How to start a business community on BT Tradespace

If you want to give your business the personal touch then why not start an online community on BT Tradespace? Communities give you a channel to speak to contacts, customers and potential customers which can add a new angle to trading online.
It is quick and easy to do, all you need is a little planning to make sure it takes off!
1) Firstly decide what you want to achieve. You could use the community for one of the following -
•A place for after sales queries and FAQs
•Communications to support a campaign or event
•A setting for people in similar businesses or in your supply chain to network.
•Promotion for your local High Street or business hub.
There is no limit to how may communities you can set up – so have a think about whether you want the community to be public or private. Only people you invite can see a private community but a public one is open to everyone to see and participate in.
2)Plan what you are going to say. You will need some ideas to kick off new discussions with thought provoking questions. Have a plan over at least a month of the news you will want to share with members.
3)Decide who is going to spend time on the community. Will you or a colleague be putting time aside to write the questions and monitor responses? Also take part in conversations within other communities such as the Lounge to get yourself known.
Keep it conversational – people will not respond well to product promotion eg “Buy my widgets for £20″ but make it relevant or amusing. You have to invest some time into building a relationship with people before you can do business.
4)Prepare your invitation list. You can use any email contact lists you have and of course you can invite your BT Tradespace contacts. Add a link to any other comms, such as your website or newsletters so you can pick up new customers as they come along.
5)Set up the Community and start talking!
A bit about Bev: Beverley is BT Tradespace’s resident community expert a.k.a ‘community chatterbox’. She spends most of her time chatting away with Tradespacers in our communities and keeps the regulars coming back for more…