Describe how communities of practice and brand communities can benefit companies.

Social networks are a natural tool for bringing together communities of practice-people who engage in similar work-and communities of interest-people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity.Large and geographically dispersed companies can benefit greatly from communities of practice that connect experts who may work in different divisions or different countries.Communities of interest that form around a specific product are sometimes called brand communities,and nurturing these communities can be a vital business communication task.Some communities spring up spontaneously when product enthusiasts connect online,while others are more formal organizations established by companies to help customers use their products more successfully and engage with like-minded individuals.