This post is part of G2's 2023 digital trends series. Read more about G2’s perspective on digital transformation trends in an introduction from Emily Malis Greathouse, director, market research, and additional coverage on trends identified by G2’s analysts. 

The continued rise of digital communities

Building long-term relationships within digital spaces

The world learned from the 2020 global pandemic the true value of having a solid digital community. As a result, we’ve seen a major shift and investment toward digital spaces, especially as more people continue to work from home. In these changing times, it is essential for companies to maintain a strong digital presence to keep employees and customers engaged. The companies that will prevail will be the ones that are focused on investing in the future. 

Investing in digital communities provides many long-term benefits for both the consumer and the business. Companies rely on online community management software as an essential foundation when managing the internal functioning of an organization. This software not only helps with managing content distribution but can serve as a central hub for employees or customers to receive valuable information from the top down.

“It is helping me with customer engagement and finding ways to cultivate a sense of community within our own platform.” - G2 reviewer, five-star rating

 Keeping employees and customers informed will help organizations stay top of mind and drive brand loyalty. Businesses will be able to gather insights straight from the community and can be proactive when any unmet needs arise.

“... we built a community of almost 40K superfans and brand advocates that help fuel our marketing strategy! The insights we are able to garner from the platform are unmatched...We even created an entire new product line based on the insights we were able to collect from our community!”  - G2 reviewer, five-star rating

Simply offering basic help desk support is no longer enough. Customers and employees seek to feel connected as they continue to veer away from in-person interactions. Online community management software will prove to be a way to stay ahead and stay connected to the pulse of the organization.

“... Online Community is solving the issue of members connecting with each other in a meaningful way. It provides our members a platform where they can network globally with their peers in real-time and allows them to problem-solve together not to mention share resources.” - customer review, five-star rating

G2 data confirms that reviews left by online community management software users have more than doubled each year 

More and more businesses are implementing online community management software into their organization. Since the pandemic in 2020, there has been a doubling of reviews left by customers, indicating an increase in users each year. It is safe to say that we will continue to see more users purchasing this software in 2023.

A stronger digital presence builds resilience

Companies that continue to invest in their communities by integrating will be most advantageous. Every business should strive to keep their community proactively engaged and active, and the people should be the priority. In 2023 and forward, the most resilient companies will be the ones that find ways to bolster their digital community and presence.

Edited by Sinchana Mistry