5 ways to keep your online community active
DESCRIPTION
Do you have an online community? Are you posting content and sharing your ideas with groups online? Well, here are 5 easy steps to increase your group's activity. Watch the webinar here: https://www.bigmarker.com/BMCommunity/online_Community_Active You will learn: ~ Finding and creating good content ~ Implementing a schedule ~ Making newbies into regulars ~ Recruiting volunteers ~ Taking Advantage of the BigMarker PlatformTRANSCRIPT
How to keep your online community active
What is an active community?
• It’s a self-sustaining community • If the organizer of the group left, it would
continue to function • Your job, as an organizer, is to work toward
this stability
What does an active community look like?
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Stages of an online community
Stage Incep*on Establishment Maturity Mitosis
Descrip*on
The community just started. You’re pos*ng most of the content and invi*ng most of the people to join. You’re the driving force. This is where most communi*es fail.
The community is on a good pace. It’s growing and members are sharing on their own. You’re no longer the driving force. You’re a facilitator.
Take a vaca*on, because this community is 100% its own en*ty. If it was garden, you’re just trimming here and there. If you leE, the community would con*nue to grow.
The community has grown so large that you need sub-‐groups to facilitate more specific and in*mate conversa*ons. Each sub-‐group will go back to the incep*on stage.
% of organizer posted content 50 to 100% < 50% < 10% 50 to 100%
5 ways to keep your community active 1. Finding and creating good content 2. Implementing a schedule 3. Making newbies into regulars 4. Recruiting volunteers 5. Taking Advantage of the BigMarker
Platform
1. Finding and creating good content • In an online community, everything revolves
around content. • You need compelling content for your members
to have a reason to log in. • When we say content, we mean: – video conferences, webinars, comments, files, polls,
kudos as well as, sharing articles, asking questions, posting interesting quotes, and generally adding new ideas to the community.
• You can find content all around the web – Google a topic, and share some interesting news or
blog with the group
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2. Implementing a schedule
• You should create a content posting schedule
• This will make your community more predictable for your members
• It will also make it easier for you to find content
• Your schedule should be based on your community needs and wants
Example schedule
1. Monday - Opinion feature (stir debate) 2. Tuesday - News or journal repost (get opinions
on the subject) 3. Wednesday - Host a webinar 4. Thursday - Featured interview (can be with
outsiders or those in your group) 5. Friday - Event for the weekend 6. Saturday - Welcome newcomers 7. Sunday - Summary of the week and a look
forward to the next week 10
3. Turning Newbies into Regulars • When someone joins your community, they are a Newcomer
(Newbie). • Newcomers do not know anything about the community’s culture:
– inside jokes, hierarchy, insider language, norms and customs, etc. • For most Newcomers, this is off putting. • You need to make them feel welcome and accelerate them into
becoming Regulars. • You can do so by sending a “Welcome Guide” document that
shares a history of the community and some other useful tips. • You should also introduce the Newcomer to the group, and make
sure that they are commenting on posts, participating in webinars, etc.
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Regulars are amazing
• Regulars are the most important part of a community
• Regulars post their own content, they attend events, they make comments, and they keep the conversation going – This makes them the life blood of the
community. – Without regulars, it is just you posting content. – To move from Inception to Maturity, you need to
cultivate Regulars
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4. Recruiting volunteers
• Volunteers are the champions or evangelists of your community
• They create video conferences and webinars, stay to your content schedule, and are dependable.
• If you have a few great Volunteers, it means you can focus on the long term stability/growth of the community.
• If you identify a potential Volunteer, beg them to help out
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5. Taking Advantage of BigMarker
• BigMarker is a space where people go to connect – With like minded people – With those that share their passions
• On BigMarker, we help other passionate people find your group
The BigMarker home and find
• This page lets you browse all of the public: – Video conferences – Webinars – Recordings
BigMarker is a content factory • Your community includes an amazing amount of
features • Including the ability to host webinars and video
conferences • Webinars/conferences allow you to present or
meet face-to-face with your community – This is the ultimate content
• Also, anyone in your community can host webinars/conferences – Give your volunteers the power to create amazing
content!
Follow BigMarker
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