The business of belonging : how to make community your competitive advantage

"The idea of business community is changing. Older, traditional approaches to build community, such as those of Raving Fans, are about getting people to love your brand and product and evangelize it. But to be a true community, those fans need to be connected to each other, and given clear paths to contribute. The Business of Belonging is about creating such a valuable community around your brand and product that customers not only become more loyal, they also become contributors and leaders who help accelerate the growth of your business. It's the world's first book for the decision maker who wants to better understand community, and for the community builder who wants to succeed in the world of business. This book will walk you through the exact process you need to align community with business objectives like growth and retention, and how to make these things measurable and actionable. It will follow the SPACES Model, which holds that growth through community comes in 6 areas: Support, Product, Acquisition, Contribution, Engagement and Success."--