How three successful brands operate their communities online (Creator Corner summary) |
We asked three successful brands to give us their top tips for building an online network. This is what you should know to start an online community of your own.
Online communities can come in a variety of shapes and dimensions. They're an ideal method for creators to learn to connect and earn regular income.
It's easy to imagine the excitement we felt to have a chat with four talented creators from three brands that all run standout online communities.
Have a question for any of the presenters? Visit the "Ask me anything" thread which is linked to the presenter's discussion.
With no further delay we're going to get acquainted with the creators.
Meet the creators
Casey Richardson is the founder of Blaze Knowledge Academy . The academy offers courses and other resources to help Black women entrepreneurs create amazing online businesses, and she also runs an online community that is thriving, where the people she serves can interact.
Jill as well as Jeffrey Dalton run the Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show , a YouTube cooking channel that features healthy recipes based on plants. It is a show that is crowdfunded by their online community and they also offer courses menu plans, cooking classes, as well as cookbooks.
These creators all run distinctive businesses, each with its own online communities, which serve their users.
We'll take a look the best ways you can establish a solid community, too.
What is the method by which these creators' communities get many members?
The process of starting an online community may feel intimidating, but luckily, there are many ways to start.
In addition to introducing customers to products that are helpful as well, Casey's community provides users with the opportunity to be a supportive and friendly place to network with fellow founders.
When Emily started the Sketchnote Academy Community just a couple of months ago, her initial plan was to develop a pay-per-click program. When she first launched it to her email list the program didn't work. Then she reverted.
"[The launched that was paid] was kind of like a test, just to see if it resonated with users," Emily shares.
"Ultimately I made the decision that a community with a fee is not the right choice for my people. I decided to just make it a hundred percent free, and the community has grown ever since. .... I want this community to become an area where people can get help, form an acquaintance, show off your work, and get opinions."
According Jeffrey Jeffrey at the time, "There was just very limited content on [whole-food that was plant-based which is why we created videos based on the food we actually cooked in our kitchens at home. In the last three years, there was very little traffic."
"We received some very good feedback from the people we spoke to, but it was just the result of a project for service and we tried to share what we were learning."
As time passed, they recognized that the algorithmic nature of social media was restricting their audience, and they sought out a site to notify users of the latest videos.
"With social media, you can't directly communicate to your users," Jeffrey explains.
"You have uploaded a YouTube video, but it doesn't necessarily go to all of the people. .... We'd get 10,000 subscribers and then we'd upload the video, and there'd be four to five hundred viewers. .... Then we went to an YouTube workshop, where we learned] that notifications go out in batches. It is possible that they only inform just a few thousand people no matter how many people you subscribe to.
Their fan base has increased to nearly 15,000 people, and their paying members have allowed them to run their cooking program full-time.
At the end of the day, online communities have numerous storylines about their origins. We'll then look at the best ways to provide them with exceptional information.
Summits? Webinars? Discussions? What is the most effective content for engaging a crowd?
For example, one semi-annual summit attracted more than 900 participants who attended eight sessions , on average. Within her group, Casey scheduled daily reflection postings as well as prompts to coincide to the summit's sessions.
"[Werequest] participants to share to share what their most memorable session was and what the reasons for that were. Then, at the end of each day, [we asked] people to set their intentions and what they plan to gain," Casey explains.
"Everyone is alerted for posts by other members because I set up a brand new membership at each major summit to ensure that they're part of a massive number of the same.
It is a great way to spark conversation, and it's not my responsibility to things. As I'm managing the summit, I've already scheduled the postings, and participants build connections across the board because the venue was designed."
Casey also is active in her introduction thread.
"People visit even after they introduce themselves to find out the other people who are relevant to their business. I assist the founders ... in addition, the introductions section helps the founders to build their networks."
Within the Creator Community, we have a lively introduction thread. The creation of one for your community can be a fantastic opportunity to increase involvement.
In addition, Casey offers live office times every week to anyone who has bought the product. She uses this time to gather feedback and offer help to customers.
"It's a great opportunity to just hear what's happening and discover what the customers] want. The audience is very appreciative," Casey elaborates.
In the same way, Jill and Jeffrey use their community to get feedback on upcoming projects.
They have a space in which members can vote on the design of their next cookbook and decide what new content to create.
"I keep an ideas wall where I keep everything I'm working on ... and recipes that I'm curious about," Jill elaborates. "I snap a photo of it, then I ask the membersto cast their votes. What would you like to see me work on in the future?"
Jill and Jeffrey also increase engagement through special contests and giveaways that are exclusive to the community.
The community Emily is in, where students who sketchnote can collaborate, get advice, as well as seek assistance. Emily offers group-based courses within her group.
"I have programs that are cohort-based," she shares, "and I have a private topic for those cohort groups so that they can get acquainted with each other and feel as if they're taking a class with each other."
Like Casey, Emily includes real-time group collaboration via monthly live chats. Users can join and depart at their own pace inquire, or even create a group.
Emily also has a section that is dedicated to announcements about brands.
"If people aren't subscribing to my emails I hope they receive updates from the community. What's launching soon? What workshops are coming up? ... The information's out there in a really accessible place where they already are," Emily explains.
Finally, Emily uses her community to solicit feedback from her audience. Members can vote on upcoming workshop topics and activities through polls and discussions.
Through the entire spectrum the world, creating experiences that are interactive to your customers makes your space unique and enjoyable.
How did each creator attract new members? These are their top tips
If she knows anyone who would like to join the community, they can send a text message to a special phone number and receive an email with a invitation to join.
If she's speaking at an event, on a podcast, or engaging with the people she wants to reach personally, Casey can bring people to one another through this simple sign-up procedure.
If you're interested in trying this out for your group her tool is known as Twilio .
"I launched a private campaign to my mailing list initially because I view email subscribers to be my most loyal fans. They put skin in the game by giving me their email address and trusting them to trust me ... so I decided to go to them first," Emily elaborates.
For Emily she chose email as the best fit for her particular audience as she wanted her initial member group to include her most interested audience members.
They have a channel on which they created a dedicated video announcing their brand new community.
"We created a short video that was very transparent," they explained.
"We performed a ton of research , and then showed how much money] YouTubers make. We talked about what we gained from the show. We showed that it's not viable for the majority of creators, especially on platforms like YouTube."
They told their followers they had reached a pivotal moment. They set up the community for subscribers to join in and receive up-to-date whenever new videos came out. Numerous supporters joined.
Today, they spotlight their community in each new YouTube video.
"We created a commercial that we put in our videosthat talks about our community and how our show is crowdfunded. That has been tremendous. This is probably the largest driving force."
Simply put, the best way to attract more members to your community is to consider what areas your ideal group of members are and then meet them there.
The 5 most important components of a healthy community
When asked what elements make communities great Our guests acknowledged that consistency, authenticity as well as the quality of content, security and feedback from users are the most important factors.
1. Authenticity
The importance of authenticity is the core of all successful communities online.
"If there's no way for you appear authentic within your online communityit isn't going to work for you because people can sense if you're not being honest with them." Emily explains.
The focus of your community must always be on helping others and providing value first and first.
2. Consistency
A regular posting schedule shows the members of your community what to expect. This keeps your community engaged and helps keep members from becoming bored.
Jill uses a great system for staying steady.
"I cast the ballot during the beginning week of each month, and then the prize draw is held in the third week in the month. We then post on a Saturday. So when [members] see an alert that says they have something new ... the members pretty much know what it's going to be."
Our advice? Make a list of your post ideas that are constantly changing. If you're building your community by using the platform, posting scheduling is built-in, making it a breeze to plan the content you post.
3. Content quality
"We began to get into a routine of just one show per week, and we added some other things around it. But we really put everything in it," Jeffrey explains.
"We consider it our art project It's finished. This is the highest quality we're capable of ... I'm feeling like people really respond to quality products regardless of whether it's made from scratch. We're the only ones who can make it. It's not produced. However, I believe that people feel that we're actually working on this. We're trying to make things."
Putting genuine effort into your community will be noticed.
4. Security
The internet is chaotic, but you can control what goes on in your internet community. Create a community that is comfortable and secure for its members.
In comparing online communities with social media platforms, Jill emphasizes that social media isn't always quiet.
"There's a lot of distraction on social media. Today, we're able to send [our audience] to the site and conduct our essential activities there. .... We control who's in there. We control how the posting happens as well as how interactions happen. And I feel like that's the best way to enjoy it."
Keeping your community on track is simple with the integrated moderation tools.
In the end, making sure your customers have a secure space to communicate can be like breathing fresh air.
5. Audience feedback
Within your online community, you have an amazing chance to gain insight from the most loyal fans. Make use of this knowledge to improve your business.
In the case of Casey it's crucial to establish a creator-audience feedback loop.
"It's not about what we would like our audience to possess or what we think they should have. They want what they want. .... Discover ways to get feedback from sources Thank the people who have given it, and test different approaches. If you don't like something, switch and pivot."
Casey clarifies that she is doing this during her classes.
"I am running a survey at midpoint that students complete a form, rate items, and provide me with an exact feedback of what they want. Then at the end the survey, they complete an exit survey where students give me more feedback. Every single time someone has given me an idea, I take it to the next level and implement the idea.
Sometimes it doesn't stick. However, a majority of the time it does because similar people are a part of my network. My target market is them. This makes it much simpler for me to offer people the content that they want."
The bottom line is:
You are who you are.
Post regularly.
Produce the top quality content that you are able to.
Monitor your space to keep it safe.
Pay attention to the people around you.
By including these elements By incorporating these components, you'll be on the path to building a community members rave about.
For communities that are just starting out: "When you're first trying to figure stuff out then you'll need the biggest supporters to be there for you"
We asked our creators what suggestions they'd offer to those who want to begin a new community from scratch.
Jill and Jeffrey recommend to new designers to not reinvent the wheel in choosing the technology they choose to use.
There's no reason to shell out money to pay web designers, or build custom tools right off the bat. Instead, look for fully-supported instruments that can connect with each the other.
"We're all entrepreneurs, and doing it on our own. .... The support of tech across the board in the event that you're not certain of what you're doing makes the process much easier and easy," Jill notes.
"Most of the websites we examined cost a percentage of the transaction," Jeffrey explains.
"You're being penalized with every step you grow, and it could become a bit snobby. If you actually grow a large community that you are part of, you will pay a significant percentage for the service. Having a fixed fee is allowing us to sell our [products] very affordably."
Once you've got the right technology, you're now ready to plan what you'll do with it.
Emily suggests starting with a smaller group of people for a brief period of time.
"When you're first trying to come up with a solution, you need your biggest fans to come alongside you .... If you can do the kind of group that is time-based, such as a three-month challenge and build your community.
This way, you have an expiration date. If things don't go as planned you're off the site for three months and you can reinvent yourself. And once you do figure out your goals it's possible to offer 100% to the general public ... as well as no stress."
With this approach You'll get valuable insight about what works and what's not before opening your program to the masses.
"Go to the idea. A lot of times we get caught up in our thoughts, or we argue ourselves out of ideas. Begin small. .... It will take some time to gain credibility and confidence. But if you keep showing yourself, as everyone else on this panel has been affirming, your community will grow.
Contact the local groups you already have through Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc. Invite them to join and serve them genuinely, passionately, using high-quality.
It will eventually increase."
Your community online could be closer than you think
There's no one-size-fits-all template for online communities and we like it that way! You can build whatever is appropriate for your needs, your business, and your target audience.
Make use of these designers as inspiration. They certainly do.
These are the main takeaways:
Host your community with an all-in-one system such as so your products and online classes are in the same place. Avoid social media algorithms to make sure that members see your posts.
Create a plan to post regularly. Consider adding a live element such as office hours or monthly hangouts to build relationships.
Use audience feedback to pivot, improve, and then adjust.
Start by teaching the basics to a smaller starting group. It's a good opportunity to try out your community and figure out any kinks before going public.
Do not reinvent the wheel. There's no reason to build everything by hand when beginning.
The importance of authenticity is. It's not just about convincing your members to do what you would like them to do. It's about giving them the connections and the support they'll need to meet their objectives.