The Community Roundtable www.communityroundtable.com

@TheCR

3 Steps to Creating Powerful Online Communities

Step 1 Understand Community Dynamics

What is Community?

Community is NOT

Community IS

Community

A group of people with unique shared values, behaviors, and artifacts

Why Use A Community Structure?

•  Networked structures speed information transfer

•  Shared ownership and commitment •  Maximize investments •  Reduce costs

Business Goals Determine Ideal Size for A Community

Online  Communi+es  

Size Density of Relationships

Groups Communities Networks

Solve Collaborate Inspire Inform

Connect Solicit Input

Complexity of Desired Outcome

Compromise Discover

Find

Community management is about building relationships, not just about sharing content with a network

Content  Network   Community  

Community management is about building relationships, not just about sharing content with a network

Content  Network   Community  

Community management is about building relationships, not just about sharing content with a network

Content  Network   Community  

Measurable But Not Immediate

Investment

Retu

rn

Measurable But Not Immediate

Investment

Retu

rn

Measurable But Not Immediate

Investment

Retu

rn

Measurable But Not Immediate

Investment

Retu

rn

Measurable But Not Immediate

Investment

Retu

rn

Communities Mature & Change

Time

Impa

ct

Phase 1 – Strong

Hierarchy

Phase 2 – Emergent

Community

Phase 3 –Community

Phase 4 –Networked

Communities Mature & Change

Time

Impa

ct

Phase 1 – Strong

Hierarchy

Phase 2 – Emergent

Community

Phase 3 –Community

Phase 4 –Networked

Behavior  Change  

Communities Mature & Change

Time

Impa

ct

Phase 1 – Strong

Hierarchy

Phase 2 – Emergent

Community

Phase 3 –Community

Phase 4 –Networked

Behavior  Change  

Pull  

Communities Mature & Change

Time

Impa

ct

Phase 1 – Strong

Hierarchy

Phase 2 – Emergent

Community

Phase 3 –Community

Phase 4 –Networked

Behavior  Change  

Pull  

Growth  

Communities Mature & Change

Time

Impa

ct

Phase 1 – Strong

Hierarchy

Phase 2 – Emergent

Community

Phase 3 –Community

Phase 4 –Networked

Behavior  Change  

Pull  

Growth  

Transform  

Step 2 Define A Community Strategy

Articulate The Basics

Shared Purpose

Business goals

Member Goals

Member Characteristics will Determine Investment

What will success look like?

Articulate your goals in terms of time, cost or quality

How will the community change how people work?

Step 3 Invest in Community Management

Be Clear About What You Want

http://www.flickr.com/photos/machineproject/5162106562/

Observe Your Audience

Image

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mfakheri/2815755503/

Be Valuable

http://www.flickr.com/photos/donshall/1143987002/

Be Welcoming

Faces Are Critical

Schedule

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidiot/61484953/

Keep A Regular Schedule

Provide a Guide

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiotsrun/4417919229/

Be A Connector

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheila_steele/161726592/

Bring Catnip

Have Rules http://www.flickr.com/photos/strandloper/1385105547/

Encourage Your Cheeseheads

Ride The Waves http://www.flickr.com/photos/tk_five_0/2279894817/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfchenier/2409726404/

Don’t Ignore

Text

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cecilanne_r-s/3541646602/

Be Multi-Modal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/islespunkfan/2746157133/

Protect the Fish

Risks of Not Having Community Management

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcolivera/2809988605/

Ghost Town

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedjap/74410434/

Land of 1,000 Flowers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasfordmemoriallibrary/3467799183/

Drama Central

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordontarpley/1481380410/

A Circling Storm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swirlingthoughts/162016762/

A Clique

Key Take-Aways

1.  Clearly articulate the shared value for the community you are building

2.  Communities start and compound value over time

3.  Invest in community management

4.  Understand your audience’s motivators and needs

5.  Offer a consistent experience for community members

Download reports for free at:

www.communityroundtable.com/research

Thank you! Questions? Rachel Happe The Community Roundtable rachel@communityroundtable.com @rhappe

About The Community Roundtable

Mission: Advance the Business of Community

1. Champion: Advocate for the needs of community business owners and teams

2. Educate: Provide training solutions to community and social business leaders

3. Curate: Aggregate, document and share community management best practices

Member Organizations & Clients

Services • TheCR Network • TheCR Advisory • TheCR Research • Community Management Training

Rachel Happe Principal and Co-Founder @rhappe

Jim Storer Principal and Co-Founder @jimstorer

Leadership Team