Creating online communities: 5 biggest mistakes

Nowadays, creating online communities could look like really easy process. But to build a community that lasts for a long period of time is altogether a different thing. Online communities have been popularized by social media. Starting a community, for enjoyment and money, has become far easier. But it is not a piece of cake. Though, it is easy to launch an online community but building a community that can earn fame takes a lot of pain and hard work.

In the beginning, it might seem very simple and easy but when one actually starts a community, then only you can know about the several problems and hurdles that come in way of running a long-lasting community. For increasing the chances of creating online communities that are famous, you need to keep several things in your mind and act accordingly. Below you will see few mistakes that are commonly observed.

#1. Can failure to monetize be a mistake?

Often inexperienced community builders don’t think about monetizing their community and ultimately fail to keep their community going. Have you ever heard “Presently we are planning to build a community and we shall think about monetizing it later?

Of course, you wouldn’t have heard it. It is because of the simple reason that while a person is planning to build a community then only that person will plan about monetizing the membership. And there is no harm in charging your members. If you offer the things according to your member’s need at the right time, then people will be willing to pay. So just don’t be scared to ask for a fee from your members.

#2. Is the size of membership a way to measure your community’s growth?

Does it make any difference if you have lots of members and yet nobody interacting? People often think that the health of the community can be measured by the number of members i.e., the more the member, the healthier the community and vice-versa. But that’s not true.

The size of the membership is not a way to measure the health of the community. The success of the community depends upon the fact that the community members are actually being able to stay in touch through your community.

So, for creating online communities, first, you need to understand the members of your community and take steps accordingly. You should also be looking for a chance to enable your members to converse through your community. You need to give them a strong reason to sign-up and remain hooked up.

#3. Should you expect unrealistic growth or success?

The answer is NO. If you are planning for creating online communities today, then don’t just expect the result the very next day. Building the biggest online communities is a time-taking process. Before the community actually yields results, a lot of effort has to be put in. Have patience and keep on working hard. Of course, “Rome was not built in a day”. So, let your community take its time to grow, and in the meanwhile, you will be giving your community your full attention and time.

Just making people sign up is not everything you need. You will have to keep a minimum level of activity in your community. If a member visits your community and sees no changes then the chances of his next visit will go down. So, it is important to maintain a lively atmosphere where people would like to spend more time. And this process will take time.

#4. What if the community you want to build is already in existence?  Does that mean that you have missed an opportunity?

Of course, NOT. Competition exists everywhere, be it in the education field, business, jobs or even online communities. Have you ever thought of leaving your studies just become there is a lot of competition? NO. So it is very important to understand that competition will exist everywhere you go and you can’t run from it. So, it is better to face it. 

Likewise, if you create a community you will face competition, but that should not stop you from making progress and achieving your goals. Isn’t it? Therefore, your main-focus should be to make a better community that is user-friendly and interactive. And you should always do something so as to keep your members glued to your community. For creating onlinecommunities, your hard work and determination are the two most important things that you will need.

#5. Why take the pain of adding unwanted features?

At times, people stop at one place. Well, you shouldn’t instead from time to time, you need to add more relevant features to your community. If you want to start creating online communities then you will have to look for new and more useful features as the growth of the community largely depends upon it. But always ask yourself a few questions before adding – “what is the community’s main focus?” “Is the feature relevant?” “Will introducing a certain feature add value to your community or not?”

Conclusion: It is commonly said that one learns from one’s mistake. Some mistakes are too costly and often irreversible. So, it is good to do some research before creating online communities. In this way, your chances of success will be high and mistakes will be low. So, creating a long-lasting community is tedious and time taking. But once you create it, you will have the satisfaction of having created something worthwhile.

Published by Gintare

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