Why telecom providers need online communities: 5 powerful benefits

Online communities are groups hosted on the web that enable people with a common interest to interact online. They can be hosted by third-party websites or owned by brands, either developed in-house or acquired through vendors.

On the whole, thriving communities enable customers to:

• Self-Serve: Request or provide help to others on a specific subject

• Interact: Share thoughts and discuss a common interest

• Collaborate: Work together to solve problems or achieve a shared goal

Across industries, online communities offer significant value to brands in the following areas:

• Customer engagement and loyalty: Because online communities function as spaces where brands and customers can interact with each other, when managed correctly, that engagement can translate to increased brand loyalty and customer retention.

• Brand advocacy: Happy customers who are highly engaged online are ideal advocates for a brand, providing valuable word-of-mouth marketing in the form of social proof.

• SEO benefits: The user-generated content (UGC) posted in online communities can help improve organic search rankings, making it easier for new potential customers to find and engage with the brand.

Today, telecommunications companies face a rapidly evolving landscape where customer expectations are higher than ever. Creating and maintaining online communities is one of the most effective tools for addressing these expectations in a timely way. These communities enhance customer service and build stronger, more transparent customer relationships. Here are five reasons why online communities are essential for telco companies.

Modern customers demand flexibility in interacting with service providers, and telecom customers are no exception. An online community empowers customers to self-serve, giving them the tools and resources to resolve issues or answer questions without contacting customer service. Giving customers this option is increasingly essential, as 88% expect brands to offer self-service.

For many customers, an online community becomes the primary source of issue resolution. However, customers may still prefer to use chat or phone agents for more personalized or complex issues. Integrating community messaging, bots, AI, and syndicated content for mid-level complexity inquiries can provide a more seamless experience.

For example, Sky features syndicated community discussions within its website navigation area and at the bottom of all help articles. If an article isn't helpful, customers can explore the trending community content related to their inquiry or directly contact an agent for more assistance.

Telco brands must establish well-defined customer pathways that fully integrate their online community, ensuring no customers are left behind.

Communication service providers occasionally face service outages and other high-volume events, making it crucial to communicate swiftly and effectively with their customers. Whether it's an unexpected internet or mobile service disruption or longer-than-usual wait times to speak to a service agent, customers tend to flood digital channels seeking answers and resolutions.

An online community offers a platform for one-to-many messaging, allowing companies to disseminate information quickly and efficiently. Instead of customers feeling isolated or in the dark, they can turn to the community to find answers, share experiences, and support one another. Well-run online communities not only ease the burden on customer service teams but also foster a sense of transparency and trust. When customers see a brand actively engaging and providing real-time updates during critical times, it can help combat skepticism and strengthen customer loyalty.

Telecommunications companies like Sky, which offers a wide range of products and services, including TV, streaming, broadband, and mobile, benefit significantly from having a centralized online community. This community becomes a hub where all customers can seek help, no matter their product or service. Over time, the community evolves into a living knowledge base filled with user-generated content, tips, and solutions that can assist customers for years to come.

A single, easily accessible place for customers to find answers simplifies the customer experience. It also reduces the need for repetitive customer service interactions, as members can often find answers to similar questions already resolved within the community.

One of the most valuable aspects of an online community is the organic feedback loop it creates. Customers can easily report issues or outages within the community, often becoming the first to alert a company when something is wrong. This feedback is invaluable for product teams, who can monitor the community for recurring issues or concerns that may require their attention.

Appointing super users within the community—passionate customers who actively contribute and engage—can further enhance this feedback loop. Sometimes, these members work directly with product teams for additional customer testing and feedback. Additionally, the sentiment and input gathered from the community provide a treasure trove of insights that can help brands improve their offerings and ensure their customers’ voices are truly heard.

Some companies like SMARTY, the leading mobile service provider, take customer feedback a step further. They created an ‘Ideas’ portal within the community to enable customers to share their creative suggestions for new product features. Creating an open dialogue for direct feedback can lead to product innovations and a fostered sense of ownership and inclusion with customers.

Launching an online community for telco companies can drive significant improvements in the areas that matter most to leaders and stakeholders.

Some critical advantages for telco companies include:

• Call deflection: Bell Canada deflects 300K agent calls annually with a community

• Reduced customer support costs: Sky saves £750K from syndicated community content alone

• Increased customer satisfaction and retention: TELUS boasts a 98% customer satisfaction rating from its community

• Opportunities for acquisition, upselling, and cross-selling: SMARTY’s community propels 1.6% of all visitors to its online store and ranks first in acquisition and engagement compared to other European telcos

Online communities offer telco companies a multitude of benefits. From enhancing customer communication during high-volume events to providing a robust platform for customer support and feedback, these communities are indispensable in today’s competitive telecom landscape.

By embracing online communities, telcos can strengthen customer relationships, cultivate trust, and deliver more exceptional products and services.