Online Community: All you need to know about building 2023

Without doubt, If you possess a presence on social media, it’s likely that you desire to establish a devoted and engaged online community centered around your brand, content, or cause. However, effectively managing and expanding your online community can be a challenge.

To begin with, we will provide you with some 7 top tips and recommended approaches to assist you in constructing and fostering a flourishing community that aligns with your objectives and principles. Secondly, we will check out the different types of online communities out there.

At this time we will be focusing on Facebook and LinkedIn. In the coming weeks we will be adding more to this guide. In addition, we will be adding a section which will examine the  main benefits and important things to consider with regards to building online communities for your business or brand. If you would like the full version now without waiting please book a meeting with an Account Manager and they will provide you with an overview or subscribe to our newsletter so you will be informed when the second edition becomes available. So without further ado, let’s kick things off.

7 Top Tips to Assist You In Building Your Online Community

1. Establish the Purpose and Values of Your Online Community

We wish to point out that prior to extending invitations for others to join your online community, it is essential to have a clear understanding of what your community represents. Furthermore, you should already know the goals you wish to accomplish through it. 

For example:

1. What is your mission, niche, tone, and culture? 
2. What advantages and expectations do you have for your community members? 
3. How would you like them to engage with both you and each other? 

Having a well-defined purpose and set of values will aid in attracting and retaining the appropriate individuals, while also providing guidance for your content creation, moderation, and engagement strategies.

2. Generate Content That is Valuable and Pertinent for Your Online Community

The content you produce serves as the driving force behind your online community. Therefore, It is crucial to develop and distribute content that holds value, relevance, and captivates your audience. 

Indeed, this entails comprehending their requirements, interests, challenges, and preferences, and offering them solutions, knowledge, motivation, or entertainment. Additionally, it is important to vary your content formats, including blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, live streams, or stories, and leverage suitable platforms and tools for each format. Lastly, don’t overlook the significance of employing analytics and feedback to gauge and enhance the performance of your content.

3. Encourage Participation and Interaction in Your Online Community

Notably, an online community is not a one-way street. Thus, you must motivate your community members to actively participate and interact with you and each other. 

For instance, this may involve:

1. Asking questions,
2. Seeking feedback
3. Conducting polls, 
4. Hosting contests
5. Rewarding contributions
6. Showcasing success stories
7. Creating challenges

Additionally, responding to comments, messages, and mentions, and acknowledging and appreciating the input and support of your community members is vital. In addition, by fostering participation and interaction, you can increase engagement, loyalty, trust, and advocacy within your community.

4. Establish and Enforce Your Online Community Guidelines

Markedly, to maintain a healthy and respectful online community, it is necessary to establish and enforce rules and boundaries. Moreover, these guidelines should define both acceptable and unacceptable behavior, language, and content within your community. Furthermore, it is crucial to communicate your guidelines clearly and prominently, ensuring that your community members understand and agree to them. 

Besides laying down the rules, you must regularly monitor your community and promptly address any inappropriate or abusive posts from users. Additionally, recognizing and rewarding those who adhere to the guidelines and contribute positively to your community is essential. 

Unquestionably, monitoring, enforcing and rewarding members is so time consuming. Alongside, providing online group customer support and in-community sales   With this in mind, many businesses and key people like yourself, ask us to help them with our flexible but affordable group management packages. 

We won’t link you to the pricing page as our company ethos is that we would like to get to know you better. 

5. Grow Your Online Community Organically and Strategically

After you have established a solid foundation for your online community, then, it is time to focus on growing it and reaching potential new members. Certainly, the most effective approach is to grow your community organically and strategically, rather than resorting to spamming or purchasing followers. To illustrate, growing organically, involves creating and sharing high-quality content that is shareable, searchable, and relevant to your target audience to promote your community and invite new members.

You can do this by leveraging your existing network, such as:

1. Your email list
2. Website
3. Other social media channels
4. Online or offline events

Moreover, collaborating and partnering with other influencers, brands, or organizations that align with your vision and values can expose your community to a wider audience is beneficial.

Our Account Managers are consultants, first and foremost, they will be only too happy to provide you with a list of offline strategies which are the best suited for your niche or industry.  It just takes 1 minute to book a meeting. 

6. Continuously Learn and Improve Your Online Community

To put it bluntly, managing and growing an online community is an ongoing and dynamic process that requires continuous learning and improvement. Hence, staying updated with the latest trends, tools, and best practices in social media and  online community management, and adapting your strategies accordingly is paramount. Finally, collecting and analyzing data and feedback from your community members and using your intel to optimize your content, engagement, and growth tactics is vital. For that reason, actively listening to your community, understanding their needs and desires, and consistently delivering value and satisfaction is key.

What Are the Most Popular Online Social Media Communities?

Firstly, it is important to remember that social media communities cater to a wide range of hobbies and interests, such as photography, fitness, cooking, gaming, and professional areas. Due to this, we are sure you can find a good fit for your brand or business.

Facebook Online Communities

Undeniably, there are more than 1.9 billion Facebook Groups worldwide. According to Facebook, more than 1.4 billion people are actively engaged in Facebook Groups every month. Moreover, Facebook Groups cover a wide range of interests and niches, from parenting and hobbies to professional networking and support communities. 

Facebook Marketplace Online Communities

Facebook Marketplace has communities centered around buying, selling, and trading items locally.

Additionally, these communities enable individuals to connect with potential buyers or sellers, ask questions, and engage in transactions within their local area.

Facebook Support Groups Online Communities

Facebook hosts numerous support groups focused on various topics, such as health conditions, mental health, parenting, and more. Besides providing informative content, support groups on Facebook provide a supportive environment for individuals to connect, seek advice, and share experiences with others facing similar challenges.

Facebook Pages Online Communities

Explicitly, Facebook Pages are public profiles used by businesses, organizations, and public figures to connect with their audience. Therefore, you should not use a personal profile for commercial purposes. Facebook Pages provide a platform for brands to share updates, engage with followers, and build a community around their products or services. To illustrate the size of the crowd of businesses shouting for attention, there are over 200 million active Facebook Pages. We can help you stand out and knock your competitors out of the park. We can shout louder! Meanwhile, you are waiting for us to crack on with the next point which leads me nicely on to Facebook Events and event communities.

Facebook Events and Event Online Communities:

Notably, Facebook offers event creation and promotion features, allowing individuals and organizations to create and manage events.  Consequently, event communities form around specific events, providing spaces for attendees to connect, share updates, and engage in discussions related to the event.

LinkedIn Online Communities

Undeniably, LinkedIn has over 2.5 million active Groups. These Groups are focused on professional networking, industry discussions, and knowledge-sharing among professionals. However, it is not just a B2B platform.

LinkedIn Online Community Groups for Professional Networking

LinkedIn Groups serve as hubs for professionals to connect, share insights, and engage in industry-related discussions. Therefore, these groups facilitate networking opportunities, collaboration, professional development and knowledge exchange among professionals in specific fields or industries.

LinkedIn Alumni Networking Online Communities

LinkedIn offers alumni networks where individuals can connect with fellow graduates from their educational institutions. Alumni networks therefore also provide opportunities for professional networking, mentorship, and career advancement within a specific alumni community. Great, if you are targeting people from a particular area or with something in common.