Track and implement different strategies to build and grow your online community.
Track which community building strategies you've implemented
Select strategies to implement in your community building journey
Clearly articulate the mission, values, and goals of your community.
Example:
Example: "Our community brings together indie game developers to share resources, collaborate on projects, and support each other in navigating the challenges of game development."
Define who your community is for and what problems it solves for them.
Example:
Example: "Our community is for freelance writers with 1-5 years of experience who want to improve their pitching skills and find higher-paying clients."
Select a platform that aligns with your audience and community goals (Discord, Slack, Circle, etc.).
Example:
Example: "We chose Discord because our tech-savvy audience already uses it, it supports real-time discussions, and offers robust moderation tools for our growing community."
Establish clear rules and expectations for community behavior and participation.
Example:
Example: "Our guidelines include: be respectful, stay on topic, no self-promotion without permission, and use the appropriate channels for different types of discussions."
Create a welcoming experience for new members to help them get started.
Example:
Example: "New members receive a welcome message, are prompted to introduce themselves, are shown a quick-start guide, and are invited to their first community event."
Plan regular content, discussions, and events to keep members engaged.
Example:
Example: "Our calendar includes weekly discussion topics, monthly expert AMAs, quarterly virtual meetups, and daily prompts to encourage participation."
Organize webinars, AMAs, workshops, or meetups to bring members together.
Example:
Example: "We host a weekly 'Office Hours' session where members can ask questions, a monthly workshop on a specific skill, and quarterly networking events."
Highlight and reward members who add value to the community.
Example:
Example: "We have a 'Member of the Month' feature, highlight helpful responses in our newsletter, and offer exclusive perks to our most active contributors."
Establish different roles (moderators, ambassadors, etc.) to distribute leadership.
Example:
Example: "We have moderators who handle day-to-day management, ambassadors who welcome new members, and subject matter experts who lead specialized discussions."
Define how you'll handle conflicts, spam, and inappropriate content.
Example:
Example: "Our moderation team uses a three-strike system, has clear escalation paths for serious issues, and meets weekly to discuss moderation challenges and improvements."
Regularly collect and act on member feedback to improve the community.
Example:
Example: "We conduct quarterly surveys, have a dedicated feedback channel, and implement a monthly 'Community Improvement' discussion where members can suggest changes."
Create valuable content that addresses member needs and encourages discussion.
Example:
Example: "Our content mix includes how-to guides, industry news analysis, member success stories, and thought-provoking questions to spark discussions."
Build a collection of helpful resources, guides, and templates for members.
Example:
Example: "Our library includes templates for common tasks, curated lists of external resources, archived recordings of past events, and a knowledge base of frequently asked questions."
Make it easy for members to find past discussions and resources.
Example:
Example: "We use tags for all content, have a searchable knowledge base, and maintain a curated index of the most valuable discussions and resources."
Create a plan to attract new members through various channels.
Example:
Example: "Our growth strategy includes partnerships with complementary communities, content marketing on social media, guest appearances on relevant podcasts, and a referral program."
Encourage existing members to invite others to join the community.
Example:
Example: "Members who refer 5 new active members receive exclusive content, those who refer 10 get a free month of premium membership, and our top referrer each quarter gets a special recognition."
Collaborate with complementary communities to cross-promote and share resources.
Example:
Example: "We co-host events with three related communities, share each other's content in our newsletters, and have created a shared resource library accessible to all partner communities."
Track key metrics like active users, message frequency, and member retention.
Example:
Example: "We track daily active users, message frequency, response rates, event attendance, and member retention rates, reviewing these metrics weekly and adjusting our strategy accordingly."
Regularly survey members to understand their needs and satisfaction.
Example:
Example: "We send a satisfaction survey every quarter, conduct exit surveys when members leave, and use quick polls to gather feedback on specific features or events."
Track how your community grows over time and identify patterns.
Example:
Example: "We track weekly and monthly growth rates, analyze which channels bring the most engaged members, and identify seasonal patterns in our growth to optimize our recruitment efforts."
Create revenue streams that align with your community values (premium tiers, sponsorships, etc.).
Example:
Example: "Our monetization includes a freemium model with premium features, sponsored content that's clearly labeled, affiliate partnerships with tools our members use, and paid workshops with industry experts."
Plan for community expenses like platform costs, events, and moderator compensation.
Example:
Example: "Our budget allocates 40% to platform and tool costs, 30% to event production, 20% to moderator compensation, and 10% to marketing and growth initiatives."
Address legal considerations like terms of service, privacy policy, and liability.
Example:
Example: "We have clear terms of service, a privacy policy that complies with GDPR, disclaimers for user-generated content, and insurance coverage for community events."
Learn from successful communities and avoid common pitfalls
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