We’ve all heard of ‘virtual communities’… it seems to be the talk of social media in 2023. But what is it about communities that has everyone so hooked? it’s more than just an online trend, It’s a sense of belonging. A space for your members to feel welcomed by like-minded people, share their thoughts and collaborate on projects without any judgement. More importantly, the opportunities that having an online community can create for a business are unmatched by traditional methods. If you’ve ever considered turning your following or client base into a community… Now is definitely the time to do it.
So let’s start with the obvious; does it require a large team of people or a large budget? – The answer is quite simple…No! An online community is typically (but not always) led by one person who wishes to share their interests or beliefs with others who feel the same. Quite often a community starts out as a free resource, built on social media websites like Facebook or LinkedIn, though these tend to have limitations and can affect your success. The individual in charge manages the group and is often the sole content creator and engages with their audience on a daily basis.
A lot of people have similar questions when it comes to building a community, ‘will it work for my industry?’. There are no limits to whom can benefit from having an online community. Whether you’re an online coach, a fitness instructor, a charity, a business association, a sports club or in the education sector, the key is to identify the interest within your sector and acknowledge if they would benefit from connecting with like-minded people. Your audience finds value in both connecting with industry leaders and fellow members. It’s the ability to develop and nurture personal relationships that separate your followers to members of your community.
Types Of Communities 🔥
Virtual communities come in many shapes and sizes. Below are some popular examples of the different types of communities…
Fan-based communities: These communities are based around shared hobbies, passions, or activities. Examples include communities centered around photography, gaming, cooking, sports, music, or any other specific interest.
Professional communities: These allow the collaboration of industries and professions. They encourage networking, knowledge-sharing, and partnerships between professionals. Some examples include communities for marketing, software developers, entrepreneurs, or health care professionals.
Support communities: Providing a supportive environment for individuals facing similar challenges, such as health conditions, mental health issues, parenting, or bereavement. They offer a safe space for sharing experiences, seeking advice, and finding emotional support.
Educational communities: These communities focus on learning and education. They can be online forums, discussion boards, or platforms that facilitate knowledge exchange, online courses, and peer-to-peer learning.
Coaching Communities: The number of personal trainers and others offering a variation of life coaching taking their communities online has surged. These communities allow for personal growth through 1-1 contact.
Action Communities: Communities like this usually have a particular cause behind them. Their purpose is to act, examples would be animal rights and environmental activists.
The Benefits ⚡️
Creating a private online community can have a wide range of benefits, not only for a business but for all parties involved. Here are a select few of the benefits:
Global Reach: Building an online community eliminates the restrictions of geographical boundaries. The beauty of existing online means that your community is available to anyone around the world.
Personal Relationships: The ability to connect with members allows you to create genuine relationships often building trust within your community. Although formed online – these relationships are often known to last years.
Knowledge: An online community is a platform for individuals to share their knowledge, experience, and expertise. It’s a great tool to learn new tips and advice on niche specific topics or industries.
Support & Motivation: Communities often serve as a source of support and motivation. Whether it’s overcoming challenges, pursuing personal goals, or seeking advice, online communities provide a space where individuals can find encouragement and empathy from others who share their interests or experiences.
Monetisation: We’re always looking for new revenue streams for our business and building an online community is a brilliant way of driving income. Monetising memberships and charging a small fee to join a niche specific community is an excellent revenue tool.
Mobility: With the ability to transform your online community into an app, accessing your community content has never been easier. Not only can you manage your community on the go, from any device – your audience can also access your content from anywhere, anytime.
The Downside ☔️
Like everything in life, online communities have their drawbacks too. On the plus side, the few disadvantages that come with building a community are almost always outweighed by the good!
Budget: Building a private community is an additional cost.
Time Consuming: Managing a community and helping it thrive requires a lot of time, planning and dedication.
Possible Loss of Data: These concerns are more prominent when using free resources like Facebook Groups or other social media sites. But being hacked and having data stolen is a possibility.
Privacy Concerns: Members need to trust that their personal information and conversations will remain confidential within the community. Any breach of privacy can have significant consequences and erode trust among members.
Businesses + Communities 🤝
This year has seen a significant rise in the number of businesses building communities. A virtual community can offer businesses a valuable source of authentic feedback. Numerous businesses leverage their online communities as a platform for gathering opinions. They present exclusive previews of new products to community members and then adapt to the suggested changes before launching the product to the broader market. In this instance, the online community functions as a substantial focus group.
In addition, the virtual community not only serves as a focus group for product feedback, but also provides businesses with an avenue for further market research. By engaging with community members in discussions and participating in polls, companies can gather insights and relevant statistics on current market trends, customer preferences and the consumer needs. This real time access to customer feedback allows a business to stay relevant and adapt their strategies to match the needs and demands of their demographic. The online community becomes an essential tool when it comes to staying ahead of the game and making informed business decisions.
Another real benefit of building an online community is its ability to reduce customer acquisition costs. When community members receive privileges and exclusive previews, they often become enthusiastic advocates for your brand, actively promoting it to others. This organic brand awareness can significantly lower the costs associated with acquiring new customers. Let’s not forget about the global brand awareness! As mentioned earlier, building a virtual community diminishes geographical restrictions. Your business can reach customers around the globe and is no longer limited to a city or country.
How To Grow 🌱
The hardest part about building your community is knowing where to start. It’s definitely not as hard as you may think but it does require a lot of planning and dedication. Try these steps to get started:
Purpose & People: The first and most important step when it comes to building a virtual community is to clearly define your purpose and identify your target audience. It’s important to have a clear vision of what your community is aiming to achieve in order to maintain your niche specific structure, content, and engagement strategies.
Platform: Choosing the right home for your community is also a very important step and will often determine whether your community will sink or swim. Ensuring that your chosen provider is dependable and provides all of the tools your specific community requires will lead to your success.
Guidelines: Establishing clear guidelines from the offset governs member behaviour, content sharing, moderation protocol and community standards. By doing so creates a trusting, respectful and inclusive environmentfor members to engage in.
Content: Planning a content strategy will help your community thrive. Providing a variety of valuable content will keep members engaged and interested. It’s good to share a range of formats such as documents, videos, polls or exclusive member perks. Sharing relevant and informative content on a regular basis will keep members returning to the community.
Encourage Participation: Initialise conversations, ask questions and always respond to members posts and queries. Doing all of these things will encourage member participation and will really boost your engagement. Be sure to create opportunities for collaboration and networking.
In summary, building your own virtual community can have major benefits including, building personal relationships, global reach and driving new revenue streams.
Remember, launching and growing an online community takes time and effort, there is no quick fix. Consistency, active moderating, and genuine engagement between your members are the key tools when establishing a community that will thrive. It’s all about providing value to your members.