Tips for growing strong and engaged communities online.

3. What Defines A Community
• Commonality
• Shared Experiences
• Shared Goals
• Shared Conflicts
• Emotional and Practical Rewards
Community serves a primal need!

5. Essential Elements of Story
AND Community
• A Common Goal/Motivation. This is what the
community is trying to achieve, change or
overcome.
• A Shared Conflict. These are the challenges
community members identify with.
• A Reward for the Reader/Participant –
Emotional or practical benefits for joining in.
This story makes us think, grow, feel!

9. Online vs IRL Community
• Not bound by a physical location
• Potential for more member diversity
• Easier to join and participate
• More difficult to vet members, create trust
Online community members have had different
experiences but share the same story.

13. The Three Types of Online
Communities
• Yours – Forums, groups, that provide a space for
conversation. May lack moderation and/or a common story.
Utilitarian. High engagement w/low emotional connection.
Example: Yelp, TripAdvisor, Amazon reviews
• Mine – Single voice, “me-centric” communities that are
moderated by, and revolve around the story of a particular
user. May include comments/engagement from outside
users. Engagement/Emotional Connection may vary.
Example: @FollowmeTraveler #Followmeto
• Ours – Multi voice communities that are driven by a group
goal, shared conflicts. Curated content. High engagement/
High Emotional Connection. #AverageParentProblems
#TMOM

16. Content Creators
Writers/photographers who create original
social content. Think beyond the “post”
• Recipes
• Playlists,
• DIYs
• Hacks
• Notemaps on @Findery

18. Experts
• Lend authority, stability.
• Increase community value & trust level.
• Cited authority, can speak publicly.
• Bring an audience.

20. Influencers
• Attract attention
• Compel action & emulation.
• Serve as ambassadors.
• Can host physical or virtual events
• Speak publicly

22. Super Sharers
• Amplify and spread the word via social media
and IRL communities.
• May be involved with multiple organizations
and committees both IRL and online.
Some community members are hat swappers!

24. Picking Platforms
• Know your social media stomping grounds.
• Not all platforms are designed to be “Ours”
community friendly.
• “Mine” platforms can be hacked to be used in a
more “Ours” fashion.
Ask yourself if your people are already organized on
a particular platform – what do they do there? How
can you leverage? How can you cross promote
content on multiple platforms?

26. Hashtags Are The Glue That Binds
• Your own hashtags help to brand you
• Hashtags help you find like minded people
• Hashtags help others track your community,
find you and participate in your conversation
• Hashtags help you measure your own growth

29. Instagram Community Strategy
• Curate your content: Invite your community to
contribute – submission via your hashtag.
• Develop fun memes and CTAs (consider the
reward, emotional or practical)
• Consider periodic “account takeovers” –
where a community member takes over the
stream for a period of time.
• Be consistent with post times, develop a
rhythm.

31. Twitter Community Strategy
• Use a dedicated hashtag (be consistent across
platforms)
• Reward your community members for using the
hashtag too – can be as simple as a shout out on
another platform.
• Host a regular chat – consider the timing.
• Invite guest experts and panelists to the chat
• Share good content created by community
members
• Use Images and Video!

33. YouTube Community Strategy
• Invite experts to create content for your channel
• Use hashtags in titles, if you plan to tweet
• Create community content playlists
• Ask for response videos (use in playlists)
• Publish new content regularly and consistently.
• Engage in comments
• Leverage live content platforms like Meerkat,
Periscope & cross purpose the video

35. Pinterest Community Strategy
• Create community group boards
• Pin & Share community content
• Issue clever/creative CTA’s and challenges,
consider the rewards
• Create expert boards, link elsewhere
• Invite influencers to pin to your group boards
• Title your boards with community, and
community story in mind.

37. Content Is Key! Nurture Your Story
• Create original/unexpected content. Think
beyond the blog post
• Collect and share content from community
members along w/your own
• Stockpile content – you cannot have too much
good content
Good content serves the STORY of your community,
regardless of platform. Stick to the story.

39. Know Your Community & Neighbors
• Know and nurture your community characters.
• Identify your influencers, experts, super
sharers and content creators.
• Create outreach lists and strategize by
platform
• Form alliances with kindred communities

40. CTA’s: Keep It Fun
• Consider what’s in it for the participant. Is it
FUN? Is it something they want to share?
Does it make them feel good?
• Does what you are asking people to do
contribute to your community’s story? Does
it strengthen their role?
Don’t forget the emotional and practical
reasons for your community

42. Your Assignment
• What’s your community’s story? Write down
the common goals/motivations and conflicts
of your community.
• What’s the reward for membership?
• Where will you tell the story online? What
medium?
• Who are your characters?
• Who are your neighbors?

43. Tools for Tracking and Measuring
• Google Analytics
• Twitter Analytics
• Pinterest Analytics (must sign up for biz
account to access)
• Hashtracking Explorer
• Iconosquare
• Sprout Social ($)
• Hashtracking Personal/Pro ($)