Imagine you have two friends: Ted and Dale.
While they both are lovely humans, Ted and Dale have some differences.
For one, Ted hates cats. This makes visiting Ted for Fantasy Football challenging, as he struggles to refrain from making derogatory comments toward your cat while the game is on. But you love football, so in the end, it's worth it to be in Ted's league.
Dale is different.
Dale loves turtles. He hosts a community called Ultra-Pet Owners. While Dale doesn't prefer cats, he loves asking you questions about your cat. You enjoy being in his community, where you can talk with other pet owners.
Now the time has come when both Dale and Ted need to make their once free community paid. The bad news is you only have enough money for one of their communities.
Which do you choose?
Ted's Fantasy Football league or Dale's Ultra-Pet Owner group?
Unless you're a die-hard football fan, I'm guessing you would choose Dale's group. He makes you feel welcomed and provides a sense of belonging.
Isn't that what we all want to feel: True belonging?
While some of us may argue we don't create relationships with companies like we do humans, I think this human truth lies at the heart of transactions.
We buy from companies we feel we belong to.
Whether it's their values, their identity, or mission, I buy from them because they make me feel like I'm one of them (belonging).
How do you create that sense of belonging with your potential customers?
The straightforward idea is to create a community.
But not around what you sell. Rather have the community be about something they desire to achieve.
Here's a notional example of a nail polish company:
They could create a community called glam gals where they show off their glamorous selves and promote self-expression.
Sure, they may promote their products here or there, but they aim to bring value first by helping their audience master self-expression through glamorous methods.
If you can make your potential buyers feel like they belong, you will have a greater chance to delight and retain them.
How are you currently creating that sense of belonging?
🧠 + ❤️ // JO