As the semester is coming to an end, we are all busy with project, papers, presentations and the dreaded finals. So, for this weeks blog, I decided to integrate two of my classes. One, obviously being electronic communication, and the other, marketing. Let me begin by saying that marketing is by FAR my least favorite class of the semester. I don’t know what I was thinking taking it. I decided to see how online communities affected the business world, and surprising, they have a negative effect of businesses.
An article found in the Wall Street Journal, “Why Most Online Communities Fail,” was published this summer on July 16. This title was shocking to read because I have been so use to hearing about how great online communities are this entire semester. So how is an online community not an effective strategy for businesses? The main problem: Businesses are focusing on the value an online community can provide to themselves, not the community. Surprise, surprise, a business is not worried about the community but more worried about themselves? Well that’s a shocker…
Basically, business with online communities don’t know what they are doing when it comes to these communities. Some businesses spent over 6 million dollars on an online community, but about 30 % of the businesses have only one part-time (part-time!!) worker in charge of the community. The other 70% of businesses put a single marketing pro in charge of their sites. A.K.A. someone who doesn’t know anything about online communities.
So maybe online communities should just stick to a social spectrum and businesses should stay away from the online communities.
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