How to start an engaged community?

Tumbleweeds 🍃 and crickets 🦗are not things you want to see or hear when you start your community. Having a launch plan is an essential part of the bigger community picture. We spoke about this in great detail in the Community Life Cycle, where we discussed content plans, onboarding and welcome strategies to encourage engagement and networking opportunities. In this blog will dive deeper into this and share the eight elements to support and start an engaged community.

But first, let's make sure you are in the right place: 

Have any of these concerns popped into your head, while setting up your community? 

• I'm worried no one will comment on my posts.

• Why aren't people talking?

• I hope people from different backgrounds will connect and see eye to eye.

• How or where will people start a conversation?

• There is so much pressure in needing to be available to respond 24/7.

• I really don't want people to get bored.

• How can I ensure people have access to the community when needed?

• I hope people understand me and what the community stands for?

Ok, so you said yes to a few of these, didn't you? Right, let's crack on. 

There are eight things you need to add to your checklist before launching and trust us to add these; there will be fireworks for sure. 

• Engagement - You want people to engage; to do this, you need to understand their interests and motivations.

  Remember this fun fact: people will engage in your community if they:

  🙋‍♀️ Have an opportunity to promote themselves 

  👩‍🏫 Can help someone or have something to say on a topic to show off their skills and knowledge.  

  😖 or Complain (this one you don't want) 

• Diversity and Inclusion - From the beginning, be clear about your values. Set an example outside your community and invite everyone to the table to share their voice and opinion. 

  Remember: You can be what you can't see. This applies to the community. People won't join or speak up if they don't see themselves or hear themselves being represented. 

• Guidelines and guidance - Set the rules of engagement in your guidelines and take people on a journey before they have jumped into the community. A sound onboarding strategy and welcome email funnel will support directing people to the right places.  

• Boundaries- You alone can not be in the community 24/7. You will burn out. Set your boundaries early - Where, how and when people can contact you. 

• Content - Plan plan plan. I said it three times plan your content and be consistent. The same type of post, exact time of the week and time of the day. Consistency is key to getting people into the rhythm of how to show up and where. 

• Accessibility - People are different, and how they consume content will be different. Not only this, but some people have different needs regarding how they can consume content. Make sure your community is accessible to all but using a mix of media to share the content - verbal and written. 

• Advocates- The masses aren't flocking to the gates to jump into your community, but you have a group of cheerleaders. Turn them into your biggest fans and community advocates but provide them with instructions to engage in the community and reward them for their time. 

• Language - Be relatable and use inclusive and straightforward language. ⁠Avoid acronyms and jargon. 

Follow these eight guidelines and that should turn up the volume in your community. And remember, we are always here to answer any questions if you are not sure. 

Speaking of questions - if you have any and google just isn't giving you the details you need, join us for our monthly Ask Me Anything Session.