For the Proven Path
eBook, we researched the difference between the communities that fail and
those that succeed.
Two things stood out. The first is start small. All successful
communities start small. They focus on their first few members and grow
steadily.
The second is pre-existing relationships.
The community that succeeded were launched by people whom had pre-existing
relationships with their target audience. This is the single, isolated, factor
that will determine the early success of your community.
To have more active members when you launch, build more relationships before you launch. Treat building these
relationships as part of the community process.
You can follow the CHIP method (create
content, host events/activities, interact directly, participate in existing
communities/events) for 3 – 6 months prior to creating a community site.
Build your list of 150 to 200 members and build sustained
relationships with them. This takes time. It’s a full-time role. It’s
critically important. The more pre-existing relationships you have with your
target audience, the more likely your community will succeed.
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We’re now accepting applications for our Professional
Community Management course (Sept 30 – Nov 8). This is an online course that will teach you
how to apply proven, reliable, science to build bigger, better, and more active
communities. If you want to learn more, click here.
