Getting to Know Them

Dubbed "Me Generation" for their nonstop quest for self-gratification, many "Boomers" pride themselves on their counterculture values, for having led movements for social rights and environmental awareness. However, marketers should take note…

• The cultural rift opened by Vietnam War between Boomers who answered call and those who avoided military service, or thought service dishonorable, has never completely closed.

• Significant medical and scientific breakthroughs beginning in 1940s have allowed Boomers to be first Americans to take responsibility for being healthy, not just avoiding disease; to be fit, in shape, and to live longer...in effect, taking charge of their lives in ways earlier generations could never imagine.

• Boomers value simplicity and like being in control. They view maintaining fitness and good health as manifestations of their ability to affect everything going on around them. For many, for example, most dreaded aspect of a serious illness is as much being unable to think clearly or exercise as much as they want, as it is losing ability to earn income.

• Women may have first come into their own in this country as a result of World War II, but it was demographic clout of fiercely independent Baby Boomer women, combined with their widespread entry into workplace, that has lead to their increasingly controlling purse strings of American households and businesses.

Do it Right and Everyone Benefits. When done properly, a community effort on a business site can be profitable for both business and consumer. The business gains a loyal customer; loyal customers get to engage with like-minded people – and business. However, if it’s not done right, it will be a ghost town and backfire.

You may have visited sites that have community efforts. Most these days are ghost towns. Click into a message board and you’re likely to see most recent post is from two months ago…or a post that simply says “test”. This will hurt credibility of business. It’s like putting up a neon sign in a window saying Now Open and having doors locked.

In times past, online communities were built too fast and without forethought. The atmosphere was more like a ghost town than a community.

The complaint became that community doesn’t make money. Mopping floor and emptying trash doesn’t make money, but if you don’t do it, you’ll lose customers who come into a dingy store.

So how do you “do” community right? There are three tools - listed below in order of importance – and four actions to consider after you activate community. Do it right, and your bottom line will improve.

The Tools Available Forums. Message Boards are most engaging form of community available. Always have been. Always will be. Start small in building your sections and buildout as certain subject matter becomes popular. If you build too many sections at start, you’ll have a permanent ghost town before you can spell (critical) MASS.

Blogs. Web Logs, or more popular term – blogs, have become rage. It’s a form of community in that everyone can speak their own mind, but it’s almost like an editorial with replies being “letters to editor”. There is not much give and take in conversation.