Are you working on a new community with big time bells and whistles that caters to a niche that you just know has been waiting for a place to call home? If so, I encourage you to push ahead full steam. But, let me caution you first.
Your new community, no matter how great will not change habits. What I mean by this is you will not be able to stop potential members from posting on Facebook or twitter or their favorite Ning community. If you are assuming that your new community will become the new gathering place for those belonging to the niche, I think you will be disappointed.
Can you make it a great destination with robust content and interesting discussions? Absolutely. I know from experience what that kind of commitment can do and if you want some ideas on how to grow your community, read through some of the archives, or check out my book, “18 Rules of Community Engagement.”
The main point here is, if you are assuming that you can stop people from spending their time in the mainstream communities, you are way off base.
If you have a presence on those other networks, let the community know that and use them as part of an outpost strategy that highlights all that’s going on in your community. Accentuate the positive, or communicate with your audience in other places whenever you can.
Building a community is a labor of love. (Well, it can also be one of hate if you don’t have support from the top, but I digress…)
You will always think it’s better and deserves to be the center of your members attention, but it won’t be. Certainly not in the beginning.
Accept that you are not an island and work hard to grow your membership.
It’s the only way to grow.
11 comments
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March 6, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Renee H
Love this post. People still believe that if you build it, they will come AND stay. Not my experience. Thx for the reminder
March 6, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Jill
so well said. I might find time to add a new group to my “habit” and occasionally I will drop a group if it when it no longer meets my needs and expectations – or if it just becomes boring and stale – but I can’t imagine adopting a new group that meets my all.
It is the intersection of groups and networks that I find so interesting – I guess they call it the Web for a good reason:)
March 7, 2010 at 12:53 am
Michelle
Oh, this is so true. I’ve had to learn it the hard way. I’ve gotten so wrapped up in my community site that I spent a long time deluded into thinking that people would flock to it if only they knew about it. After all, who wouldn’t want to chat with other people in the same community?
A lot of people, evidentially. Like most of them. They sit on Facebook chatting with each other but trying to get them to come over to my site is pretty well impossible.
So I’ve started spending more time of Facebook and connecting with them there. Gotta fish where the fish are.
Michelle
March 7, 2010 at 1:00 pm
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March 23, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Olive Knight
I have been so frustrated watching my network grow slowly like a turtle. This post has really helped relieve me of all that stress. Thanks for pointing to a new direction. You are the greatest!
Olive
March 23, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Angela Connor
Olive! Believe me, I certainly understand your frustration. And I am pleased to know that I had something to do with giving you a new perspective and relieving you of any amount of stress. Community growth can be very slow and it requires patience. Just keep doing what you do. And keep me posted on your progress.
March 28, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Dan Latendre
Great article Angela… and so true. At IGLOO Software we recommend to our community owners beware… “If we build it, they will come”… usually never works.
What we have seen… over and over is that if you don’t have a captured audience already… then building and growing your community will most likely be a long and sometimes frustrating journey.
I agree with your advice Angela… leverage existing and thriving online networks to promote the value of your online community – a very effective strategy.
Dan
March 29, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Angela Connor
Thanks for your comment Dan. IGLOO software is certainly doling out good advice. Yes, it can be frustrating and that is why you have to know from the beginning that it will take time and have the stamina to endure. Definitely not a job for those with no patience.
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