How to Build Online Community: 7 steps to make people come and stay

Lesyk Natalie
Aug 9, 2017 · 6 min read

Are you selling software, writing about nano technologies, or building an online community for fidget spinner addicts? Whatever the case may be, I bet you want people to know and talk about you. And yet, there is a long way until you find yourself standing in the hall of fame with pockets full of money. Why not speed up this process and build an online community? Learn how to make people come and stay.

Your fans are your everything

When building a social community on the Internet, you are trying to make more people know who you are. Don’t you feel that your potential and actual fans might feel the same way? It’s in human nature: to wish to be appreciated.

Are they posting photos with your product on Instagram and tagging you there? Acknowledging you in Facebook posts or tweeting in excitement how they tried your product for the first time? Retweet, repost, and do everything to show them that you care. This will fuel up your community: who doesn’t want to be featured and seen by others?

This is what HubSpot recommends for growing your audience.

Remember, your fans are awesome by default-just because they chose you. Never make them feel otherwise.

Listen to your online community…

So you are passionately writing about something you are very competent in. But then you notice that for some reason, your fans are fading away. One by one, they hit “Unfollow,” and leave. That’s the first sign they need something different- and it’s your top priority to find what exactly this “something” is.

Scroll down the page and carefully read the comments: how do people react to your content, which things they don’t reply to at all, what causes an emotional storm? Be all ears and gather the feedback. For example, on Ning platform you can enable your community chat. There you can always be in touch with your followers. Your online community can be interested in the topics that you have no idea about. Don’t reject the idea of writing about something new. You can pick up anything, as long as it makes your followers stay.

Research the new fields, and deepen your knowledge about those you specialize in. Focus on the areas that are the most viewed and rated. Try to trigger the discussion over those topics that pique curiosity of your followers and give you feedback?. After all, you don’t want to talk to a wall, do you?

…and answer to them

“I’m walking away from troubles in my life, to find a better place…” Have you heard this song by Craig David? (In case you haven’t — here) That’s exactly what your fans are doing when they (and their opinion) are ignored. Don’t turn a deaf ear — find some time to answer all the messages and comments. Even if you are already sitting on top of the world, don’t forget about your online community. Because it’s them who make your brand popular, and your business going. You never know when someone will knock on the door of your social community with a groundbreaking offer. Stay alert — and thankful for any input.

Make a personal connection

Try to connect with your audience on a personal level. Don’t talk to them like to thesoulless robots. They come to your online community to satisfy their needs. Your fans may have just the same problems and feelings as you: waiting for Friday evening, worrying about the job interview, or surviving the break-up. Talk to them in a way that will show your followers: they’ve come to the right place.

Show your audience that there is an actual person behind your brand. Don’t miss an opportunity to talk to people outside of your website, whenever possible. Organize webinars or live events like master classes, or simple meetups. The word of mouth will work out well for your online community over the long haul. Don’t neglect a chance to create a community of devoted followers. Build trust in people with speaking not from the dreary advertisement but from your heart.

Never be satisfied

Set your goals high and try to be the first among equals. Research new trends (read this Forbes article) in building a social community, and get off the beaten track. Experiment with content, offers, design, and check what clicks with your fans. Keep an eye on your competitors, try to offer something they don’t do, and analyze their pros and cons to avoid pitfalls in building your social community.

Stay up-to-date

If you are sure that creating one post per month is enough to keep your online community going, think again. Create regular posts, and dedicate some days to specific topics. Let’s say, one day you will post some “how to” longreads, on some other day — appealing videos or photos. Share news of your niche and updates about your product or services.

Dedicate some time to organizing discussions in your audience, ask people to share their experiences of using your product, their ideas about possible improvements, and organize social media challenges. Make your followers feel like winners, because in the end it’s you who win. Once you come up with some irresistible offer, your customers will be coming back for more. So don’t give them hollow promises. Keep your word: if you announced a new post coming on Tuesday, make sure your readers have something to read on Tuesday. Don’t make your followers impatient — they might wait till next week, but they will not wait forever.

Learn about SEO and traffic

So you’ve prepared a “tasty” content for your followers. Now it’s time to arrange the proper dinner for the search engines. If you want to build a social community, you have to completely optimize your ongoing website. Use SEO techniques that will naturally bring you more followers. Not only people, but search engines should “like” your posts.

You can grow your online community in a different and riskier way: by buying traffic. You can pay big search engines like Google or Bing for advertising your website. Basically, you are investing in new members.You can spend up to $10 000 a day on traffic, but in order to make it really effective, you have to perfectly know your target audience. Then the right people will visit your website, and it will be easier to convert them into customers. This investment is a justified step, which will work out in the long run.

So is the number of your followers is slightly growing, more people click that “share button” under your posts and the amount of customers increase? Don’t let your guard down — now you are on a never-ending way of improvement. The most tedious work now includes persuading your fans to stay with you. Your online community already trusts you. Now make them feel like in a “Hotel California” song: so they can check out at any time they like, but they can never leave.

Written by

Community builder and Digital Marketing geek

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