Community Building on the Web

1. Define your community's purpose and articulate a clear vision

Communities come to life when they fulfill an ongoing need in people's lives.

Purpose drives engagement. A successful online community must serve a clear purpose for its members and meet the fundamental goals of its owners. Start by defining what type of community you're building, why you're building it, and who you're building it for. Articulate this vision through your design, technology, and policies.

Key elements to consider:

• Identify an ongoing, unmet need your community can uniquely address
• Create a mission statement that clearly communicates your purpose
• Develop a compelling "backstory" that expresses your community's values
• Design a strong brand identity that reflects your vision

Remember that your purpose may evolve over time, so periodically reassess and refine your vision as your community grows and changes.

2. Create flexible gathering places that evolve with your community

Successful, long-lasting communities almost always start off small, simple and focused, and then grow organically over time—adding breadth, depth and complexity in response to the changing needs of the members, and the changing conditions of the environment.

Start small, think big. Begin with a flexible, small-scale infrastructure of gathering places that you and your members can work together to evolve. Choose appropriate communication tools based on your community's needs, such as mailing lists, message boards, chat rooms, or virtual worlds.

Consider the following when designing your gathering places:

• Provide a sense of place and context for conversations
• Offer tools for both synchronous and asynchronous communication
• Create spaces for both public and private interactions
• Allow for easy navigation and discovery of content and conversations

Be prepared to adapt and expand your gathering places as your community grows and members' needs change over time.

3. Develop meaningful member profiles to build trust and foster relationships

You can get to know your members—and help them get to know each other—by developing robust, evolving and up-to-date member profiles.

Identity builds community. Create a system for unique, persistent, and evolving member profiles that reflect both what members say about themselves and what they do within the community. This helps build trust, foster relationships, and create a rich social context.

Key elements of effective member profiles:

• Unique usernames and customizable avatars or images
• Personal information (as much as members are comfortable sharing)
• Participation history and contributions to the community
• Achievements, ratings, or reputation indicators
• Group affiliations and roles within the community

Ensure that members have control over their personal information and can easily update their profiles. Use this data responsibly to personalize experiences and foster connections between members.

4. Design for a range of roles from newcomers to community leaders

To address the needs of newcomers without alienating the regulars is an ongoing balancing act.

Support member growth. Recognize that members will move through different stages of involvement in your community, each characterized by particular needs, motivations, and rewards. Design your community to support this "Membership Life Cycle," from visitors to novices, regulars, leaders, and elders.

Strategies for supporting different member roles:

• Create a welcoming "Visitors Center" with clear information and guidelines
• Develop a "Membership Ritual" to help novices learn the ropes
• Offer personalization features and deeper engagement opportunities for regulars
• Implement a leadership program to empower and guide community leaders
• Honor and leverage the wisdom and experience of long-time members (elders)

By addressing the needs of members at each stage, you create a more vibrant and sustainable community ecosystem.

5. Implement a strong leadership program to guide and nurture your community

Well-managed leaders will keep your community running smoothly, and make it a friendly, responsive, and satisfying place to be.

Empower your leaders. Develop a robust leadership program that includes careful selection, thorough training, and ongoing support for your community leaders. These individuals will be your most visible role models and will profoundly shape your community culture.

Key elements of an effective leadership program:

• Clear definition of leadership roles and responsibilities
• Rigorous selection process to identify qualified candidates
• Comprehensive training, including a detailed leadership manual
• Regular feedback and evaluation mechanisms
• Tools and resources to support leaders in their duties
• Recognition and rewards for outstanding leadership

Remember that your leadership needs will evolve as your community grows, so be prepared to adapt and expand your program over time.

6. Establish and enforce clear community standards and etiquette

Communities need clear social boundaries to thrive—so if you want to build a substantial and lasting Web community, you'll need to create some basic ground rules that are tailored to your audience, and set up systems that let you evolve these rules to meet the changing needs of your community.

Set clear expectations. Develop and communicate clear standards for behavior and interaction within your community. This includes creating legally binding agreements as well as more informal guidelines for social conduct.

Essential components of community standards:

• Terms of Service or Member Agreement (legal document)
• Community Guidelines or Code of Conduct (social expectations)
• Privacy Policy (data collection and use practices)
• Content Standards (what's allowed and what isn't)
• Enforcement procedures and consequences for violations

Establish mechanisms for enforcing these standards, including tools for members to report violations and a clear escalation path for handling issues. Be prepared to evolve your rules over time as new situations arise and your community grows.

7. Organize regular events and rituals to strengthen community bonds

Successful events don't just happen; they require careful planning, skillful facilitation, and timely follow-up.

Create shared experiences. Regular events and rituals help define your community, remind people of what they have in common, and strengthen bonds between members. Develop an events strategy that reinforces your community's purpose and values while meeting the changing needs of your members.

Types of events and rituals to consider:

• Meetings (small group discussions or support groups)
• Performances (interviews, presentations, or training sessions)
• Competitions (contests, tournaments, or challenges)
• Celebrations (community milestones, holidays, or member achievements)
• Rites of passage (welcoming new members, acknowledging role changes)

For each event, consider the planning, facilitation, and follow-up required to make it successful. Use events to showcase member contributions and foster a sense of shared history and culture within your community.

8. Foster member-run subgroups to maintain intimacy as the community grows

Your members will form their strongest, most enduring relationships in small, focused groups, and these relationships are the glue that will ultimately keep people involved in your community.

Encourage organic growth. As your community expands, foster the development of member-run subgroups to maintain a sense of intimacy and allow people with shared interests to connect more deeply. These groups can take many forms, such as clubs, committees, guilds, or special interest groups.

Strategies for supporting subgroups:

• Provide tools for members to create and manage their own groups
• Offer guidelines and best practices for running successful subgroups
• Integrate group affiliations into member profiles and community structure
• Recognize and highlight successful groups to inspire others
• Balance staff-created (top-down) and member-created (bottom-up) groups

Be mindful of the timing of your subgroup program; it's often best to launch after you've established your community culture and have a substantial member base. While subgroups can greatly enhance your community, they can also lead to fragmentation, so monitor their development and provide support to keep them aligned with your overall community goals.

Last updated: September 28, 2024