically developed to achieve sales and marketing goals. To be minimally credible in the market place, a company must have a web site. Why not use the site to improve profit margins?

Social Networking
Of course, the community of interest idea is not new. It has been around for a long time and is generally referred to as “social networking.” What is described in this paper is a “digital” adaptation to this powerful social tool.
Dr. Lou Gamble