Using content to build community

Turning your audience into a community: Using Content to Connect Aerin Guy August 25, 2010

Agenda
me
community overview
community management
content
Totally ADD
hows and tos
you

community
today’s social media is about community
communities of practice
communities of shared interests
communities solving problems

The web is about conversations and connections,
not top down delivery
of information or messages.

“when we change the way we communicate, we change society”
“new technology enables new kinds of group-forming”

me Publishing Marketing Web Strategy PR Community Management Totally ADD Blog Tweet Eat Sleep

Community Chops

Collaborative publishing: Pearson Education
Edvantage Interactive
Wellesley Institute: virtual communities of practice
Ontario Disability Employment Network
Totally ADD

“Let’s make a community and it will be just like Facebook and everyone will have hilarious status updates and make tons of videos and we can run contests and Richard Branson will come over for dinner and George Strombolopoulos will speak at our AGM......”

Types of community
site based, internally housed (Totally ADD, Cystic Life, Classroom 2.0)

Types of Community
social media based/external (Twitter, Facebook, MeetUp)

The Community Manager

Role of the Community Manager
multi-faceted, multi-tasking, multi-responsibility
plan content
be the face/voice/ears
manage technology
gather insights
report back

not all fun and games
vigilance
ability to connect people
maintain simultaneous challenge
ready to fail and try again
provide technical support
respect community needs (privacy etc)

Content is King

content makes you findable
content is share-able
content is searchable
content is worth talking about

Great content moves people. It touches people at their human core and that - - the ability to connect with human beings - - overcomes any and all budgetary deficits you might encounter in marketing today. “ ” Tom Martin, HelpMyBrand.com

And now for something spicy

TADD Strategy
ADHD-ers like short, visual snippets
cohesive community
splinters have voice in forum
open up blogs to community members
create video and cross post
merchandise as content (contests etc)

Content “buckets”
Blog
Newsletter
Forum
Monthly webinar
Events
Video
Articles
Interactive content
Email

External Channels
Facebook Page
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Vimeo
Events
Organizations

How?
developed a plan: content and community
built an editorial calendar based on targeted activities, initiatives, community needs
listen to feedback constantly
respond as often as we can
knock heads....because we care
...on a very limited budget

Hot tips
Develop a deep understanding of your community. Groups who are successful are able to tap into the knowledge of who they are trying to build a relationship with.
Connect people directly. Bringing people together can be scary. Power in numbers! Your value is in your ability to do this.
Be open, ego free.....and let go of control. You never had it anyways.
Emulate, innovate. Fail, experiment. Lather, rinse, repeat.

People want to connect Text

shift the lens to community building as a part of communications/marketing
consider the insights your community can give you
ask

Resources
New Community Rules: Tamar Weinberg
Tribes: Seth Godin
The Community Roundtable (website and community)
CommunitySpark.com
Here Comes Everybody: Clay Shirky
The Whuffie Factor: Tara Hunt

Community Building Platforms
WordPress with Buddy Press
Ning (not free anymore)
Group(s)
Spruz
Yammer
Flowr

slides and notes available at www.gospacerace.com

Ping me, eh? gospacerace.com posterous.com/aeringuy 2plus1family.ca LinkedIn: Aerin Guy Twitter: @aeringuy [email_address] [email_address] om

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Using content to build community

by Aerin Guy on Aug 26, 2010

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