This is a common question. It's also the wrong question.
The question should be: "what platform should I use?"
The answer to that question should be based upon your research.
If you survey 100 of your members get a good picture about what tools they're comfortable using. If you do this before you create the platform, you save yourself the cost of building the wrong platform.
The answer might also throw up a few surprises.
Last week I was asked how to get senior citizens participating an online community. The answer is you probably won't. Sure, there are some that participate, but it's going to be an uphill struggle every step of the way. It will always be the minority.
Instead you're looking at more traditional, real-world, community building.
Both of these are symptoms of a bigger problem. Too many organizations are skipping the essential research phase of the community building process. They guess or assume they know what the audience wants, believe me, you don't.
Before you launch a community, interview 50 to 100 of the target audience. Learn about their hopes, fears, and aspirations. Identify their demographics. Understand how, why, and when they use technology tools.
Research is the biggest shortcut to building a successful community. Don't skip it. It saves you a lot of time and a lot of money.
