I grew up in a small town in northern New Jersey called Springfield. In fact, my 87 year old Mom still lives in the same home I grew up in since 1952. Several years ago, I joined a Facebook group that is not that uncommon called, You Know You’re Are From Springfield If… Many towns and small cities have similar Facebook pages that are virtual communities.
I pop in and out of this group occasionally contributing a memory or a photograph from my massive collections of images from days gone by. And it is always striking that the tone and tenor of that community is so different from how most brands use Facebook.
The stream that runs through this page is a deep-seated emotional connection to place that we share. Those of us who live away from Springfield, still feel connected by the old little league ball parks, Conte’s Deli or the old China Sky Restaurant and is wonderful proprietor Jack Chin. We tell stories about Scappy’s Subs, the Dairy Queen that used to be by the library or J.J. Newsberry in Springfield Center.
Brands could learn some lessons how to use Facebook by spending a bit of time in these environments to see how real live human being engaged with one another. There is a random, almost ping-pong poetry that occurs among the stories being told. It is sometimes chaotic and occasionally structured. But each contributor wants to be part of a community and the brand is the place called Springfield, New Jersey.
What are the lessons of Facebook Communities?
HELLO: Introduce yourself and don’t try and sell me insurance. The grroup leader always welcomes newcomers by saying, “Say Hello to Jeffrey Slater who just joined our group.”
TELL A STORY: Let the community know why you are there and what you remember. Don’t be bashful. Tell us what you recall or relate to from your memories of the Springfield brand from the past.
BE AUTHENTIC: Don’t pretend to be more important than everyone else. Be genuine and connect with that 12 year old boy or 13 year old girl that used to live on Warwick Circle or Garden Oval or Cottage Lane.
GIVE GENEROUSLY: Share memories and connections about the community and place. Offer to reconnect two people who haven’t seen each other in a long time. Act in good faith to build the community.
SUI GENERIS: Be of the people- come from the community as part of it, not an outsider. I still think of myself as from Springfield and always will. Celebrate that feeling of home.
SPARK CONVERSATIONS: Ask questions of others that pull out memories long forgotten. I recently posted an obit of Mr. Conte, who ran the local deli. There were over 100 comments about his tuna fish and ham and swiss sandwiches in 24 hours. But the real stories emerged about what a kind and generous man he was and his family that always gave back to his town.
The Importance of Community
Conte’s Deli in Springfield, New Jersey
A brand is a collection of disparate parts that can be held together through common emotions and feelings. When your brand truly acts like a community, you don’t notice the brand because it is in the background facilitating the experience. What lasts over time is the emotional bond to that brand that goes beyond a rational and logical experience with a product or service. I remember how it made me feel to go the The China Sky – I don’t really remember the food. Does your brand connect on that deep emotional level that someone will remember those feelings in 10 years? How about in 10 days? Community can be a powerful glue to hold together these emotions.
How do you build community with your brand so that customers want to share a story about a tuna sandwich from Conte’s Delicatessen?
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