Build a Digital Culture

Successful digital endeavors involve building a culture. It’s about understanding what your community of users value, rather than just examining their buying habits. It’s not about what you make, what you want to sell, or what your ad agency thinks is a clever way to message to them. Understand what they value, and they will reward you. Connect them with their interests, and they’ll remember you. Go out of your way to interrupt their conversation, and they’ll head for the door.

Communities, whether social or digital, are built around cultural beliefs. “Buying things” is not a cultural belief, no matter how much money has been spent trying to tell us otherwise. Being “talked at” is condescending, and oh so 20th Century.

Listen. Figure out what is real to people and why it's real to them. Enter the conversation with respect. Then build your culture around it.