In terms of collaboration and productivity, one tool that stands out is Notion, it can be used for scheduling tasks, managing files, and lots more.
This got me thinking, is Notion a community tool or a productivity tool?
I had a quick chat with Ben Lang, Head of Community at Notion, to better understand what sort of tool Notion is.
Check out the interview below
Hello Ben, Great to have to here! before we get started I usually ask CMs to introduce themselves, I would love to do something different today, could you introduce yourself in just 7 words?
Hi! I lead community efforts at Notion.
So let’s get into it, what exactly is Notion? Could you explain this as if you were talking to a 5-year-old?
Notion is an all-in-one workspace for you and your team. You can use Notion on your own to organize your personal life or with your team for every day work. Notion helps you manage notes, databases, Kanban boards, wikis, calendars
Now let’s go over to the community manager aspect, what are Notion’s distinct features that are tailored towards community managers or individuals who are interested in building communities?
Notion works as a fantastic tool for communities. It can cover both the front end and back end of your community work. A couple examples for you
- Build a private or public directory
- Create a landing page
- Set up FAQs and guidelines for your community
- Maintain an events calendar
These are all easy to set up in Notion.
Notion is all about collaboration, could you say this is also a method of encouraging community building?
I think collaboration is particularly valuable when it comes to working with a team. That could mean a company you’re working on, or a non-profit organization, or a community you’re building.
What are some unique features of Notion that aren’t so well known by the public?
I’m a big fan of the keyboard shortcuts. There are a lot, I don’t even know all of them. I learn new ones all the time. They can really help boost your productivity if you spend some time learning them.
Is Notion a workplace tool or a collaborative tool for accomplishing a task?
I think it’s up to you and how you use it. Notion gives you the building blocks to create anything you want. You can use those blocks with whichever use caseworks best for you.
What would you say is Notion’s best feature for community management?
I’d say Notion’s collaboration features are the best for community management. When you’re able to add multiple people to a shared workspace and have them collaborate together, you can do really cool things together as a community.
What are the best tips and advice you would give to a community manager who wants to fully utilize Notion?
I’d say start small. Find an initial use case that works well for you and try more features and use cases as you make progress. Don’t try to use Notion for everything on day one.
Last question, who would win in a game of chess? Someone who could see into the future or someone who could read minds?
That’s a good question! I’d go with someone who can read minds. They could see the other person’s mind who knows the future and make decisions based on that.
