The role of your online community’s central news page is almost identical to the role of your community’s local newspaper. Most communities would benefit from acting more like a newspaper.
The news page should mix information with entertainment. It should embrace content about the community. Spend five minutes in your local newspaper and you will probably find a combination of the following:
- News (about people in the community, not products)
- Interviews
- Selected letters/e-mails from members.
- Classifieds (highly relevant in some communities)
- Relevant event listings
- Birthdays
- Competitions/Quizzes
You should act more like your local newspaper. You can embrace all of the above elements in your community. Go beyond simply publishing news about product updates and really take the step to create content your community values.