A recent article in Adweek had a very good point about customer engagement:

“First, consumers today are more powerful than they have ever been. The largest generation in U.S. history, the 87 million millennials (and the generations that follow) are redefining how brands relate with their customers.”

Customers are looking for a customized experience in their shopping. A one size fits all is no longer applicable for today’s shopper. People like choices and they like their preferences remembered when they return.

Social media has done a great job owning your customer.  From ads to data, social networks like Facebook and Instagram are hoarding your customer and their information, leaving you at their will with how to interact with them. Remember, the newsfeed changes in the early part of 2013? Whatever changes Facebook makes--you and your brand must obey.

Social ads that actually get in front of your customer can be expensive and can sometimes get in the way of interacting with your potential customer at an authentic level.

Yes, social media has been impactful in helping you listen to your customers. Your social community is valuable. But is it a community that you’re truly benefiting from? Is your community truly benefiting from you?

The reason peer-to-peer communities are so popular is because there is a benefit for the customer and the company.

“These increasingly social company websites allow brands to capitalize on user-generated content that might be buried in a news feed on Facebook, and give it a second, longer life.”

Brands are realizing that if they want to continue to reach their audiences, they are going to have to pay for sponsored posts or social ads. The result is that brands that thought they had ownership of their social audience now realize they are still renting ad structure where they have to pay each time they want to communicate with their customers.

So, how does a company build  a place for their community? Peer-to-peer marketplaces are one solution that works. Whether your company wants to use it for services or goods, a P2P marketplace can be used in various ways.

• Conair could own a Conair marketplace for local hairstylists to find those who need the service. Branded completely by Conair. Build community around your brand with a purpose.

• Nestle can create a marketplace for anyone to find the best Nestle recipes from other Nestle customers. Anyone can be an “expert chef” and trade recipes and information within a Nestle branded community.

There are more than a number of ways to utilize the peer-to-peer economy to build relationships that foster brand loyalty, community and give you data beyond someone’s likes and interests on their social profile. The real question, is when are companies going to understand this and start building their own communities?