A majority (55%) of the respondents to The ConduiTimes' May issue survey said that they wanted to learn about other ways (besides toolbars) of community-building. In this NEW section of The ConduiTimes we will deliver top tips, secrets and article summaries on the very elusive topic of how to build an online community.
We'll start with the basics, according to Metafilter community weblogger Matt Haughey. In an article entitled 'Building an Online Community: Just Add Water', Haughey delineates the ABCs of community-building. He does such a good job we chose to reproduce his main points here. For more on each point, see the full article which was published in the Digital Web Magazine.
Top 10 Community-Building Basics
Building a website into a vibrant community filled with many contributors is very difficult. Following are some ideas to get you going:
You've got to want it
Maintaining a community website requires a lot of dedication and maintenance. The first and most important thing to determine is if you are ready to keep it up.
Get specific
Focus your site around a specific, well-defined mission, idea, or purpose; the more specific, the more loyal will be the community following.
Compelling Content
Keep that following with the best writing, images, design, etc. and refresh content as often as possible. The most well-defined group purpose, with lots of motivated members, will go nowhere unless there is content to draw everyone together and get them contributing.
Get in the loop
Great content creates a strong positive feedback loop that leads to growth, popularity and quality.
Set the standard
Set the bar high on interaction between readers of the site by leading the way with seed content that will give readers an idea of how they are expected to act.
Posit your presence
As site administrator, it's important that you set the example for your community members by posting regularly and intelligently, and keep a high profile on the site so others know of your presence.
Feedback first
Have a place to talk about the site, somewhere on the site.
Divide and conquer
Spread the work out as much as possible. If possible, have a few trusted friends act as relief moderators and administrators to help with day-to-day maintenance.
Rid of rabble-rousers
Deal with troublemakers as quickly and as nicely as possible. When it comes to problem members, chances are that they will try to mess with you for no good reason, so it's generally better to keep interactions with those types as cordial as possible.
Positive reinforcement
Highlight the good, recognize the good work of others, and encourage good future contributions with a 'Hall of Fame' from which users can take their cue.
Want more community-building tips?
Keep on the lookout for next months' Community-Building section, when we will go way beyond the basics, or visit our Forum to learn tips from other publishers.
Your opinion is important to us
What do you think about this summary? Do you have any community-building tips to share?
