5 Great Branded Social Business Communities

Social business communities. We’ve heard about them and we’ve seen them, but what exactly do they do and what are their benefits? Simply put, social business communities are a powerful way for cultivating a branded community of engaged users. Here’s a roundup of 5 branded social business communities. These are great examples of how a brand can use a social community to disperse informative and useful content, engage users, and build brand loyalty.

1. TurboTax Advice Community

Intuit’s TurboTax Advice Community offers free advice on taxes from credible resources like accountants, CPA’s, and other tax experts. The community recognizes those who consistently answer questions by rewarding them with social currency (badges, awards. etc.). This is beneficial to everyone in the community, both users and experts, as the users get credible answers from experts and experts are encouraged to participate through rewards and recognition.

2. SAP Community Network

With over 2 million users from all over the globe, SAP brings together like-minded thinkers through social media tools and community interaction. It is its own social network, proving that having your own platform gives you the freedom to create something that suits your business goals. Rather than subjecting you to the limitations of a third party, having your own network gives you total control and offers others a place for them to be connected with experts, leaders, and employees.

3. Microsoft Answers

Microsoft Answers is a community of experts and users whereby users ask the questions and the experts answer. Just like TurboTax’s Advice Community, Microsoft Answers utilizes social currency to encourage industry leaders to share their expertise and offer their advice. This type of incentive requires little cost, as experts get rewarded through badges and awards rather than monetary payment.

4. Jive Community

Jive prides itself on being the #1 social business platform for teams of 25 to 25,000. By eliminating noise, ensuring everyone on your team is in sync, and providing tools for collaboration and communication, Jive aims to bring out the best in every team and solve challenges many social businesses face. Apt for all types of businesses, from marketing software to skincare companies, Jive provides a community for your growing customers and makes collaboration easy.

5. PitneyBowes User Forum

This forum manages the relationship between customers by providing a community both online and on a mobile device. Being present on multiple channels, mobile devices in addition to online platforms, gives users the reassurance that they have access to content no matter where they are. Even those who have replaced their laptops with their mobile devices are able to connect with the forum.

Not only can social business communities open up dialogue between the industry insiders and outsiders – those who are part of the industry but are curious about new perspectives- but these networks encourage active participation on valuable, relevant information that can be implemented for personal or business use.

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