Engage Your Customers: The Power of Digital Communities

Like-minded Austinites kicked off 2016 at the Capital Factory with a conversation about the emerging trend of digital communities.

Lead by Jive and Social Edge Strategists, the intimate group discussed online communities and how they related to them.Everyone in the room agreed that a positive customer experience was extremely important for a company. They are not alone. According to Parature's 2015 Global State of Multichannel Customer Service Report, data shows that 97% of consumers worldwide say customer service is a major consideration in choosing their favorite brand.

So how does a company establish great customer service?

Enter Jive-x, an external solution for customer and partner communities. The SugarCRM portal, a Jive-x community, gives their customers the power to help themselves. Customers can come to the site and find information that is relevant to their role. If they can't find the answer they simply ask a question and a Sugar employee or another customer will answer.

Online communities go beyond just customer service. They create a place where people with similar interests and goals can collaborate. The AMD community, based in Austin, allows developers to connect, collaborate and problem solve together. They have created a rich and diverse online community for their field. An attendee noted that this would be a great avenue for his charity to bring everyone together.