Paul Dunay is an award-winning B2B marketing expert with more than 20 years’ success in generating demand and creating awareness for leading technology, consumer products, financial services and professional services organizations.
Paul is the global vice president of marketing for Maxymiser a leading web optimization firm, and author of four “Dummies” books: Facebook Marketing for Dummies (Wiley 2009), Social Media and the Contact Center for Dummies (Wiley Custom Publishing 2010), Facebook Advertising for Dummies (Wiley 2010) and Facebook Marketing for Dummies 2nd Edition (Wiley 2011).
His unique approach to marketing has led to recognition of Paul as a BtoB Magazine Top 25 B2B Marketer of the Year for 2010 and 2009 and winner of the DemandGen Award for Utilizing Marketing Automation to Fuel Corporate Growth in 2008. He is also a finalist for the last six years in a row in the Marketing Excellence Awards competition of the Information Technology Services Marketing Association (ITSMA), and is a 2010 and 2005 gold award winner in Driving Demand.
Buzz Marketing for Technology, Paul’s blog, has been recognized as a Top 20 Marketing Blog for 2009 and 2008, a Top Blog to Watch for 2009 and 2008, and an Advertising Age Power 150 blog in the “Daily Ranking of Marketing Blogs.”
Paul has shared his marketing thought leadership as a featured speaker for the American Marketing Association, BtoB Magazine, CMO Club, MarketingProfs, Marketing Sherpa, Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), and ITSMA. He has appeared on Fox News, and his articles have been featured in BusinessWeek, The New York Times, BtoB Magazine, MarketingProfs and MarketingSherpa.
Paul holds an Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Computer Science from Ithaca College.
Communities are about networks of relationships. You are right to point out that thinking about building a community as analogous to a campaign is probably incorrect (perhaps disastrous?) thinking. I also think it’s presumptious to think you can build your community from scratch. With rare exceptions, organizations will likely be attracting existing communities to a “new” organizations community.
I would add a new #1
1. Start with your business goals. What do you want to get out of your community-building (engaging, supporting) endeavor? Honestly, if you aren’t going to get tangible value out of the exercise, your activities will not be supported internally, and therefor unsustainable.
I would also comment that on steps 2-4, it is also possible to foster this type of activity online. Remember, you are probably engaging existing communities, so community activities are probably already happening online. A hosted private forum for your lead members is also an easy way to support points 2-4.
5. Excellent point. For many organizations, the value they bring in hosting is that they are providing a clean, (virtually) well lit place for their extended community. Not to become the “premier destination”, but to participate in the ecosystem.