A good recipe is worth paying for. If you can find a first edition of ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ by Julia Child, you’ll pay over $7,500. How much would you pay for the recipe to build successful online communities?
Thankfully, it’s not a secret. If you want to build successful communities – online or offline – there are four key ingredients. But first, we need to clear up some common misconceptions about what online community building is, and what it isn’t.
Community can mean a lot of different things. You can be part of a local community, or maybe you know someone who is community-minded (a quality we need to value more). Perhaps you’ve seen a call to ‘join our community’ and … followed an organisation on Instagram.
Is that it? Can you throw any ingredient in a pot and call it community? I don’t think so.
The connection myth
Imagine you’re in an elevator with a few strangers. Or perhaps you’re in a crowd of people. You’re connected to everyone there, shoulder to shoulder. But are you in a community?
Being in the same place – a physical space or using the same social network – doesn’t automatically create community.
If you build it, they may come. But your online group won’t automatically become a community. Having 1,000 followers on Instagram doesn’t necessarily mean you are a community builder.
We’ve uncovered our first myth: community is not just about connection. We need gathering points to build community, but we don’t stop there.
It’s not just about conversation
It’s good to talk. There’s value in a pleasant exchange with neighbours about the weather, a lively debate on Die Hard as a Christmas movie, and a thoughtful discussion about the realities of living with dementia.
Good discussions are valuable. You’ve probably already heard about the health risks of loneliness and the value of social connections. You may have read advice on how to create community and counter loneliness.
You may not have seen this interesting research. It proves that people benefit from deep and meaningful relationships with others – but feel reluctant to engage in them, creating unnecessary barriers. A simple solution? Someone else intentionally gathers people and facilitates discussion. (Community building, right?)
We know the value of fun discussion and meaningful conversation. There’s a reason we hear a lot about engagement in community building – it powers connection. However, creating meaningful discussions isn’t the only skill we need to build a community. A community starts with meaningful discussions, but it needs more.
We have our second myth: community isn’t just conversation. We need to head to the larder and find more ingredients to build a successful community.
You need more than common interest
You’re probably familiar with the idea of fandoms. There’s a hot debate over who claims the title of the first fandom, with Janeites in one corner, and Sherlock Holmes readers in the other…
Don’t underestimate the power of a fandom. Korean pop group BTS have an ARMY that raised over $1 million and advocated powerfully for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fans have a shared passion, but they may never interact with each other and build ongoing relationships. Supporting Manchester United or going to a Taylor Swift concert doesn’t automatically connect you with other fans in a meaningful way.
This brings us to our third myth: a successful community isn’t just about a common interest.
Four ingredients for successful communities
So how do we build a successful community? It’s a combination of four key ingredients:
- Connecting in the same place
Your community needs a consistent place to gather. This could include a dedicated platform like Mighty Networks or Facebook Groups, and sessional spaces like Gatheround or Zoom.
- Having meaningful conversations
Meaningful conversations matter. Consider key questions, common myths, or worries and hopes. Rituals and fun topics can help to foster a warmer connection.
- Sharing a common interest
Why should people join your community? A common interest leads to a clear purpose. It provides a north star for your conversations. It can help you to identify places and ways to connect with the community.
- Creating communal value
This is crucial – members and organisations need to benefit from the community. How are you going to demonstrate that your community members find value? In what way does the community drive value for the organisation? What metrics and methods help you to track and prove value?
For example, in a charity’s volunteer support community, members gain knowledge and form friendships, and the organisation benefits from increased volunteer retention and engagement.
Making Your Community Flourish
This is the recipe for successful communities: connection, conversation, common interest, and communal value. (Whenever I hear of a community having problems, it usually has an issue with one of these things.)
Just like a good recipe, the ingredients for community need to be carefully balanced and nurtured. Here are two examples of what it may look like in practice:
A thriving community of circumstance may use an online forum (connection), facilitate peer support discussions on popular topics (conversation), gather people with a shared experience (common interest), and create opportunities for personal benefit and organisational impact (communal value).
A charity’s internal communications team uses Viva Engage and Zoom (connection) to create cohort groups for new starters, provide town hall gatherings with leaders, and allow topic-based communities (conversation). They connect everyone who works at the organisation (common interest) to share knowledge, build a sense of community, and create an organic ‘second brain’ for the organisation that lasts long after employees move on (communal value).
Remember – building a community isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about creating an environment where genuine connections can flourish and everyone benefits. Whether you’re just starting your community journey or looking to strengthen an existing community, focusing on these four key ingredients will help you create something truly special.
Need help getting your community ingredients right? With my expertise, you’ll gain access to proven community building methods, tailored advice, and strategic support. Get in touch to find out how I can help you create a safe and successful online community.
