Online Communities: what works, and what doesn't.

Online communities What works and what doesn’t?

Hi! My name is Bart

Ik work at web agency Netlash ... and a few other companies:

This is my son Kobe

I’m passionate about coffee

You can ﬁnd me here: www.ondernemeringent.be www.netlash.com www.talkingheads.be www.kobedewaele.be www.kopjekofﬁe.be www.twitter.com/netlash (Yes, that’s a lot of www’s)

Online Communities What works and what doesn’t ?

1. What is a community? 2. Success of a community? 3. Building a community 4. Launch a community 5. Maintain a community

1. What is a community? Examples?

1. What is a community? Blog

1. What is a community? Blog Forum

1. What is a community? Blog Forum Chatroom

1. What is a community? Blog Forum Chatroom Drupal

1. What is a community? Blog Forum Chatroom Drupal Facebook, Twitter

1. What is a community? Blog Forum Chatroom Drupal Facebook, Twitter Ning

1. What is a community? Blog Forum Chatroom Drupal Facebook, Twitter Ning Own community site

1. What is a community? Blog Forum Chatroom Drupal Facebook, Twitter Ning Own community site ...

1. What is a community?

1. What is a community? Does anyone actually have a deﬁnition?

1. What is a community? Online community = A virtual place where people with similar characteristics meet on a regular basis.

1. What is a community? Why? - strenghten your brand - CRM - SEO - Ads (€) - because others do it...

1. What is a community? Why? - add value for your users

1. What is a community? Determine your own goals!

2. Success of a community Success = number of members x content (interaction)

2. Success of a community

2. Success of a community Piramid 1 10 100 1000

2. Success of a community Piramid 1 Creators 10 Commentators 100 Lurkers 1000 Strangers

2. Success of a community Success = number of members x content (interaction)

2. Success of a community Piramid 1 Creators 10 Commentators 100 Lurkers 1000 Strangers

2. Success of a community External signs of succes ‘sense of ownership’ shared history rituals

3. Building a community What does it take?

€

3. Building a community How much money does it take?

3. Building a community none to a lot €

3. Building a community none to a lot € - free: Wordpress, Drupal, Ning, Twitter, Facebook... - paying: Wordpress, Drupal, Facebook... - bespoke (see www.abconcerts.be)

3. Building a community Your own platform or an existing social network?

3. Building a community You wouldn’t interrupt a conversation on a phone - why would you do it in a social network?

3. Building a community Your own platform or an existing social network? Both are viable. Ideal: mix of both.

3. Building a community Always keep in mind...

3. Building a community Always keep in mind... 1. Total cost of ownership 2. Your own goals

3. Building a community Total cost of ownership - extensible / integration? - hosting cost! - maintainablity (moderation)

3. Building a community Your own goals - on your own territory, or on someone elses? - integration CRM - cost over lifetime

3. Building a community Tip! Start small, grow, evolve.

3. Building a community Tip! Start small, grow, evolve. Learn while you grow.

3. Building a community Just start building

3. Building a community Critical success factors: usability user experience

3. Building a community Critical success factors: usability = IA + interface design + code user experience = usability + design + content

4. Launch a community Launch!

4. Launch a community

4. Launch a community Before launching: members content

4. Launch a community Roll model Your ﬁrst members and your ﬁrst content are roll models. Others will copy these paterns.

4. Launch a community Beta phase - collegues - friends - powerusers ... build slowly

4. Launch a community Launch!

4. Launch a community 5 tips for launching

4. Launch a community 1. Welcome new members Cfr. Flickr: “You have to welcome your ﬁrst 10.000 users personally”

4. Launch a community 2. Be present yourself Members can sense your reaction speed. Lead by example!

4. Launch a community 3. New content Publish your own content. Have a stack of content ready!

4. Launch a community 4. Roll model Guard the behaviour of your ﬁrst members. Guard the quality of your ﬁrst content.

4. Launch a community 5. Reward ‘acknowledge’ React positively on good content.

5. Maintain a community

5. Maintain a community Remember?

5. Maintain a community Piramid 1 Creators 10 Commentators 100 Lurkers 1000 Strangers

5. Maintain a community 1. From ‘stranger’ to ‘lurker’ - SEO - widgets! - other communities - old media - ‘viral’

5. Maintain a community 2. From ‘lurker’ to ‘commentator’ - babysteps - co-creation - progressive disclosure

5. Maintain a community 3. From ‘commentator’ to ‘creator’ - ‘safe & sure’ - guidelines, policies - build in status - provoke: ask questions! - reward

5. Maintain a community Maintainable! - automatic content: API’s (YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia...) - automatic moderation: karma

5. Maintain a community Maintainable! - Use your members (promovation). - Complete automatisation does not exist...

5. Maintain a community a good community takes... TIME and WORK

5. Maintain a community A few more tips

5 causes of a quiet dead

5. Maintain a community 1. Build it and they will come Assume new members will just show up.

5. Maintain a community 2. Do a ‘Cremmeke’

5. Maintain a community 2. Do a ‘Cremmeke’ Pre-moderation, censorship, rules that are too strict.

5. Maintain a community 3. Hardcore Old skool <-> Newbies Community leader with big ego

5. Maintain a community 4. Too complicated How to register? How does it work? What is the purpose? Usability & User experience!

5. Maintain a community 5. Neglect Not enough updates, absent moderators.

Lurkers

5. Maintain a community Lurker = passive member ‘troll’

5. Maintain a community Piramid 1 Creators 10 Commentators 100 Lurkers 1000 Strangers

5. Maintain a community 8 anti-lurker tips

5. Maintain a community 1. Avoid the empty-bar effect

5. Maintain a community 2. Active copy

5. Maintain a community 3. Make the purpose clear

5. Maintain a community 4. Welcome!

5. Maintain a community 5. Put new (active) members in the spotlight

5. Maintain a community 6. Provoke discussion Ask questions, use your own blog. But: avoid off-topic.

5. Maintain a community 7. Track non-active members E-mailing, competition.

5. Maintain a community 8. Reward good behaviour Status (built-in!) Praise Real reward (gifts)

To conclude

The ‘Soylent Green’ moment

The ‘Soylent Green’ moment The web is people

Communities are populated by people

Real people, not ‘users’

People with children

People with passions

Communities = people So treat them as people:

Communities = people Conversation

Questions?

Bart de Waele bart@netlash.com www.netlash.com twitter.com/netlash UiTFORUM - 26/1/2009

Online Communities: what works, and what doesn't.

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