I’ll be speaking at the AdTech Conference in Sydney tomorrow on optimising social media communities. One of the things I’ve been thinking about is what we can learn from established online communities.
With the rise and rise of sites like Facebook, online communities have become synonymous with networks whose primary purpose is connecting people with friends. But shopping at a local market can be as much about community as socialising. And that’s why the lessons of eBay are important for digital marketers who hope to build their own vibrant online communities.
In October last year, eBay celebrated its tenth anniversary in Australia. The company says it:
– has 8 million registered Australian users
– contributes $2.6 billion annually to Australia’s GDP
– provides 52,700 Australians with a primary or secondary income
– enabled 87 Australians to generate $1 million in 2008 sales revenue.
We’re not hearing much about eBay at the AdTech conference as people share their strategies for newer, faster-growing platforms. But eBay’s numbers demonstrate it has earned a status that’s the mark of a true community: it’s so familiar, it’s taken for granted.
So what can we learn from a site that's arguably the world’s most successful online community? Here are what I consider the top five lessons to be learned from eBay's ongoing success:
1. Make yourself useful.
eBay really isn’t inventing “new behaviour paradigms”. Instead, it’s providing an easy online platform for people to do what they would do anyway: buy and sell stuff. Before embarking on any community development, think first about whether it’s solving a basic, common and frequent human need. Otherwise your community may have some initial interest, but then lose traction.
2. Be a first mover.
In New Zealand, auction site Trade Me leads eBay by a wide margin. Whilst eBay has enormous global resources and experience, it hasn’t been able to take the lead across the Tasman simply because Trade Me got there first. For online marketers, it’s worth looking closely at your competition. Trying something new and different in social media can be less risky than trying to mirror popular community successes.
3. Invest in moderation.
Even though eBay is famous for its user-based system of buyer and seller ratings, it doesn’t rely on self-moderation to keep things safe. eBay's Moderation team keeps user forums friendly and relevant; its Trust and Safety team monitors site activity, investigates fraud and trains law enforcement officers to help manage risks (such as the sale of stolen goods). Trust is essential to what makes eBay and any online community work. Ensuring that trust is simply part of the cost of doing business.
4. Reward your most valuable users.
eBay has five levels of PowerSellers, with each tier enjoying different benefits, including priority service and invitations to special events. It’s an important lesson for online community managers. It pays to identify all the niche communities within your site and to nurture and support the active members whose loyalty is essential to your success.
5. Invest in content – your own and your users'.
eBay is a selling platform, not a seller. But good information breeds confidence online, so eBay’s U.S. site offers more than 87,000 buyer’s guides, from Acoustic Guitars to Wrap Skirts. Most of this information has been created by loyal, knowledgeable eBay members, who are recognised as “Top Reviewers” in different tiers as they create more and more content (see above). eBay’s own content teams have contributed hundreds of pages of buyer’s information, driving SEO and promoting sales. It makes for a very interesting community. Even if you have no interest in buying something on eBay, chances are you’ll use their buying guides. Giving people a reason to visit by providing useful content (or 87,000 reasons in eBay's case) is a big part of making any community a success.