Simple Tips to Create an Online Community

| Updated on March 27, 2024

The concept of online communities has become pretty trending. Brands are making the most out of such communities to boost their sales and reach. Read this blog till the very end to know about the same as here are some of the best steps that can be used in creating an online community with relative ease.

1. Try to identify the key stakeholders for your community

It is pretty important to make sure that your community is as organized as your business. Similar to CEOs, managers, and supervisors in a business, team members that are dedicated to some specific jobs in the community are also important. This is where a community manager comes in.

The position of a community manager refers to a dedicated member of the team and his or her job is to handle all community-related things. Management comes off as one of the most important factors for the success of a community. In simpler terms, the position can also be termed as the COO of the company.

2. Define the goal and the purpose of it

This should always be the foremost step when it comes to building an online community. The people would have no reason to join your community if they don’t understand the purpose of your community. It is no secret that the community is giving something to the team members, but what is it giving to the customers? That is the question that still lingers.

3. Select a community platform

Once you have found purpose, you will have to find your way back home. A question that every user should ask themselves is “how many people do I want so to grow this community?”. It is a pretty good idea to create a Telegram group, WhatsApp group, or an Instagram group DM if you are looking to create a 10-person community.

But if you are looking at a 6-figure number such as 100,000+, platforms such as Reddit or a Facebook group may be the better choice since nobody likes the idea of sharing a lobby with 100,000 people. One can choose from two major types of communities once they know the number of people that they need for the community.

  • Free community platforms

These are the platforms where users can create a free account to host the community within a micro-community of the larger platform.

  • Owned community platforms

These are the platforms that have their log-in details. In this type of platform, the host owns the platform that community members will have to access to join the virtual community.

4. Build a member profile

The main objective of a community owner is to fill their community with members of the target audience. The members of the community should mirror the customers that the community is serving.

What does this community have to offer?

  • Is it for travelers who are backpacking through the continent of Europe?
  • Is this community serving users who want to talk about the notes that are behind their cup of coffee?
  • Is the community focused on helping e-commerce business founders that want to be more efficient with their strategies?

After you know about your ideal member, you should ask the following;

  • How do the users feel after joining it?
  • How did the users feel before joining it?
  • What is that one thing that this community is offering them that they didn’t have before?

All these things can help you to convince people to become a member of your community.

5. By developing norms and rules

It is common knowledge that no matter if the community is serving the members, you are the one who is still in charge, meaning you get to make the rules. Since people are official members, it is important for you to show them the ground rules and norms for entry and also to make sure that they abide by these rules. Simply remove those who don’t.

Think of it like this, the rules of a certain XYZ group do not allow the members to speak negatively to each other, there is no place for profanity, and no member is allowed to pitch their products within the community.

6. Promote your community

After you are done with the backend of your community, it’s time for you to promote your community. It is pretty simple and is similar to promoting a product. You need to show people why they should be a part of your community. Here are 4 important points that can help you to do so;

  • Try partnering with influencers
  • Invite your contacts
  • Make good use of a referral program
  • Integrate community into your market strategy

These are some of the best ways that can help you in creating an online community with the best results.


Chitra Joshi

Content Writer & Marketer


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