B2B Ignite is one of our favourite events in the calendar. For the 500+ B2B marketers that joined in 2024, community-building continues to be a theme that is defining the future of marketing. As traditional marketing channels become increasingly fragmented, businesses are turning to communities as a strategic way to engage customers, prospects, and partners.

B2B Marketing CEO Richard O'Connor kicked off with an expert panel discussion joined by community strategy and building consultant, Michelle Goodall, and Zapnito co-founder and CEO, @Charles Thiede. Here are some of the themes the panel discussed:

The Importance of Community

Communities offer brands a dynamic space for real-time interaction, knowledge sharing, and relationship-building, extending far beyond the capabilities of traditional marketing. Unlike social media, which often serves as a broad and less personalized channel, communities allow for deeper engagement and direct feedback from your audience.

Key Ingredients for Success

Building a community isn't always easy. The best foundation for success is if conversations with and between customers about your product are already happening organically. A clear vision for the community is essential, and it must be treated as a long-term investment rather than a short-term marketing tactic. Dedicated resource and executive sponsorship are important to build momentum and impact.

A solid value proposition is also key. The community must offer something value that they are unable to get elsewhere. Looking at how and where you engage existing and potential customers already can help identify whether there’s a gap a community initiative. 

The ROI of Community

Investing in community-building can yield significant returns. Zapnito has seen prospects engaged in a community being twice as likely to become customers. Additionally, community members have higher retention and upsell rates, particularly in subscription-based businesses. Presenting community-building as a strategic investment can help secure support from senior leadership.

Roles and Capabilities

To manage a community effectively, certain roles and capabilities are needed within an organization. While a dedicated community manager is beneficial, this role can also be integrated into existing functions like marketing, customer success, and product communications. Essential skills include adaptability, data analysis, ability to create content. Perhaps more importantly successful community managers have an attitude of wanting to help others, ability to build relationships with different kinds of people and being able to interpret feedback to make clear decisions.

Types of Communities

It’s important to recognize that different types of communities serve different purposes — whether they are customer communities, thought leadership hubs, or lead generation platforms. Understanding the unique goals and needs of your community type is vital for its success.

Conclusion

With the community strategy and technology in place to deliver it, community-led growth becomes achievable for any B2B business. To learn more about what good looks like from recognized experts, head to our Community-Led Growth Hub.