Digital Community Leaders - Michelle Goodall
In the latest episode of the Digital Community Leaders Podcast, we had the privilege of hosting Michelle Goodall, an industry expert and marketing consultant. Michelle, who played a crucial role in the Digital Community Leaders Report Survey, shared her insights on a range of topics that are shaping the landscape of digital communities.
Michelle played an invaluable role in our recent project, the Digital Community Leaders Report Survey. Her expertise helped us to delve into the importance of data-driven insights, revealing how they can empower community leaders and organisations to make informed decisions. Her involvement in curating the survey laid the foundation for our discussion, and together we explored some of Michelle's key takeaways from the report.
The Importance of Funding for a Community
Michelle shared her thoughts on various funding models and strategies that community leaders can adopt to ensure their communities flourish. In page 46 of the Digital Community Leaders Survey Report, our data states that 60% of communities have a budget. While this number is encouraging, Michelle pointed out that there is still 40% of communities running on goodwill and fumes.
In our conversation, there was a big emphasis on the critical role of funding digital communities. In a world where online communities have become the centre of connection and collaboration, securing the necessary resources to sustain these spaces is more vital than ever.
“I'll be honest with you, I don't think you can do anything that is meaningful without having some budget behind it.”
Defining "Community"
One intriguing aspect of our conversation was the diverse terminology used within the community industry. There's a variety of definitions and vocabulary used by professionals across the industry, underlining the significance of understanding the subtle nuances between terms like "community", "network", and "audience".
However, Michelle pointed out that actually it is okay if people have a different definition of a term to that of a community manager. The important thing is to make clear to an organisation, what is meant when we use these words.
“There's a part of me that does like to define these things, because I think they're helpful. But also I think the only help that they give people is essentially to say, okay, that's a definition, but what it means to us as an organisation is this...”
Marketing and Community Building
Michelle is highly experienced in both the community world, and the marketing world. Drawing from her vast expertise, she explored how these two domains often intertwine in different organisations. These insights showcased how community building can serve as a powerful tool for marketing, amplifying brand loyalty and fostering authentic connections with audiences.
The synergy between marketing and community efforts offers endless possibilities for organisations looking to excel in today's digital landscape.
“If you come from a community background, I would say now is the time to really deeply understand what marketing actually is, and what it isn't as well.”
To dive deeper into this discussion with Michelle Goodall, check out the full episode of the Digital Community Leaders Podcast. You can listen to it on your favourite podcast platform, or watch the video version on YouTube.
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