How do you build an online community?
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthamm
(A Work in Progress...)
You can’t...
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthigh
You provide for, encourage and reward community to allow it to grow
The 9 steps:
1. Listening2. Objectives3. Technology4. Seeding5. Recognition6. Moderation + Maintenance7. Transparency8. Integrate it into everything you
do9. Measurement and Analysis.
Step 1: Listening
What’s out there?• Google (inc Blog
search)• Twitter search• Facebook• Ning• Technorati
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoovey
Step 2: What’s the point?
2. How can you help an existing community, or provide value for people by creating a new one? (And ‘because it’s ours/official doesn’t work by itself!)
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elventear
1. What tangible results do you want?
Step 3: Don’t be different for the sake of it.
Most software has evolved to basic conformity for a reason. Don’t try to reinvent the blog or forum for the sake of it. ‘Bad artists copy, good artists steal’ – Picasso.
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/missrogue
Step 4: Seeding
• Encourage popular people to contribute. They’re the 5% who attract the other 95%.
• Be present and involved yourself where appropriate
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deboni
Step 5: Provide recognition
• Reward good contributors with public recognition.
• Reward new members and posters with encouragement and involvement.
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raptortheangel
Step 6: Moderation/Maintenance
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pictoscribe
• Moderate lightly/politely but firmly. Make rules clear.
• Provide adequate resources.• Continuously evaluate and
evolve software/technology
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teflon
Step 7: Transparency and having fun
• Share your enjoyment of what you do – don’t be embarrassed.
• Be transparent where possible – explain the reasons behind actions and people will understand them – and then defend the reasoning to others.
Step 8: Integration
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scobleizer
• Arrange offline events• Build community/CRM into your core business
strategy• Ensure every employee has clear guidelines,
guidance and trust to interact.• Don’t abuse it by broadcasting ‘because you can’• Carry the same values from a receptionist
answering the phone to direct marketing to advertising.