Ever been to a music concert or seen your favourite band or artist perform on TV?

If you answered yes, then you will notice there’s one thing that every concert & performance will have in common. Can you guess what it is?

Passionate fans!

One of the reasons the experience is so much more enjoyable is because you are able to share it with hundreds or even thousands of others who are just as passionate as you are about your favourite artist or band.

Now there’s no reason why your business can’t also build a passionate community online — especially on Facebook.

In this post I will show you key steps you can take to help build a passionate community & a case study of a Facebook group who have done just that & how the community responded.

Buckle up — here we go!

Why Building A Passionate Facebook Community Works

When building a community on Facebook — or any social network for that matter — you want to ensure that the fans you attract to your page are highly targeted, which will  increase the likelihood that they will resonate with your content & engage with what you have to say.

So how do I turn my followers into raving fans?

Well, the most important thing to remember when looking at your Facebook fans is:

“Your Facebook fans are more than just a number. They are the building blocks for your business”  ~ Click to Tweet

Here are 4 ways in which you can start to build a community today that’s passionate about what you do & what it is you offer:

1) Regularly engage

The last thing your fans want is to feel ignored.  I’ve said it before — there is nothing wrong with scheduling out the content for your page, but it is vital that you are still there to engage with your fans. If they are made to feel ignored, they will simply go elsewhere, or worse — “Unlike” your page.  So be sure to check your page a few times a day to ensure you haven’t overlooked anyone. You want to also make sure your brand is adding a personal touch in its responses & not just using copy-and-paste replies. A quick tip for this is to address the fan by name & sign off comments with either your name or the team name.

2) Provide value

Now that you’re replying to your fans & building an engaging community the next step is to ensure you’re providing value. The easiest way to provide value for your fans is to offer a solution to a problem they are facing or present them with practical information they can act upon.  This will then encourage your fans to not only keep coming back for more great content but to also share it with their friends.  Creating this type of content has to be done on a daily basis.

You can’t create a passionate community overnight. It takes a consistent daily effort to reach your goal ~ Click To Tweet

A great way to stay ahead is to research your content beforehand & plan this out into a weekly calendar to help stay organised.

3) Help others

We know people do business with people they know, like and trust. So what better way to build that trust with your fans than to offer your expertise and assistance and help them out.  This could be as simple as answering questions about your business via your Facebook timeline or even asking your fans directly how you can help them via a Facebook update. Both these methods show your fans that you’re a brand that cares & a brand that is willing to take time out to put the customer first. This in turn helps your fans to feel valued & will leave them coming back for more.

4) Appreciate your fans

You are now replying & engaging with your fans & they are enjoying being part of such a great community.  However, there is one more step your business can take to build passion with its audience — and that is to show your fans your appreciation.  Here is an example from my Facebook Cover image highlighting one of my Fans of the Week:

A few more examples include:
* Highlighting user-generated content posted on the page
* Highlighting fans who have helped the company with feedback
*Sharing success stories from your fans

By appreciating your fans, you are showing your audience that you are a brand that puts its fans at the centre of what your business stands for.  This not only increases trust but also loyalty as it promotes a brand identity your fans not only enjoy but are also happy to do business with.

CASE STUDY [Social Identities Facebook Group]

Here is an example of how a passionate Facebook community (Social Identities) helped solve a problem presented by one of its members & how they responded.

1) A Question was posted to the Facebook group by group member Vanessa

2) The community responded with comments to help Vanessa answer her question — gathering a total of 58 Comments

3) Group members, including the group creator (Hugh Briss), showed their appreciation for the support from others

 4) Realising that this issue could help many more people, within 1 hour, Hugh turned this solution into a blog post so that others could easily share this information

5) Vanessa — who posted the original question — along with many others, were very grateful

Here is the final word from Vanessa on her thoughts about being part of such a passionate community:

“I have been a member of the Social Identities Group for two years now, and – as shown in this example – have always found it to be my ‘first stop’ for fast answers on all kinds of social media topics. From changing the names and URL’s of Facebook pages with more than 200 Likes, to finding work-arounds to the constant Facebook glitches we all experience along the way, I’ve found out everything I’ve needed to know from Hugh and the many talented members around the World.

I see the group as a very valuable community, where members are only too happy to share their knowledge and experience to guide and assist others. I know that I have also occasionally been able to help other members within the group – it’s very much a two way street, as everyone has their own unique knowledge and experiences to share. Keep up the great work Hugh and all my fellow members! – Facebook Help Centre should be paying us all for providing the fast and comprehensive answers they don’t!”

As you can see, by taking these small steps daily you too have the opportunity to build a passionate community that engages, shares & recommends your business to others.

P.S If you want me to help you kick start this whole process. Feel free to – Get in touch today!