Some tips on building an active online community.

Communities are a powerful tool for businesses to use to support the brand...

• Market research - it gives instant real time measures of what people are thinking and feeling from the comments and conversation htreads plus you can always use online survey tools to ask specific questions.
• Product testing - put the product out into the community for feedback and beta testing
• Product message testing - thinking of running a new campaign? Why not ask for feedback from the community? Ad agencies would always suggest running Focus Groups. Why not use your community for some of this? Want a wider feedback? Ask the community to recruit friends and family and help.
• Product ideas - current customers are a great for new ideas. New products, new services and new ways of engaging with them. Ask them for ideas. *

* When I worked at 3M the R&D teams would regularly put out sample technology and ask for employees suggestions. They also had an internal employee shop where you could buy discounted products as sold in stores. Again they asked for branding, price and packaging suggestions. Is it any wonder that 3M was often cited as one of the most innovative companies in the world. That was 30 years ago! Now imagine they could use social networking tools to extend this to their customer base.