Build an Online Community in 6 Steps | Getting Started | Step By Step | Tutorial

Summary

This video outlines six essential steps for starting an online community, regardless of its purpose, from activism to business or personal interests. The steps include defining your target audience by identifying their pain points and roadblocks, choosing the right platform (chat, social, or forum), conducting a soft launch with initial members, creating engaging content and conversation starters, promoting the community through content and social media, and measuring progress using key metrics like views, sign-ups, and active users. By following these steps, you can build a thriving, interactive community.

Takeaways

• 😀 Define your target audience clearly by understanding their pain points and roadblocks to create a community that adds value.
• 😀 Choose the right platform for your community: chat platforms, social media, and forums all have different pros and cons.
• 😀 A forum is recommended for long-term community engagement, as it is not as limiting as social media and has better searchability than chat.
• 😀 Start with a 'soft launch' by inviting a small number of people to help shape the community and generate initial engagement.
• 😀 Provide consistent content (e.g., blogs, podcasts) to keep members engaged and returning to the community regularly.
• 😀 Engage the community with conversation starters to encourage interaction and build momentum.
• 😀 Use promotional strategies like content creation and social media to attract new members and generate interest in your community.
• 😀 Measure key metrics like views, sign-ups, active users, and likes to assess community growth and engagement.
• 😀 Focus on keeping 20-30% of your community active, as this reflects strong user engagement and helps retain members.
• 😀 Regularly analyze the data to identify trends, adjust strategies, and improve your community experience.
• 😀 Don't be afraid to measure your community's performance, as it helps you learn and make data-driven decisions for growth.

Q & A

What is the first step in starting an online community?

The first step is to define your audience. You need to understand who you are building the community for, their pain points, and their roadblocks in order to offer the right support and solutions.

Why is it important to know your audience's pain points and roadblocks?

Knowing your audience's pain points and roadblocks helps you to tailor the community's content and support to meet their specific needs, making the community more valuable and relevant to them.

What are the three main types of community platforms discussed in the video?

The three main types of community platforms are chat platforms (like Slack and Google Chat), social media platforms (such as Facebook and LinkedIn), and forums (like Discourse and Vanilla).

What is a major downside of using chat platforms for online communities?

A major downside of chat platforms is that conversations are often limited to real-time interactions, which means they aren't easily indexed on search engines and can be difficult to engage with due to time zone issues or low user activity.

What advantage do forums have over chat or social media platforms for communities?

Forums are advantageous because they allow for ongoing discussions that are indexed on search engines, making the content more accessible in the long term. They also provide a more permanent space for content compared to chat or social media, which tend to be transient.

What is a 'soft launch' and why is it important when starting a community?

A soft launch involves inviting a small group of people to your community to test its functionality and gather feedback. It's important because it helps you ensure the platform is ready and engaging before opening it up to a larger audience.

How can content help in building retention within a community?

Regular content, such as blog posts, podcasts, or webinars, keeps the community engaged by providing valuable information that encourages members to return and stay active within the community.

What are 'convos' and how do they contribute to community engagement?

'Convos' refer to conversation starters that spark discussions within the community. They help to create an interactive environment, encouraging members to contribute their thoughts and insights, which fosters engagement and builds a sense of community.

How can social media be used to promote an online community?

Social media can be used to promote an online community by sharing interesting discussions, content, and conversation starters from the community. This can attract new members and increase visibility.

What metrics should be measured to track the success of an online community?

The key metrics to track are views (how many people are observing the community), sign-ups (how many new members are joining), active users (how many people are interacting with content or discussions), and likes (which indicate the sentiment and engagement level of the community).