Let me tell you a story that spans continents and careers - a journey that took me from the colorful chaos of India 🇮🇳 to the Land of the Free (America) 🇺🇸, and even to the land of beer and bratwurst (Germany) 🇩🇪.

I was once a Software Engineer at companies like Verizon and Oracle after being born and raised in India. While I spent almost a decade in big tech, my heart yearned for a different kind of symphony - marketing harmony.

After bidding adieu to lines of code, I dived headfirst into the whirlwind world of startups. My ambition and audacity drove me to Germany.

Fast-forward and I found myself bringing a German health-tech startup to the land of opportunity - the United States. 🚀

In moments of reflection, what strikes me most?

Gratitude. 🙏 

My gratitude for a path that crosses continents, for a life filled with experiences most could only dream of.

I mean, how many people can say they lived and worked on three continents?

Also, I am grateful to all of you who are reading this. 🙏

Now, let’s dive in.

Untangling the Terms: 'Community' and 'Audience' Explained

In the B2B world, there is much discussion about what constitutes a "community" and what constitutes an "audience." Today, I will explain the difference between the two.

There are several key differences between a B2B brand's community and its audience:

1. Nature of Interactions:

A community involves a more engaged and interactive group of stakeholders. There are often shared interests, goals, and values among members of a community. They actively engage in discussions, share insights, collaborate on projects, and provide feedback. There is a sense of belonging and connection among members of a community. It’s always many-to-many conversations in a community.

An audience is a group of stakeholders who receive information from the brand but do not necessarily interact directly with it. In most cases, a brand communicates information and messages to its audience one-sidedly. It’s always one-to-many conversations.

2. Level of Engagement:

The members of a community are highly engaged. Their goal is to connect with each other and the brand. They may participate in webinars, forums, workshops, and other interactive activities. It is common for communities to thrive on two-way communication and user-generated content.

The audience tends to have a lower level of engagement. As a rule, they consume content provided by the brand without actively participating in discussions.

3. Relationships:

A community fosters deeper relationships among its members. It is possible for members to develop strong professional relationships and collaborate on multiple occasions.

A more transactional relationship exists with the audience. While the brand delivers its message or content to the audience, and the audience consumes it, there may not be significant ongoing interaction or relationship-building.

4. Co-creation and Collaboration:

Collaboration and co-creation are often possible in communities. It is possible for members to collaborate on projects, share best practices, and develop new ideas, products, and solutions together.

It is unlikely that the audience will be involved in collaborative efforts or co-creation.

5. The Sense of Belonging:

A sense of belonging defines a community. As a result, members feel connected to each other and to the brand's values. It is common for them to identify as members of the community and take pride in it.

In an audience, there is generally less sense of belonging. Audience relationships are primarily characterized by affinity with the brand, members trusts the brand more, and are more likely to convert as paying customers for the brand.

6. Ownership:

Slack channels can be owned by brands, but communities cannot be owned by brands. As a result, communities remain active even without brand contributions to the conversations.

Audiences are fully owned by brands, and in some cases, members pay membership fees for access to exclusive content and networking opportunities.

There is a huge difference between the two. Community, however, helps you find your audience.

Fuel Your Movement: The Art of Cultivating Evangelists

Have you ever considered creating a whole new category or launching a movement? 🔥

The key to cracking that code is Evangelists.

Companies like Hubspot and Drift have mastered evangelism, in my opinion.

There's one truth I've learned - Without passionate chants, your anthem will get you nowhere.

In order to be successful, you must inspire your own internal evangelists, rally your external evangelists, and charm your customers.

However, do not twist arms or throw coins. Not at all. You are a co-conspirator in shaping their thoughts.

It's about sculpting fresh thinking and molding it together. Spreading the gospel requires them to drink the Kool-Aid willingly. 🙌

It is necessary for them to swallow the belief, to inhale it. It means living, breathing, and being part of it.

To stir the pot, remember: Make 'em believers. Don't be afraid to make them feel it. Don't just tell them, make them live it.

Interesting Thing(s) That I Read This Week

A great point about pricing experiments by Rob Litterst.

This gem is from Jarod Robin, Co-founder of RevGenius.

And this last one from Dave G.

What Do You Think?

This concludes this edition of Fresh Salmon.

I would like to hear what you thought of today's newsletter.

Also, let’s connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

Cheers,

Vivek

PS. I love you ❤️