Building Successful Online Communities Ian Farmer : Social Media Practice Manager 1
Jan 18, 2015
Building Successful Online
Communities
Ian Farmer : Social Media Practice Manager
1
What is a Community?
2
This isn’t
What is a Community?
3
This is
10 steps to a successful online community
1. Define the community purpose
2. Audit current needs fulfilment
3. Know your audience
4. Provide Membership benefits
5. Use the right Tools & Software
6. Seed with great content
7. Marketing of the community
8. Define Rules, Roles & Profiles
9. Measure and monitor
10. Manage the Rise and Divide of niche
4
1. Define the community purpose
Community: A group of people brought together by a common cause or objective
5
2. Audit current needs fulfillment
7
Community Needs
8
3. Know your audience
Who are your Stakeholders?
What are their specific needs?
9
Example needs - Support
10
Example Needs - Mobility
4. Provide Membership benefits
W I I F M
12
Free hosting, contests, fame!
13
Make membership obvious and easy
16
5. Use the right Tools and Software
17
Community creation tools
1980 1990 2000 2008
Web 2
.0
18
Replicating “real life”
Community conversations
Tools : Profiles
19
Tools : Blogs
20
Tools : Forums
21
http://www.blackmores.com.au/Pregnancy/Discussion/Default.aspx?PageId=233
Tools: Maps
22http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/srchkey/sydney/country/14/region/4
Tools: Bookmarks
24
Tools: RSS feeds
25
Tools: Wikis
26
http://pbwiki.com
http://www.wetpaint.com
Tools : Social networks
27
http://www.ning.com
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/24/9-ways-to-build-your-own-social-network/
Tools versus Needs
28
Expressing
Identity
Status &
Self-esteem
Giving and
Getting
Help
Affiliation and
Belonging
Sense of
community
Blogs
Content sharing,
videos (you tube)
tagging
Self forming
groups (Yahoo,
Google)
Profile pages
(Myspace,
Facebook,
Linked In)
Rating / Reviews
(Trip Advisor,
Yelp)
Question &
Answer / Forums
(Yahoo answers)
Purpose driven
social network /
community
6. Seed with great content
29
“and get a few passionate needs stakeholders into the mix early”
Seeding examples
30
Content
People
Seeding examples
31
Knowledge Experts
Discussion
7. Marketing of the community
32
Emails, competitions
33
Syndicate content
35
Extending Reach
36
Video
37
Miro.com
Veoh.com
Joost.com
Magnify.net
Word of mouth
38
Word of mouth example
39
8. Define Rules, Roles and Profiles
Design for a range of ROLES
Develop a strong LEADERSHIP program
Encourage appropriate ETIQUETTE
40
Secondlife – Help Island
41
42
IBM’s “BlueIQ” Ambassadors Program
Clinics
Lunch & Learn
Jumpstart Engagements
9. Measure and Monitor with metrics
• Link to purpose / needs
• E.g. # articles written, by who
• # articles consumed, reviewed, rated, etc
43
Example Metrics - Language lessons
44
45
Use Metrics
to refine
purpose
10. Rise and Divide of Niche
46
Example – Rise and Divide of Niche
• Music
• Birth of new Genre
• Learn to play piano– Jazz pianist
• Food
• Recipes– Chilli club
47
Example – Rise and Divide of Niche
• Healthy Living
• Fitness– Running Festival
48
10 steps to a successful online community
1. Define the community purpose
2. Audit current needs fulfilment
3. Know your audience
4. Provide Membership benefits
5. Use the right Tools & Software
6. Seed with great content
7. Marketing of the community
8. Define Rules, Roles & Profiles
9. Measure and monitor
10. Manage the Rise and Divide of niche
49
Thankyou
Ian Farmer
Senior Brand Strategist 0417 460 518
http://frontiering.com.au/blog
http://blog.bullseye.com.au
http://www.twitter.com/ifarmer
50