7 Steps to Building Your Community

What is a community?

The Oxford Dictionary defines community as “the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.” And this sums it up pretty well. A community can be built around anything that a group of people has in common. It may be that you all have the same breed of dog. It may be that you all went to the same festival last year. It may even be that you all like eating soup with a fork… OK, so it’s probably not that last one. But, you get my point. A community can be built around any shared interest, passion, experience or issue.

How do I build my community? So, you have an awesome idea for a community and you’re ready to get going. But, where and how do you get started? After all, you’re just one person. How can you start a community by yourself? Well, firstly, just remember that a lot of huge communities started with just one person. The internet. Facebook. Pokemon. Big things often start small, so don’t be daunted that it’s just you at this point. Just get out there and give it a go. Plus, you’ve got us. We’re here to help. We’ve put together seven simple steps to help you begin building your community:

1. Start somewhere. The best thing is to start somewhere. Get your ideas out there and see how people respond. Your best research resource is already there around you. Talk to your friends and family about your ideas for a community. Post them on social media sites. Ask people on Quora.com. The more people you talk to, the more responses you’ll get and the more you’ll know about which of your ideas might actually work as a community.

2. Find purpose in shared interests, passions, and experiences. So, you’ve bounced your ideas around. You have a better idea of what you and the people you’ve spoken to have in common. You can now use this common ground to find the purpose for your community. It may not seem like much, but any shared interest or experience is enough to build a community, provided it’s something that you and other people care about. So, think carefully. What do you and the people around you care about? Once you’ve found this, you’ve found the purpose for your community.

3. Find a home for your community. This one’s completely up to you. Do you want your community to meet online or in person? Is social media the right forum for your community? Or, do you want it to be different from all the other Events, Pages and Groups on social media sites? There’s no one-size-fits-all for this question. Your community is unique and you need to decide where and how you want to interact with one another. You can always start somewhere and ask your first members what they think.

4. Bring people into your community. Now we’re getting into the fun stuff. It’s time to market and promote your community. You’ve done the research, you’ve found the purpose for your community. Now all you need is the people. Start locally. Get your friends and family on board. Then get them to get their friends and family on board. Post about your community on social media, create an event and invite everyone you know to it. Just spread the word. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, especially if your community is based around something people care about. So just go for it. People can’t join your community if they don’t know about it.

5. Create a community culture. A culture will naturally find its way into your community. But there are things you can do to set it on the right track and keep it there. The culture will depend entirely upon the type of community you’re building. It may be a completely open, relaxed community culture where everyone says whatever they’ve got on their mind. Or, it may be a more formal culture where issues are discussed and debated. Whatever the culture, you can help get it right by setting the tone at an early stage. Just be mindful of the culture you’d like to create when welcoming new members and when you start new posts and conversations. People will naturally follow the tone you set. We also recommend moderating some of the content to keep your culture on track. By removing inappropriate content and disruptive users, you can protect the community, its culture and keep it on the right track.

6. Start inclusive conversations. You’ve gathered a community of people around a shared interest, experience, passion or problem. So, talk about it. And get everyone else talking about it too. This is something you care about. And the rest of the community cares about it too. So be interested, inclusive, excited and enthusiastic. Invite responses from the rest of the community. Ask them questions. Find out what matters to them and respond to what they say. Make everyone feel welcome, included and of equal importance. The two key ingredients here are inclusivity and enthusiasm. So, get cooking.

7. Let it grow & help it along. High-five! You’ve created a community! But your work isn’t over yet. You need to cultivate your community. The best way to do this is to find the best places to get your community noticed. We’re not saying you need to pay thousands of money-notes for billboards and TV ads.

Just think carefully about people, or influencers, who will be interested in your community and have a bigger platform than you do to tell the world that it exists. If your community is built around health and wellness, then speak to instructors at your local gym. If your community is built around music, then speak to the up-and-coming bands and artists in your area. If your community is built around politics, then speak to the politicians for your area. This will help you build awareness of your community and, if you get influencers talking about you, you’ll raise the profile of your community in no time. So, get out there and get talking. If you remember one thing from this article, make it this: Remember that everything has to start somewhere. Think of all the things you know that started with one person. You can build a community. You just need to start somewhere. Use these steps as a guide.

Works Cited

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