Comments on: Improve your online community in five easy steps

By: Henk Inkt

Henk Inkt — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:05:02 +0000

The fourth is the best step of all. Being active in a community is the most important thing. Get to know your members and build relationships with them. Friends will give more in return than people who are just signed in.

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:26:43 +0000

The first 4 steps seem much easier to accomplish than step 5. Finding new members, who will contribute, is the step that is the most overwhelming to me. Great advice regarding the Red Bull example – lifestyles and interests can be targeted instead of products.

By: Martin Reed - Community Manager

Martin Reed - Community Manager — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:38:58 +0000

Shaun – A vibrant online community can be great advertising.

By: Lora

Lora — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:58:59 +0000

It seems really easy, but unfortunately this is not true! We must invest effort and knowledge to properly use these tips…This is my opinion. But, of course, these tips are very useful for directing to the right direction…

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:50:59 +0000

I really like the way you used the Red Bull example. I think much better then their community features is their advertising, which brings me to a question. If you can only have one, which is better? Online community or great advertising?

By: Christian

Christian — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:56:20 +0000

Thanks Martin.

Im trying to make a community behind a produkt and have found it pretty difficult. Thanks for all the good posts. I’ll try following some of your ideas.

Christian

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:55:11 +0000

I can only imagine how much work it takes to create and run a successful community. We�ve considered it, but it is way down on our list right now. Plus, college and graduate school admissions are so cyclical that we would have to get new members every year.

I think we would have to answer point number 3 first, �what is the purpose of the community?� That�s a very good point. The community plan should be spelled out in detail, like a business plan, before you get started.

By: Martin Reed - Community Manager

Martin Reed - Community Manager — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:33:24 +0000

Beth – I think the products are distracting you here. It’s often very difficult to build a community behind a product, because people are very rarely passionate about specific products (although there are some exceptions).

Try thinking instead about the lifestyle or aspirations of your customers. Try thinking about what your store represents, and tap into that. For guidance, look at Red Bull – it would be hard to build a community or encourage passionate discussion about energy drinks, so they invest in extreme sports and generate conversation that way.

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:34:32 +0000

Well, you’ve inspired me!

The steps seem logical.

The “why” step is the one that I am a little bit unclear about. And, perhaps that’s my problem.

The why question means that the purpose of the community should be relatively unique, and I am having trouble finding anything that hasn’t been done ten thousand times.

I am also having trouble finding something that I KNOW that would be inspirational enough to gather a community around.

It seems logical to me that if I am going to inspire a community, I should at least have depthful knowledge and a passion for the subject or purpose of the community.

As I look at my life, such a passion doesn’t exist at the moment.

Oh I like things, like Lego building, but I don’t know enough about it to answer any questions about the subject. I just follow the directions.

I like where I get my Lego. They are great, but even as great as they are (100 times better than I would be) and even with their great content, if they get one comment a month on their site, that’s a lot for them. And, they are DO FOLLOW to boot. I mean, great content, and DO FOLLOW and one comment a month. Hard to figure.

So, I am trying to see what I could do that a ToysPeriod (my hobby store) hasn’t done a hundred times better than I could do it, and I can’t see it.

Perhaps you have some suggestions in that area.

Why anyone would be inspired by my level of knowledge in anything, I don’t know.

Frankly, I am very average, and as an average person with average knowledge, I don’t stand out.

I don’t know anything about African safaris or new disease remedies. Anyone out there want to hear about why I like jelly beans, but just those that are found in big box stores?

Just don’t ask me what’s in them or where they came from. I don’t have a clue. All I know is that they taste very good.

By: Martha Jones

Martha Jones — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:48:31 +0000

Kevin,

Right. It is no different than the preface or introduction of the book: it tells you what the book is about, and why should you read it.