[SYNTHESIS] How to Cultivate a Web 2.0 Community

Written by Angus Parker on Friday, January 9th, 2009
Filed under Network tradecraft, Synthesis

With all the new Web 2.0 tools out there, it’s tempting for organizations to create their own blog, or try to build their own on-line social network. However, this can sometimes be a bad idea. There’s a reason why it’s called the “social web” – Web 2.0 tools thrive on popularity. When everyone sets up their own gathering place, this leads to the phenomenon of ‘10,000 Groups of One’: no one visits, no one comments, and no one joins. It only increases fragmentation, and information overload, on the web. And it can lead to frustrated and discouraged content ‘creators’ who conclude, “This Web 2.0 thing is a waste of time. I’m better off sticking to direct mail and a basic website.” So what’s the solution? Study the tradecraft that is emerging for using these new tools effectively.

As an introduction for the uninitiated, here are four essential principles:

Principle 1: Find your audience where they already are
There are probably already blogs and social networks that have attracted the people you want to reach, unless your audience is entirely new to the web. If they’ve already found good sources for the issue you address, they probably won’t want to subscribe to yet another service. Make it easy on them (and you) by piggybacking on the services that they already use. If they are Facebook users, consider creating a Cause and a Group. If they are regular readers of a certain blogs, consider asking those bloggers if you can guest blog with them. If they are YouTube viewers then create your own video ‘channel’ and recruit subscribers. If you are targeting youth, don’t forget to use mobile phones and Twitter. You get the picture. Be intentional and strategic about exactly who you want to reach, and learn where they already hang out. For example, if your target is policymakers interested in climate change, you might be better off contributing to the acclaimed blog realclimate.org than being on Facebook.

Principle 2: Experiment for free
Web 2.0 tools can almost always be had for free, or nearly free. Why bother to maintain and host your own service when you can simply use an existing one? There is little to no stigma attached to using someone else’s service – and often it’s a good idea to distinguish between what is ‘official’ on your branded website, versus what is ‘co-created’ with your members on your Web 2.0 site. Down the road when you have a better idea of what you are doing, and what works, you can always integrate these tools back into your organization’s website or set up your own hosted service. Put the money you save into applying Principles 3 & 4.

Principle 3: Think about the off-line component
Building and sustaining an on-line community is often hard to do because interactions lack the high-impact emotional content of face-to-face meetings. Consider holding regular audio or video conference calls where people can interact in real time with their own voices, and perhaps also hold in-person meetings designed to supplement on-line interaction. Or, build on existing membership meetings, or conferences where your community already gathers. Like any community, it’s the quality of trust, and the depth of the relationships that will sustain it. So think strategically about the off-line component, and how it integrates with your web community.

Principle 4: Actively recruit and manage your community
Your site (or subsection of someone else’s) might get a little bit of traffic from Google searches, but beyond that it’s up to you to bring people to it. You wouldn’t secretly prepare for a party and then expect people to show up uninvited, would you? Then why do it on the Internet. Think of your Web 2.0 site as if it were a social event—invite all the people you know who you think would enjoy each other’s company. The easiest way to build a community is to encourage an existing off-line community to join you online. You can also advertise in other places online where you think your audience is likely to spend time. Then the people who arrive need to be actively managed by paid staffers or dedicated volunteers. Like any good dinner party, someone has to play host by bringing food and drink (i.e. interesting content) and starting conversations so that the outliers feel comfortable enough to get to know each other. Like all communities, having someone facilitate these social interactions, encouraging and inviting participation, can help keep interest in your group alive.

For further reading, consider Mobilizing Generation 2.0, CauseWired, or the just-released 33 Million People in the Room.

2 Comments to [SYNTHESIS] How to Cultivate a Web 2.0 Community

Leave a comment, question, or resource