Communities are prevalent in both personal and professional life for most people, providing a range of benefits for the members and any associated companies or organizations. The problem, though, is that communities are not self-sustaining, and organizers need the right strategy to keep the community thriving.
In this #ContentChat, our community joined to discuss the various communities they are part of, what makes these groups so great, and tips for keeping them afloat.
As we gather for #contentchat please introduce yourself and share if you are a community manager, a community member, or both.
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 24, 2019
Q1: How do you define a community? What are the essential elements or characteristics?
Exact definitions can vary, but the general idea is that a community is a group of people who share a common interest or goal, and they come together online or in person to share ideas, engage with and support one another.
A1: Community is built upon sharing, engaging, supporting and providing value. When building your community, communicate, listen, engage, know your audience, be honest and don’t mislead, tell your story, focus on how you can help solve their problems. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) June 24, 2019
A1 A community is a group of people who come together because of shared interests, and speak WITH each other (not AT). #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) June 24, 2019
A1: We define a community as a group of people that offer impactful information for others through listening, engaging and sharing beneficial info and finds. #ContentChat
— OnePitch (@onepitchsaas) June 24, 2019
A1.
A community is group of good people who are supportive, helping, kind, and grateful.
Help you grow and support in your each situation. #ContentChat
— ⚡ Vraj Shah 📸 (@vrajshahspeaks) June 24, 2019
A1: Community is a safe space where community members can ask questions, share learning & experience, offer help, network, create or bridge connections. Most importantly, it is also where members don’t over promote themselves or their business. #ContentChat
— Win Shi Wong (@winshiwong) June 24, 2019
A community: a group of people organized around a common interest, either IRL or online. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A1] Agree #community is defined by shared interests. Further, this group is often self defining. Takes work to maintain. #contentchat
— HeidiCohen (@heidicohen) June 24, 2019
A1 What a great question! A community is a type of fellowship. Whether that’s with common goals, mindsets, ideals, or interests – the people of a community come together to express, communicate, and thrive together. #ContentChat https://t.co/oPSh5xRvtr
— Blais Enterprises (@BlaisEnterprise) June 24, 2019
A1: A community is a collection/gathering of like-minded folks who are interested in a topic/cause. It can be online or offline or a combination of both. Essential elements: Willingness to be a part of something bigger than yourself. #contentchat https://t.co/STfzXB5crl
— Jennifer Navarrete (@epodcaster) June 24, 2019
A1. A community, at its heart, is a group of people with a commonality. It can be where they live, what they do, what they like, what they believe, or some other dimension. #contentchat https://t.co/0vf3tZYfhS
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) June 24, 2019
A1: A community is a group of like-minded people who are typically brought together by a shared interest, cause, etc. For brands, it’s about finding the people who love and support what you do. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) June 24, 2019
A1. Community: a group of diverse individuals supporting a common goal. The community can occur IRL or on a digital platform. A common goal is the essential element with the basic characteristic of being supportive.#contentchat #oellc https://t.co/4ZQPB0SXs5
— Nerissa Marbury (@OneEpiphany) June 24, 2019
Q2: What are the primary stages every community goes through over time?
Regardless of eventual size or success, all communities experience a similar growth cycle: awareness, settling, growing pains, rebirth and/or community closure.
A2: After community conceptualization and launch, there’s awareness (people start to find you), there’s a sort of settling in period (where you norm&storm), then there are the inevitable growing pains where you lose some OG members, then there is the rebirth/sunset. #contentchat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 24, 2019
I think of “forming,” “storming” and “norming” myself in relation to working in groups. A2 #ContentChat
— Roselle Cronan (@MahoutMkt) June 24, 2019
A2: First you need to have a start and to awareness and trust. Over time, you have the core group of participants. You will also have some ebbs and flows where you need to adjust to your audience so that you keep interest up and then hopefully maturity. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) June 24, 2019
A2: I think the initial stage is discovery – not only people discovering the community, but discovering truly what it’s about. Creation of the “hive mind” of the community, if you will. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A2b: Post-discovery is growth – finding and attracting people who fit within the construct of the community. Then there’s hierarchical change – everyone finding their place in the tribe. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A2: I’ve had groups go through various phases. 1. Start with a small core group 2. Slow Growth 3. Fast Growth 4. High activity 5. Slow down of activity 6. Atrophy 7. Fresh blood. 8. Renewed activity. 9. Special occasion/event gatherings #contentchat https://t.co/Ggm43TPDlu
— Jennifer Navarrete (@epodcaster) June 24, 2019
A2c: After hierarchical change is maturity – the group settles into a rhythm. Members come and go, but there’s a core. Post-maturity is decline. Post-decline is either rebirth or collapse. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A2. Communities are a lot like humans: There are periods of infancy, development, growth, maturity, and stagnation. And, like humans, all it takes is a little spark to jump from a lethargic state to an energetic one. #contentchat https://t.co/UUNke6B7bs
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) June 24, 2019
A2: Stages of online community development (cyclical), by @derekpillie:
1) Discovery – when a community is new or recently going through a renewal
2) Virality – when a community is able to accumulate members and attention rapidly
3) Maturity
4) Decline
#ContentChat— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) June 24, 2019
A2
— Meet my representative (Unwilling to let yourself shine)
— Btw my real name is (Trust building)
— Harpo, who’s dis person? (Influx of new members)
— We’s married now! (Loyalty & support)Shout out to my Color Purple references#contentchat #oellc https://t.co/jwCHHpe3Xj
— Nerissa Marbury (@OneEpiphany) June 24, 2019
Q3: How do you keep the initial enthusiasm that accompanied launching your community going over time?
There’s a variety of ways to keep your community engaged and excited. Keep your purpose top-of-mind for community members to help them remember why the group exists.
A3. I believe enthusiasm and engagement are connected. I also think that community members need to understand the mission and vision, even though these might not be clearly defined or written down. #contentchat https://t.co/vFkW5DPo0i
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) June 24, 2019
A3.
– Keep the community’s purpose front and center
– Bring newbies into the fold by sharing the background on inside jokes #crosspost
– When the quiet ones participate be sure to comment to encourage futureengagement#contentchat #oellc https://t.co/XZySOJwzIB— Nerissa Marbury (@OneEpiphany) June 24, 2019
Next, ensure your community moderators or leaders are genuinely engaging with your community members and asking for their feedback. A little recognition goes a long way, as well.
A3 It’s about being present and continuing to show interest in your community members. Replying to them. Engaging them. The second you treat people like an “audience,” they’ll feel less than invested, and will move on. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) June 24, 2019
A3: Show your community that you CARE. Talk to them, listen to what they have to say, and find ways to give back as thanks for their support. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) June 24, 2019
A3: Growing a community comes down to @KMullett‘s H.E.L.P. philosophy. https://t.co/bprsOSutXV #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) June 24, 2019
A3 From the community manager’s own inner passion! Plus, taking it offline can help. Telling friends, colleagues, and even family can really help give your online community the boost it needs down the road. #ContentChat https://t.co/JklT2PxgOE
— Krystal Blais 🤘🔮🔥🤘🏳️🌈 (@krystalblais) June 24, 2019
A3: Recognize the members as a valuable part of the community; give shoutouts, do weekly updates, ask them for suggestions how to improve the community #ContentChat
— Win Shi Wong (@winshiwong) June 24, 2019
Establish a consistent presence through conversations or activities, and always promote the group to attract new members.
A3: I think part of this equation has to be consistency. Having a consistent presence brings people back and encourages new people to join. The new people themselves can generate enthusiasm. Other sources of novelty, new events, initiatives, etc can also help sustain #contentchat
— Brafton (@Brafton) June 24, 2019
A3: Promotion: You’ve always got to be promoting, so there’s a continuous flow of members and ideas. Referral: Get the OG’s to bring in new recruits. Transition: keep trying new stuff. #contentchat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A3: I have groups that are 14 years old & others that are newer. It really does change over time. Bringing in new blood and shifting up how things are done helps to keep everyone on their toes. Hosting an event around the group topic/interest also helps. #contentchat
— Jennifer Navarrete (@epodcaster) June 24, 2019
A caveat on consistency, don’t be afraid to mix things up. Having tried and true strategies or a schedule is great, but changing things up could liven up the group. This is where your moderator comes back into play, because they should be asking community members for ideas.
A3] Great question people undervalue the need to continue to change things up to keep audience involved. @SFerika #contentchat
— HeidiCohen (@heidicohen) June 24, 2019
A3: Need to be flexible enough to switch it up when needed and continue to provide value – also listen, engage and get their feedback on what topics etc will interest them. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) June 24, 2019
Q4: What are some issues that community managers should expect to see—and overcome—as their community grows and ages?
Even if you follow the above tips, your group is going to face some growing pains (as mentioned in Q2). These include straying from or forgetting the group’s original purpose…
A4 Losing sight of the original goal. Which can be okay! Often, communities begin with one main goal, but as the community grows, new ideals are born and realized. By listening to your tribe, it’s okay to change course for the betterment of everyone involved. #ContentChat
— Krystal Blais 🤘🔮🔥🤘🏳️🌈 (@krystalblais) June 24, 2019
Influential community members leaving or competing communities forming…
A4: Every community will eventually have its own form of drama. Or a popular moderator will leave. Or a competing community will form. Or you will make a bad moderation decision and get flamed for it. Be kind, empathetic, and compassionate to make it through. #ContentChat https://t.co/8pqv1rwClr
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 24, 2019
Problematic members that may need to be reminded of your group’s code of conduct…
A4: Be aware that there will be bad apples among the members. Have a set of code of conducts, constantly reminding members to read it over to keep the environment friendly and kind #ContentChat
— Win Shi Wong (@winshiwong) June 24, 2019
A4: As with any community you are bound to make someone unhappy, have some drama or have a topic or content that doesn’t perform like you wish. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) June 24, 2019
A4] Biggest challenges tend to be drama & participant-specific. #contentchat
— HeidiCohen (@heidicohen) June 24, 2019
A4: Issues: growing too fast, growing too slow, community splits, DRAMA! #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/unepzsTO9s
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
Or the need to explore new ways to connect and communicate…
A4: As time goes on, the best method of communication may change. You may have to engage with your community on different platforms and be ready to pivot. #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) June 24, 2019
By staying engaged, you can address these issues early on. Or, you may realize it’s time to let the community part ways.
A4: Watch out for signs of community atrophy. Get ahead of it by inviting the community members into leadership positions. Create an event around the community. Allow community members to lead. #contentchat https://t.co/RyvA8FCW5L
— Jennifer Navarrete (@epodcaster) June 24, 2019
A4. Sometimes communities die: They no longer have a purpose. The manager needs to know if it’s time to let it go. (I know this sounds kinda depressing. Would i help if I sing “Circle of Life” from The Lion King?) #contentchat https://t.co/C7mAL06aTi
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) June 24, 2019
Q5: What mature communities (online and offline) are you part of? What do you think makes them successful for the long haul?
#ContentChat is not the only community our members are a part of. Explore some of these to see if you may be a fit.
A5: I’m a member of the #CMworld community, and have been actively part of that fam for 7 years. The amazing group of smart people that the awesome CMI folks have brought together + @MoninaW & her #CManager superpowers are what keeps that community alive + thriving. #ContentChat https://t.co/af6cKfVpb1
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 24, 2019
A5: I’m part of many chats and there are 3 that come to mind as being mature – #TwitterSmarter #BrandChat and this one, #ContentChat. They all have a great core of peeps and ALL are very welcoming and provide value each and every chat.
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) June 24, 2019
A5: I am part of the organizing team at @WeAreDesignX. We keep our members engaged online (Slack) and offline (events), we recently just expanded from couple city to the entire Canada! USA and Europe up next 💪#ContentChat
— Win Shi Wong (@winshiwong) June 24, 2019
A5b.
Part of a @WCAhmedabad. One of the most active community arranging #WordaCamp and #WordPress meetups.
Active knowledge sharing community. #ContentChat
— ⚡ Vraj Shah 📸 (@vrajshahspeaks) June 24, 2019
A5: Online? #brandchat has been my tribe for years, and I’ve met a couple folks IRL from there. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A5: My groups: San Antonio Podcasters (2005), National Podcast Post Month (2007) Social Media Club San Antonio (2007) Social Media Breakfast San Antonio (2008). Member of: Educating for Success (2003) Live Streaming Pros (2017) People are what make groups a success #contentchat https://t.co/RH7chwgal9
— Jennifer Navarrete (@epodcaster) June 24, 2019
Common threads of success? The quality of your community leaders, the ability to provide ongoing value and the depth of the relationships built.
A5: Communities tend to rise and fall around personalities. Engaged leaders who connect with the community and bring everyone along for the ride tend to have the most succesful communities. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) June 24, 2019
A5] To survive over time communities continue to provide value to members & reinforce power of belonging @SFerika #contentchat
— HeidiCohen (@heidicohen) June 24, 2019
A5 Commitment from the group AND consistency from the manager. The groups I’m in have active and engaging members as well as a consistent manager who posts whether people engage or not. #ContentChat
— Krystal Blais 🤘🔮🔥🤘🏳️🌈 (@krystalblais) June 24, 2019
A5] Communities that move between online & offline survive since reinforce relationships human2human #contentchat
— HeidiCohen (@heidicohen) June 24, 2019
A5 I’m part of the #CMWorld community. I think of three primary things for success in the long term: passion, commitment and consistency. #ContentChat https://t.co/xF564v8TbR
— Dennis Shiao ✍️ (@dshiao) June 24, 2019
A5. The successful communities are the ones in which members feel enriched for spending their time, money and talents. #contentchat https://t.co/dshPG7RvNI
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) June 24, 2019
Q6: Think about your own involvement with the communities you are currently and have previously been involved with. What are some reasons you stopped participating? And what brought you back to the community?
Biggest reasons for leaving a community? They can be a heavy time commitment, discussions may no longer be relevant, a changing member base or quick succession of departures, or people simply forget they exist (possibly because of algorithms).
A6: When I started out in my career, I was a member of PRSA. AS I moved along career-wise, the local chapter events and resources stopped feeling as relevant to me. I rejoined to network in my new city and serve as a board member. #ContentChat https://t.co/gkrSaCZKTw
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 24, 2019
A6: I would say the biggest for myself is the time commitment and the topics. There will be some weeks where I can’t participate or be involved which doesn’t mean anything negative for the chat – but I also have narrowed down to a select few based on the engagement. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) June 24, 2019
That makes sense. For me, client meetings often derail my best intentions for attending chats. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) June 24, 2019
A6 When finding a new interest, it’s easy to get swept up in the amount of online communities and resources available. Over time, those same communities and resources can be overwhelming and it is easier to ‘just quit’ than to limit yourself. #ContentChat
— Blais Enterprises (@BlaisEnterprise) June 24, 2019
A6 Algorithms played a big part in why I stopped participating in certain communities – They were no longer “top of mind” because I couldn’t see them anymore. It wasn’t until I thought, “hey I haven’t seen *such and such* in a while that I found my way back. #ContentChat
— Krystal Blais 🤘🔮🔥🤘🏳️🌈 (@krystalblais) June 24, 2019
A6 (pt 2) Through this I learned how to ‘trick’ the platforms to continue showing me what I really wanted. I also learned to start a ‘memo’ of sorts so that at least once every few weeks I go through and catch up in certain communities. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/mjN1ddTaJK
— Krystal Blais 🤘🔮🔥🤘🏳️🌈 (@krystalblais) June 24, 2019
Sometimes, it’s as simple as life getting in the way. Other times, the drama may drive me away, or my interests change. A6 #ContentChat
— Roselle Cronan (@MahoutMkt) June 24, 2019
A6: Generally, when I’ve left a community, it’s been one of two reasons – my interests changed, or too much drama. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A6: I think people often drift away from certain communities when they don’t feel connected anymore. We evolve over time and our priorities change! #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) June 24, 2019
A6 Any time activity noticeably drops, members may start to question the viability or future of the community. And they may stop participating until they see activity return. Little bit of chicken-and-egg here. #ContentChat https://t.co/XeFptPrySc
— Dennis Shiao ✍️ (@dshiao) June 24, 2019
A6] Beware of the “Empty Room Syndrome” To avoid it, you need to continually bring new people into your community. Hence the need to not only address current active members but also their contacts. #contentchat @martinlieberman @sferika
— HeidiCohen (@heidicohen) June 24, 2019
Q7: As a community member, what is the best way to engage you and let you know about ways to get more involved in the communities you are in? As a community manager, what is one thing you wish you knew before you started managing your community?
Trying to engage your members? Reply to them and treat them like a person, not just a member of an audience. Give them opportunities to take a bigger role when possible.
A7 The best way to engage me is simple: Reply to me. That’s how I know I’m valued and part of the community, not just an “audience” member. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) June 24, 2019
A7 It would be neat for communities to list “volunteer openings” (e.g., chat moderator, event logistics, etc.). Lets everyone know where they can help. And for new members, it could be a neat way to meet folks. #ContentChat https://t.co/emPCE5xsqi
— Dennis Shiao ✍️ (@dshiao) June 24, 2019
A7a. Comment on or positively react to what is I share within the group.
Tag me in a similar post if I shared something along the same lines so it’s easier for me to find and participate in an existing conversation.#contentchat #oellc https://t.co/qyp6L25eMQ
— Nerissa Marbury (@OneEpiphany) June 24, 2019
Trying to start a community? Remember that it takes a lot of effort, but with the proper care and determination you can build an incredibly strong and engaged community.
A7b: I wished I had known what it would take to build a real, active community from scratch. It’s a LOT more effort than one realizes, and takes more resources than I had at the time. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) June 24, 2019
A7b.
Strength and consistency of my community.#ContentChat
— ⚡ Vraj Shah 📸 (@vrajshahspeaks) June 24, 2019
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