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June 24, 2019 Content Chat Recap: Sustaining Community

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Establish a consistent presence through conversations or activities, and always promote the group to attract new members.

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.

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…

Influential community members leaving or competing communities forming…

Problematic members that may need to be reminded of your group’s code of conduct…

Or the need to explore new ways to connect and communicate…

By staying engaged, you can address these issues early on. Or, you may realize it’s time to let the community part ways.

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.

Common threads of success? The quality of your community leaders, the ability to provide ongoing value and the depth of the relationships built.

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).

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.

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.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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