None of us is as smart as all of us. Excellent thought from Ken Blanchard. Does your business work with a community that it has built? Ever wonder what it takes to succeed with online community building lessons, strategy, and operations?
The concept of community is based on how people gather around shared interests or location to give and take mutually. This has not always applied to business.
Before we continue, let me ask you a question.
What works best for community building for you? We would love to hear what it was. Would you do us a favor and post it in the comments section below? Be the one who starts a conversation.
With the advent of the Internet, the number of marketing options available to both budding and experienced entrepreneurs has become staggering.
A lot of the communities in place today have grown through social media. These tools not only allow communities to connect face to face but also to connect much faster on deeper levels.
Social media allows people to gather regardless of geography into a community of shared ideas.
Community building is about building trust, conveying authenticity, and providing value to community members. It is as simple as giving people who share common interests as a reason to participate and draw value from participation.
The sponsoring organization must create a balance of “gives” to members and “gets” from members – no community can be one-sided; every community is collaborative.
Here are 17 community building lessons learned from my 5 years of online experience.
Community building … engage influencers
Engage your industry influencers early and often and they will become the backbone of the community.
Community building ideas … organizational involvement
Get everyone in the organization with shared interests involved and participating.
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Iterative planning
Create a 6-month operational plan for the community; revise it every 3 months based on what you have learned. The iterative update approach will keep the topics revitalized.
Community building lessons … seek feedback
Take time to validate your community strategy with prospective members. They will be helpful in making important adjustments to the plan.
Community rational
People come for content and stay for the community. All communities are built on relationships among the members.
Community enabler
To succeed in online community building, your organization must be able to give members a reason to convene – online or offline. Build these ideas into your planning and plan updates.
Persistent but patient
Be persistent but patient. Don’t expect overnight miracles. Communities take time to grow.
Invite discussion
Outreach often to members to invite them into discussions. They are unlikely to come in on their own initiative.
Build advocates
Develop an “inner circle” of select members who will form the core of the community and keep it growing over time.
Seek opinions
Ask your members’ opinion about topics that matter. They are smart and insightful and can help you steer the ship.
Wide involvement
Get everyone involved – let them tell their story.
Measure what matters
Your community will become what you measure – think out metrics carefully.
Crisis management
Put a crisis management plan in place as well as a clear triage process. It will save you pain in the long run.
Community research
Use the community to do research on relevant topics to members and your business. Everybody wins.
What is next? How Steve Jobs Would Change Your Social Media Engagement
Include all inputs
Blend offline and online member engagement whenever possible.
