How To Build Your Community Stronger

Create a stronger online community with these important tips.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:49 — 2.6MB)

In this episode:

00:30 – Ask your members what they want
00:44 – Put out a contest or a challenge
00:59 – Offer case studies for training
01:22 – Live trainings encourage better engagement
01:49 – Host live meetups for your community

Be part of the JamesSchramko community.

Download the PDF transcription

Transcription:

James Schramko here with some tips on building your community.

Now you may run a Facebook group or a LinkedIn group or perhaps you have your own community like I have SuperFastBusiness.com which is run on a forum platform and also SilverCircle my Mastermind. So because I have a few different communities, I’ve learned a few things about how to increase engagement and keep people sticking around. Now if it happens to be a paid community, then this is going to be a vital important training for you.

Be Open-minded And Ask Your Members What They Want
The first thing to do is be open-minded about what your members want and to ask them. Start a discussion about how can you do a better job. These have usually given me the greatest innovations in my business.

Build A Stronger Community

Put Out Challenges And Contests
Another thing that really gets interest are contests and challenges. Put out a contest or a challenge or ask people to do something that lets them stretch a bit and also at the same time demonstrates the value of whatever it is that your community offers them.

Case Studies Are Very Effective Training Materials
Case studies are great. When you can summarize something you’ve done well or put it into a case study, some kind of training. Whether it’s text or PDF or a video or an audio recording of something you did well that others can learn from, that always increases value for a community because people relate to it and they place themselves in that situation and they see how can they apply that for their business.

Have Live Training Sessions And Set Up Live Events For Your Community
Live training is a good one. I run a weekly call with SilverCircle and I run a monthly webinar with SuperFastBusiness and live training brings up the engagement element. People can turn up, they can have a two-way interaction live and of course you could still record it or take detailed notes for those who can’t make it and that allows you to create products. But live training is part of being a community and it makes people excited to belong.

Also, live meetups are an extension to that, where you can actually get together on a regular basis. So for SuperFastBusiness, all around the world – in London, in Sydney, in Melbourne, Brisbane, the United States, we have local meetups. People getting together face-to-face at a pub or a restaurant, having a beer or a meal, sharing ideas and stories and that really increases community engagement.

I hope these tips help you with your community. Whether you participate in one, perhaps you could suggest these ideas or whether you have your own.

I’m James Schramko, I’ll catch up with you soon.

Visit our iTunes channel and rate this podcast.

Be sure to leave your comments below.