It’s Easier to Build Communities Online When You’re Local
Now you are going to expect me to back up that bold statement.
I firmly believe that it’s easier to build online communities when you are a local business or have a local presence.
Although there are forums and blogs that have a following of people joined together by common interest, I firmly believe that at some point that relationship will grow stagnant if there is not offline communication and interaction. Regardless of how impressive online communication becomes, people still want to socialize offline.
So what if you don’t have local stores? or are just strictly online?
— Cultivating local fan bases. Back in the day, I remember celebrities having fan bases all over the country, and each fan base having their own activities and leadership. People love to come together around common interests. Why shouldn’t one of them be your product/service? But creating these super fans is very similar to the psychology of celebrity. It’s reaching them on a personal level, becoming part of their identity, and encouraging them to relate and reproduce your message.
— Segment. I think Daily Candy is on to something big. Their e-zine segments by city. As the web gets bigger, people are going to start to segregate themselves by interest or association. Locality is a BIG association. Our everyday habits and rituals are around local businesses and events, so many of our shopping influences will be related to that as well. Facebook and Newsletters also let you segment your message based on regions, cities, etc.
