First draft of slides for EuropCom 2015 workshop on online communities, for discussoin with fellow speakers on KnowledgeHub. Out of date - all updates here: http://mathew.blogactiv.eu/tag/europcom/

1. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Online Communities
More Than a Comms Tactic
1

2. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
WHAT, WHY, WHEN, WHO & HOW?
Mathew Lowry
2

3. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
What, Why, When, Who & How?
• What are online communities & Why should I
care?
– Definitions, Usage scenarios, Key Issues to look out for
• Who is going to tell me How?
Steve Clift Christel Vacelet Olivia Butterworth
3
• Finally: Panel, Q&A

4. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Informal network of people
with a common interest
• Online and/or Offline
– Online community <-> a Conference’s killer app
• More than a "community of learners": a
"community that learns”, applying collective
knowledge -> each Member’s problems
– Share problems, solutions, ideas & stories
– Learn, teach, network, influence, visibility, establish
mindshare & expertise …
• Community of Practice (homogenous,
practitioners) or Community of Interest
(hetereogeneous)
What?
4

5. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Attract – even create –
an audience for your content
• Are you fighting for
every click?
Why?
5

6. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Attract – even create –
an audience for your content
• Are you fighting for
every click?
• Community Members
– Invest in their
community
– Advocate for it
– Help manage it
– Multiply it to
their networks
Community
Members
Why?
6

7. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Build bridges, Create networks
• Between people & organisations, Across barriers
– geographic, organisational, cultural, language ...
• Help best practices travel, replicate , improve
• Help members network & help each other
Why?
7

8. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Community as
Participation Platform
• Contributions often Numerous/Shallow or
Rare/Deep
Why?Quantity
Depth
Slacktivists
e.g., Facebook Poll
(zero context,
zero effort)
Usual Suspect
Stakeholders
Detailed response
to indepth Papers
8

9. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Community as
Participation Platform
• Communities widen useful participation
Why?Quantity
Depth
Slacktivists
e.g., Facebook Poll
(zero context,
zero effort)
Usual Suspect
Stakeholders
Detailed response
to indepth Papers
Community Members
Informed & engaged
non-specialists
9

10. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Halfway Point
3 reasons why
• Create your
audience
• Build Bridges
• Platform for
Participation
Key issues
• From vicious to virtual circle
• USP: Be Clearly Unique &
Useful
• Content & Community
Management Strategy
• Integration with
organisation & offline
(particularly events)
• Not a comms project
10
Community
Members

11. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Some good USPs
• Influence: “Help us define our Conference Programme”,
“Join a Working Group to help shape policy”, “Raise
your (organisation’s) profile”
• Get Help & Network: “Ask our community”, “Find
partners, clients, suppliers, experts”
• Content : “best content from around Europe identified,
categorised, summarised & translated. Submit yours”
– News, Calendar, Opinions, Funding Opps, Resources, Jobs...
– Requires Content Partnership: Subject Matter Experts +
Content team + Online Community Managers
– Users promote their success -> promote site
How?
11

12. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Key Issue: getting
from vicious to virtuous
Vicious circle: Chicken and Egg
How?
Network value
α #Members2
12
02 = ?
Virtuous circle: exponential growth
102 = 100

13. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
Key Issue:
Online Community Management
“Voice of the
Organisation
to the Community ...
and Voice of the
Community
into the
Organisation”
How?
13

14. Fresh Integral http://bit.ly/fintegral
3 Speakers
Key issues
• A Unique USP
• From vicious to
virtual circle
• Online Community
Management
• Integration
– Into organisation
– offline
3 Speakers
– Steve Clift: KnowledgeHub
• Executive Director, e-
Democracy.org
– Christel Vacelet: eTwinning
• Communications Manager,
European Schoolnet
– Olivia Butterworth:
NHSCitizen
• Head, Public Participation,
Patients and Information,
NHS England
14