Forums and Social Media Platforms

Forums and social media platforms are two separate types of online communities that brands use to interact with their customers. Although brands engage with their customers on both platforms, they are done in different ways.

First, we'll discuss forums, Forums are online community discussion boards where members post and reply to other people's messages. Forums primarily focus on specific themes and topics and consist of various subcategories that can be explored by the user. Forums are moderated, sometimes by members of the community itself, so the rules are enforced and the discussions stay on topic. By creating a forum, brands designate a space for their customers to connect with each other, share ideas even ask questions

Forums come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Forums are great for implementing a sense of community for a brand. Having a space for customers to connect with one another, a brand can foster a loyal following and create a strong brand identity. Customers can ask other members or the brand itself questions, adding another layer of customer service. One major drawback from forums is that they require a lot of attention and can be difficult to manage and needs a lot of moderation to run smoothly.

Apple's support forum is a good example of running a forum effectively; it's well-organized, easy to navigate, and it allows the customers to get help from other customers on the platform. Reddit has "Ask Me Anything", a feature on their forum where brands can connect with customers in more of a personal way. Dell and Microsoft Answers had poorly run forums that were difficult to navigate, and customers would find it difficult to get their questions answered.

Social media platforms are online platforms where people can follow their favourite celebs or brands, share content, and connect with friends and family. SM platforms are more open than forums, meaning they are not as strict. People can share text, videos and photos with each other, while brands use it to reach a wider audience and engage with them in a less formal way.

Interaction on socials can help create a more engaging and interactive experience for customers, but SM can be harder to build a sense of community because its less structured than forums. SM platforms require more time and effort to create content and respond to questions and comments.

Wendy's twitter account is full of witty tweets that help them create a strong brand identity and a loyal following. GoPro Instagram account is another good example of using SM effectively, while Mc Donald's and United Airlines twitter accounts are examples of mishandling of SM.