Loading...
Answers
MenuHow to build up a social community membership from scratch?
I'm planning to start up an online community network of foreign investors, giving them access to investment information and to the opportunity of contacting the other members of the network in order to do business together.
Answers
To build an online community you need to show your expertise and leadership in the subject. You can start by blogging content in the subject and start attracting interested people in the subject. It is a rule that the number of people that reads is 3 to 5 times the number of people that collaborate in the site. You break this rule by having more and more people involved in the discussions and when you have great quality producers of content sharing ideas and answering questions you are on track to grow the community.
From the investment side, it is a very complex issue because this subject the people needs a higher level of trust of the people they are taking. I foresight a great challenge in sharing information about deals, then I will find how the share the learning of the subject as a way to gain trust.
We have a client Rowperfect.co.uk which we've just moved onto a new format for community building.
We created an experts panel (rowing coaches in this case) and are promoting their services, publicizing their blog posts on the Rowperfect platform and providing them with a private Hangout space to learn more from each other.
The mutual benefit is clear
Rowperfect gains by association with famous coaches
Coaches gain by learning from each other and from the audience Rowperfect can deliver.
We have a couple more "ideas" which are better suited for a community whose membership is not yet very large - but I'll hold them back until you get in touch.
Related Questions
-
I want to sell to a specific niche. How do I attract a community and keep them coming back?
When I built my first company, I targeted a niche and was able to corner it. Is attribute the success of the company to a few key factors: helpfulness, consistently excellent service, and high relevance. The best way to get the support of a niche is to be truly useful to that niche. Where do they hang out online? Be there, and help everyone you can with no expectations. When it makes sense, link back to relevant resources to give them the option to research more deeply. Keep a blog full of helpful information — this helps the resources you link to when helping more useful to you, because they're yours. And — most importantly — make damn sure the product or service is filling a gap in the niche. All your efforts are for nothing if what your selling isn't wanted or needed. Then you simply have to make sure you're treating every customer like a celebrity endorser. Their word will make or break you, so make sure every client is your most important client and that they finish the project ready to tell everyone how great you are. "Pretty good" won't corner a niche; "fucking awesome" will. If you'd like to talk strategy and/or marketing, hit me up. I'd really enjoy working with you on a project like this. :) Good luck!Jason LengstorfJL
-
I am providing value to a specific sector (freelancers) looking to build a community, what's the best initial move to ensure it isn't a ghost town?
Identify why freelancers would be willing to join a paid community when there are so many free communities already available to them. In order to get people to join and stay they must know what value you can bring that they can't get elsewhere without paying. It is difficult to keep people active even in free communities. Charging them for the privilege is a tougher challenge. Either way, it is typically the leader(s) who keep things going. In every group I've ever joined or started when I stopped driving the bus the groups faded and died. You may be, hire, or partner with strong leaders who become a major attraction. Freelancing is very broad, so unless you bring on other experts you might consider narrowing your focus to a specific type of freelancing skill or at least start out in a particular industry.Gail GardnerGG
-
How do I find an audience and build a community around my media website?
Social media is a good way to spread the word, but first you need to make sure you're delivering solid content and that search engines see you as an authority. The majority of new traffic to a site comes from Google and Bing. Sign up for Google Webmaster and from there you'll be able to see if you're getting indexed and what keywords people are using to find your blog. You may be surprised to find that you're not attracting the audience you think you're attracting. Good and consistent content is key.Cynthia BorisCB
-
I want to charge users for my online community, will it work?
Too little information to answer. Ask yourself these questions: * What can they get in your community they can't get anywhere else? * Is your community going to see a value *more* than what the people in the community provide, i.e., are there tools, processes, vetting, moderating work that you do, that provides high value * Are they going to save significant time, effort, money if they join your community? If you are able to answer yes to these, then perhaps charging would work. There are negative consequences too. Would be happy to help over a call.Prasanna KrishnamoorthyPK
-
How to network from a place of abundance? To network and build your community without sounding pushy, or worse, needy?
I make a point of introducing myself to people online who are unlikely to become clients. You for instance. That's not altruism. It's curiosity. Learning about other people's business models, industries, unique challenges and goals -- even absorbing their phrases, vocabulary, and style -- prepares me for some other branding client later on. Being attuned to other people is the starting point of real life interactions, isn't it? Business networking is no different from wandering around from the car mechanic's to the coffee shop and striking up conversations with people along the way.Joseph PetersonJP
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.
