Creating Well-Functioning Online Communities
What is a Community?
A community is “a group of people that care about each other and feel they belong together” (Pfortmüller, 2017). Not all groups are communities. The core of a community is the relationship between its members. They must care for one another and have each other’s best interests at heart. The key to building community, face-to-face or online, is having a trusted relationship between members, which stems from care (Pfortmüller, 2017). For these communities to be successful, they must be united over a similar goal or purpose. True communities give their members the feeling of home and a sense of belonging.
With advancements, the digital age has provided a place for communities to form that were previously only face-to-face. As the digital world continues to expand, more online communities are forming. As these communities continue to evolve, it is important to recognize the factors that have led to well-functioning face-to-face communities. By understanding these factors, successful online communities can be formed.
What Makes a Successful Face-to-Face Community?
Any well-functioning community is composed of individuals who believe they belong together and are united over a common goal or purpose. As a result, they must support and respect one another to build trusting relationships. Face-to-face communities can exist in a variety of different settings, including sports, school, work and more.
Having face-to-face interaction is important to the dynamic of a community as it facilitates the engagement of members, creates a sense of belonging and promotes comfort in sharing ideas. It requires individuals to be present to give their full attention to their peers. This communication keeps members in the loop by boosting engagement (Wooll, 2022). Face-to-face interactions also allow members to see the nonverbal cues of their peers. This reduces misunderstandings among members within the group (Wooll, 2022). Using effective communication skills, face-to-face communities can promote strong bonds between their members.
To be successful, communities must have four elements: membership, influence, reinforcement of needs and shared emotional connection (Duffy, n.d.). When members have a sense of belonging and are free to share ideas, they gain trust in one another. This promotes an emotional connection, fulfills personal needs and builds confidence in asserting influence in the group.
Well-functioning face-to-face communities shift from the “Me to We” mentality (Pfortmüller, 2018). Individuals first join a community with a personal identity, curious to explore. When a community is successful, “individuals transform their self-focused behaviors for the betterment of the community” (Duffy, n.d.). This fosters support and connection in a community, allowing members to work together, learn from one another and grow.
Making Online Communities Successful
Over the years, growth in online community participation has continued to increase. As more individuals shift to digital rather than in-person, online communities need to be set up for success. Using well-functioning face-to-face communities as a blueprint, online communities can be successful.
Just like face-to-face communities, online communities must have a plan. When creating an online group, there must be a direction for the group to follow. As members of a group are like-minded, the creator must be mindful of this when defining the community’s purpose and goals (Burton, 2023). Face-to-face communities are run by humans; therefore, online communities should be as well (Starke, 2015). Community managers must be welcoming, kind-hearted, relatable and trustworthy to encourage engagement in the group.
Community guidelines and rules must be set to encourage thought-provoking and respectful engagement (Burton, 2023). This will hold everyone accountable and foster cooperation and ongoing communication. Communities are made for many voices, not only one (Starke, 2015). Each member of a community is valuable and has something to contribute. When joining a group, members must agree to the behavioral terms to ensure everyone is valued and respected.
When setting up an online community, it must be designed for the members, appealing to their desires and needs (Starke, 2015). Communities must be built with active engagement (Burton, 2023). Questions should be asked to spark group discussion and participation, promoting group involvement. There should be online meetings in communities to encourage face-to-face communication, even in an online community. Zoom calls can be used to facilitate this interaction. To encourage collaboration online, members should be required to contribute a certain amount to maintain status in the community.
Once the foundation of the community is set and there is ongoing communication, communities will continue to grow and gain success. Effective online communities promote the sharing of information and build relationships with like-minded people. Connecting with people around the world, members can communicate and collaborate at any time without meeting in person. Mirroring well-functioning face-to-face communities can guide and encourage success when made digital.
My Experience in Successful Online Communities
Using LinkedIn, I have joined multiple online communities, allowing me to interact with industry professionals in public relations. These communities foster open communication and collaboration and allow me to gain insight into the industry and network with those with career experience. The online communities I am a part of through LinkedIn are successful as they allow for free and open communication. To boost engagement within groups, polls are often posted to spark conversation and encourage participation (“Engage Your,” 2020). These polls are typically related to current news and industry updates or simply fun questions to build connections. This has provided me with the opportunity to build trusting relationships and expand my network.
As a member of several online communities with those interested in living a fit and healthy lifestyle, I have formed connections and relationships. Through my fitness Instagram, I have become a sponsored athlete for a variety of companies. As athletes for these companies live around the world, we have Facebook Groups for increased communication, engagement and collaboration between athletes. We frequently have group Zoom calls to meet with each other and discuss current topics. This has allowed us to connect face-to-face even though we are in different parts of the world. We can collaborate and have meaningful conversations as we have shared connections and experiences. United over the goal of staying fit, we are spreading awareness of a healthy, balanced lifestyle and supporting each other in our journey.
Conclusion
Although online communities cannot perfectly replicate the face-to-face experience, they can be similarly effective if set up properly to create a positive space that meets its members' goals (Elder, 2021). With the proper structure, online communities can bring people together to connect, share and have influence in their community. Being mindful to include the four elements of community — membership, influence, reinforcement of needs and shared emotional connections — online communities can thrive.
References
Burton, C. (2023, February 7). 7 steps to building an online community (with examples). Thinkific. https://www.thinkific.com/blog/how-to-build-an-online-community/
Duffy, M. (n.d.). Lecture 2: Introduction to social media community management [PowerPoint slides]. University of Florida. https://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/642828e690f143928e54e1291a8bb3d31d
Elder, D. (2021, June 9). What is an online community? (And how you can grow one). Tribe Blog. https://bettermode.com/blog/what-is-online-community
Engage your online community with LinkedIn polls. (2020, October 29). Mopdog. https://mopdog.com/engage-your-online-community-with-linkedin-polls/
Pfortmüller, F. (2017, September 20). What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter. Together Institute. https://medium.com/together-institute/what-does-community-even-mean-a-definition-attempt-conversation-starter-9b443fc523d0
Pfortmüller, F. (2018, April 13). From me to we — The shift in behavior I see in powerful communities. Together Institute. https://medium.com/together-institute/from-me-to-we-the-shift-in-behavior-i-see-in-powerful-communities-cd8af635858b
Starke, L. (2015, December 14). Nine characteristics of online communities that work. Higher Logic. https://www.higherlogic.com/blog/nine-characteristics-of-online-communities-that-work/
Wooll, M. (2022, January 11). Why face-to-face communication matters (even with remote work). BetterUp. https://www.betterup.com/blog/face-to-face-communication