A Guide to Building an Online Community | How to Build a Committed Community
A Guide to Building an Online Community That’s Committed
Interested in building an online community that commited? On Facebook? On Instagram?... On your blog?
There’s no universal formula for success. And there’s no right or wrong. I believe in the importance of community building. And a community is definitely not built overnight, it is earned. It’s built on strong, long lasting connections and friendships.
Here are a few things I’ve learned about building an engaged digital community over the past couple of years.
01. Figure out what your community is about
Your community should always about something greater than yourself. What is the purpose of it existing? Why does it matter? What are you connecting people for?
There are no right answers here. But these questions are a good place to start.
Be clear on WHY you are building this community and how you can provide value. When you figure out how you can provide value, figure out how to solve people’s problems. If you can provide a solution to people’s problems then people will come to you as a no brainer.
02. Give, give, GIVE!
Provide A LOT of value for FREE. As my grandma always told me, the more you give, the more you receive. There’s no such thing as over providing value. The more high quality content you share, the more respect and credibility you’ll gain in your industry.
Giving things for free is a great way to build an email list. Create free downloads, how to guides and provide community support via a Facebook group are just a few places you can give out value for free.
03. Specify your niche
Know your audience, but don’t assume every single person in your audience is the same. Figure out what type of people you want in your community and then provide value based on what those people would enjoy.
04. Treat each community member as a friend & enable connectedness
Whether you have 10 people or 10-million people in your community, treat each person as a friend. Communities with higher levels of connectivity are in better position to provide
Don’t engage with people because you know you should. Engage with your audience because you want to! People want to feel supported. And a community that becomes a tribe of friends is so powerful.
05. Believe in the product (or service) you offer
The main purpose of wanting to create a community is to convert that audience into sales. It’s extremely hard to sell something you don’t believe in, let alone build a community around something you don’t believe in.
Before building a community, make sure you believe in your offering. If you truly believe what you offer can make a positive change in a person’s life, then you’ll be much more excited about building a community that sells that product or service.
06. Be positive, evoke emotion and engage!
Make your audience feel emotions so they become emotionally invested in your community. Be positive, heartfelt, and vulnerable when you share content AND when you engage.
People want to feel positivity within a community. If you can make your audience feel emotion in a positive way, they’re more likely to stick around for the long term.
07. Be personal, authentic, & build trust
Let your audience know YOU. Not a made up version of you. People follow people who are similar to them or have what they want. Don’t pretend to be this fake know-it-all guru when you are not.
Be authentic. Grow with your audience. Show your pits and peaks in yourself, in your business and authentically connect with your audience. Doing this helps build trust within your community. If your community feels like they can trust each other it will yield more collaboration and opportunities for growth within this community.
08. Be consistent
Create a posting schedule so your audience knows what to look forward to. The more you share and the more consistent you are, the more people will want to hear from you.
Overall, building an online community that’s committed takes time, authenticity, and engagement. It’s important to understand why you are gathering people in your community and to always share VALUE. Most importantly be authentic and don’t force it.
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