Forrester have published a pretty good taxonomy, based on the business objectives you have, for branded online communities. Communities can be set up for you to;

1. Listen to your customers
2. Talk to your customers
3. Energise your advocates
4. Support your customers (or let them support each other)

Well, it was only a matter time - a book that synthesizes the online "Groundswell" phenomenon and how companies should approach it.

After computerising every customer touchpoint that we can lay our hands on over recent decades - a return to treating customers individually in online communities doesn't always sit well.

"Surely this can't be an efficient use of resources; where's the economy of scale in answering an individual blog comment ...?!"

Well, fear not - there is light at the end of the tunnel and some great case studies emerging now that demonstrate the efficiencies and scale that can be delivered through online communities.