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?
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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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)

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

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