Nurturing a healthy online community takes personality, purpose, and persistence.
In the world of Open Source, it’s well known that products and projects with a healthy, vibrant community withstand the test of time. For some reason, though, in the ever-expanding digital landscape, “community” is a hard concept to understand.
There is an obvious, visible difference between a community and a group of consumers. Talking to users is not the same as collaborating in a community. A community is a group of people with a shared purpose, and cultivating a healthy one demands patience as you help people find their shared purpose, culture, and connection.
With this post, we aim to demystify the special sauce that makes truly collaborative communities different.
Anti-transactional relationship building
There are certain behaviours that should be left at the door when doing community work. One is a transactional mindset, where “you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”. While this can work, it’s usually in the short-term. While communities are made up of individuals with varying motivations, goals, and personalities, for organisations looking to build community, it’s important to understand the difference between transactional marketing relationships and community driven collaboration.
Trust and solidarity develop not through transaction, but through collaboration . So, be transparent about your intentions and values, and stay true to your community’s purpose. Authenticity fosters trust, and authentic relationships are not always transactional.
Staff members who interact with community members on a regular basis need to hone the connection between their own authentic voice and the brand or organisation they’re representing. Their ability to embody the organisational mission and empower other people are key components to a thriving community.
Example: A community manager might be a little quirky and really into 80s pop music. How do these personality traits show up in relation to their organisation’s mission?
Show solidarity
Engaging a community involves both honing a voice and helping bridge the gap between organisational intentions and community initiatives. It’s also about ensuring that the culture of the community is inclusive and representative of the people inside it.
As community members follow the activities of the organisation, so too should the organisation follow the activities of highly engaged community members. Encouraging people in endeavours that take place outside the community’s immediate landscape is a way to find points of overlap. By spotlighting things community members are doing in other contexts, you create both content and engagement for the community more broadly.
Example: A community manager notices that one of their community members is doing a charity run. How can the community manager call attention to the relationship between what the community member is doing and the community’s mission?
Advocacy in Leadership
Building a healthy online community is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires dedication and consistent effort to maintain and grow your community. You need people in leadership who are committed to the community and prepared for occasional setbacks or slow periods. This persistence will pay off in the long run as the organisation witnesses the community flourish.
As with any living organism, online communities grow and change over time. Organisations need to be receptive to feedback and willing to adapt to the evolving needs of community members. This means that detailed roadmaps are difficult to create that cover more than the next few months. However, you can plan in broad brushstrokes some of the ‘tentpole’ initiatives you want to run. Taking a different approach runs the risk of not knowing what the community wants and needs! Instead, find processes to regularly evaluate your strategies and make necessary adjustments.
Advocates in leadership teams are essential for community work. Community engagement is all about impact and real impact is tricky to measure. It is sometimes impossible to see. What looks like a failed community initiative might actually be the point where everything changed for the better.
Example: The community team organises a community call, which runs out of steam after a few sessions. The team does a post-mortem, decides to change the focus, agenda and timing. What else could the team try to iterate on?
Start Small, Think Long-term
To build a successful online community, you need a strong foundation. Begin by assembling a small group of dedicated members who believe in your mission and are willing to invest time and energy into fostering connections. Focus on incremental growth to create a sustainable, lasting community.
Engagement is the lifeblood of any online community. Encourage members to participate by asking questions, sharing stories, and sparking discussions. Be present in these conversations and listen actively to understand the needs and desires of your community members. By making yourself accessible and responsive, you create an environment where members feel seen, heard, and valued.
Empower your community members to contribute their knowledge, skills, and experiences. User-generated content (UGC) not only enriches the community but also fosters a sense of ownership and belonging among members. Collaborative projects and initiatives can help community members bond and feel invested in the community’s success.
Example: Your community team runs a 24 hour documentation edit-a-thon. During the event, a translator mentions that she wishes the documentation was in French. How can your community team empower this translator?
Conclusion
Cultivating a thriving online community requires a delicate balance of personality, persistence, and planning. Remember, the most successful communities are built on strong relationships, which can only be nurtured through time and intention. So, take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to embark on this rewarding journey.
Co-written with Doug Belshaw