How do you keep your online community vibrant?

You have chosen an online community and set it up with the help of a small group of committed members. Now it is time to make your online community flourish.

A safe community

That starts with a safe environment where members can connect, share experiences and share knowledge. It should be a place where people are willing to give advice and support to others, even to complete strangers. That is the core of a successful online community. A well-functioning digital community revolves around a strong sense of community. Think of patients or people with a chronic condition: for many of them, an online community has made a significant difference in the way they deal with their illness. From helping them discover a diagnosis and find the right doctors and treatments to learning everyday tips for coping with the disease: an online community can make a big difference. And of course, that applies to more target groups, whether they are united by a business or individual interest or ideal.

Keeping an online community vibrant

One of the biggest challenges of building and maintaining an online community is nurturing your community. You want to connect members to your platform and ensure that they themselves share information that is relevant to them and others. Although every association is different, there are some generic tips that help to make and keep your online community vibrant and vibrant.

Observe, listen and communicate

By closely observing the topics that are important to your online community members, you can quickly respond with relevant, additional information. Everyone loves exclusivity, so make sure you share content that your platform members can’t easily find elsewhere. Use your community as the eyes and ears of your organization, so you can easily keep a finger on the pulse and make relevant contributions.

Reward members for their loyalty and give them thanks

Map out which members contribute regularly and whether their information is also used by many others. You can put these members in the spotlight by, for example, writing a blog or article about them and posting it on the platform. You can also use small rewards, extras or privileges for people who manage to bring (many) new members to the platform. Or people who actively express their opinion in a survey. Make sure that your members feel seen and appreciated, this helps with the sense of community and contributes to them being even more committed to your online community.

Support and nurture your online community

Your online community can only exist when members actively participate. That means that collaboration—not control—is the core of a successful community. See what your members are passionate about and find out how you can help and support them. Find answers to their questions, retweet, like, and share their content with others. Don’t try to do everything yourself, but create relevant content together with members and ask for help when you need answers or support yourself.

When you nurture relationships in a human way, they flourish like real-life friendships. So take time every day for personal interaction, for example by welcoming new followers, addressing members by name, and thanking people for their contributions. Also celebrate successes, birthdays, and other milestones with your online community. That strengthens the sense of community.

Be open, honest and transparent

We have already seen that trust is a very important condition for starting and building an online community. You can build trust by being open and transparent in all your online activities. Without honesty, you are not reliable or credible. It is like raising children; show the behavior that you would like to see in your online community. Be prepared to set a good example yourself and also discuss less attractive topics (for example: if your member service has been less punctual lately, acknowledge that and discuss it openly). Encourage that transparency in others by creating a safe environment for members where openness and honesty form the basis. Also make it clear that nothing is required: those who are not prepared to discuss certain matters, of course do not have to do so.

At home with like-minded people

As your online community grows, you want to retain your members. This growth will not happen overnight. With the tips from this blog, you can ensure that your community becomes, is and remains a place where people want to return, because they feel at home there, feel heard and find like-minded people there.