Where’s your online community?

Take a page (lots of web pages, actually) from Nike.

Says Business Week:

…When Nike crafted its World Cup strategy, it decided to try something new: online communities. The centerpiece is Joga.com a social networking site for soccer fans it quietly launched in February with Google.

And is it working? Well, one million members were signed up by mid-July.

The article continues:

Says CEO Mark G. Parker: “A strong relationship is created when someone joins a Nike community or invites Nike into their community.” Which is the point of brand marketing, isn’t it?

Does your station website have a community? You may have a frequent listener club, but do you have a community? A “community” is a place where people interact with each other and with you – not a place for people to sign up for a mailing list.

Hint: If you don’t have a sign in page, you probably don’t have a community.

Brands are built by communities.