Community Building 101: The Basics

Communities are inherently different from networking organizations. Communities are networks with shared ideals or demographics. People concentrate on building relationships rather than using each other.

Nevertheless, communities form around untapped desires and you’ll have the opportunity to monetize it, expand it, or at the very least improve your personal network.

• Build community around ideas to attract people and help your community to stand out.
• Fix what others are doing wrong. If you’re interested in an area inundated with bad networking options a solution we will attract people.
• Connect around shared experiences. Find something different about you that doesn’t have a local community. Search for specific similarities in groups over which you can immediately form a bond.
• Segment an existing group by finding a niche in existing networks. It’s easier and less competitive to build community at the cross-section of multiple interests.
• Change the mode of connection by ditching traditional meet ups, like happy hours and conventions. Do instead a fun activity based encounter, like playing a game.

• Get your minimum viable community out.
• Most groups will probably need at least a location.
• If your company or office are adequate, bring people in. It’s probably good for the company’s brand. If not, heading to a coffee shop, bar, or restaurant is better than nothing.
• If your event has direct costs, reach out to the provider and ask for discounts. The steady business you will bring will make up for it.
• Figure out how to market and promote it. The Internet and social networks are often the best ways.
• Put yourself and your ideas out there, trying won’t cost you anything.

• Reach out directly to your friends
• Submit your event to local event aggregators.
• Post it on existing digital communities on Reddit or Facebook.
• Make sure event’s unique value proposition is clearly defined, letting potential readers filter your signal through the noise.
• Avoid paid promotions as they are often ineffective.

Use your body language deliberately to set the tone and people will unconsciously adopt and spread your attitude. If you have speakers, ask them to buy in as well and if people aren’t buying in, that’s okay. They’ll self-select out.

Also, your community needs to be safe. Your guests can cross the line and you need to be watchful for that. Make it clear inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.