Building Successful Online
Communities
Ian Farmer : Social Media Practice Manager
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What is a Community?
This isn’t
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What is a Community?
This is
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10 steps to a successful online community
1. Define the community purpose
2. Audit current needs fulfilment
3. Know your audience
4. Provide Membership benefits
5. Use the right Tools & Software
6. Seed with great content
7. Marketing of the community
8. Define Rules, Roles & Profiles
9. Measure and monitor
10. Manage the Rise and Divide of niche
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1. Define the community purpose
Community: A group of people brought together by a common cause or objective
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Purpose example
http://www.wecansolveit.org
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2. Audit current needs fulfillment
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Community Needs
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3. Know your audience
Who are your Stakeholders?
What are their specific needs?
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Example needs - Support
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Example Needs - Mobility

4. Provide Membership benefits
WIIFM
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Free hosting, contests, fame!
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Naturopath help line, book, duffle bag
http://www.blackmores.com.au
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First, Free, Share & Shape
http://www.vibevillage.com
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Make membership obvious and easy
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5. Use the right Tools and Software
Community creation tools
Web 2.0
2008
1990
1980 2000
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Replicating “real life”
Community conversations
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Tools : Profiles
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Tools : Blogs
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Tools : Forums
http://www.blackmores.com.au/Pregnancy/Discussion/Default.aspx?PageId=233
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Tools: Maps
http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/srchkey/sydney/country/14/region/4 22

Tools : Rate / Review
http://www.yelp.com
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Tools: Bookmarks
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Tools: RSS feeds
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Tools: Wikis
http://pbwiki.com
http://www.wetpaint.com
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Tools : Social networks
http://www.ning.com
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/24/9-ways-to-build-your-own-social-network/
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Tools versus Needs
Giving and
Expressing Status & Affiliation and Sense of
Getting
Identity Self-esteem Belonging community
Help
  
Blogs
Content sharing,

videos (you tube)
tagging
Self forming
 
groups (Yahoo,
Google)
Profile pages
  
(Myspace,
Facebook,
Linked In)
Rating / Reviews
 
(Trip Advisor,
Yelp)
Question &
 
Answer / Forums
(Yahoo answers)
Purpose driven
    
social network /
community
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6. Seed with great content
“and get a few passionate needs stakeholders into the mix early”
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Seeding examples
Content
People
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Seeding examples
Knowledge Experts
Discussion
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7. Marketing of the community
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Emails, competitions
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Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/ifarmer
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Syndicate content
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Extending Reach
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Video
Miro.com
Veoh.com
Joost.com
Magnify.net
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Word of mouth
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Word of mouth example
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8. Define Rules, Roles and Profiles
Design for a range of ROLES
Develop a strong LEADERSHIP program
Encourage appropriate ETIQUETTE
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Secondlife – Help Island
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IBM’s “BlueIQ” Ambassadors Program
Clinics
Lunch & Learn
Jumpstart Engagements
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9. Measure and Monitor with metrics
• Link to purpose / needs
• E.g. # articles written, by who
• # articles consumed, reviewed, rated, etc
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Example Metrics - Language lessons
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Use Metrics
to refine
purpose
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10. Rise and Divide of Niche
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Example – Rise and Divide of Niche
• Music
• Birth of new Genre
• Learn to play piano
– Jazz pianist
• Food
• Recipes
– Chilli club
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Example – Rise and Divide of Niche
• Healthy Living
• Fitness
– Running Festival
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10 steps to a successful online community
1. Define the community purpose
2. Audit current needs fulfilment
3. Know your audience
4. Provide Membership benefits
5. Use the right Tools & Software
6. Seed with great content
7. Marketing of the community
8. Define Rules, Roles & Profiles
9. Measure and monitor
10. Manage the Rise and Divide of niche
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Thankyou
Ian Farmer
Ian.farmer@bullseye.com.au
Senior Brand Strategist 0417 460 518
http://frontiering.com.au/blog
http://blog.bullseye.com.au
http://www.twitter.com/ifarmer
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