Archived Posts from August 2007
I just got off a phone call with a potential client. In preparation for the call, they sent across a number of questions that I seem to get on a fairly regular basis. So, instead of sending them an email, I'll just post it here and let you all in on the action.
Which of your own efforts to engage your communities have proven most successful?
- Starting with *communities* that already exist in the face to face world is a plus. Trust has already been established and relationships already exist, helping speed the adoption of an online channel.
- Targeting groups that already embrace the online channel (blogs, discussions, etc).
- Creating compelling, ongoing programming and converting these interactions into content.
How do you decide on themes and messaging and how much of this should be directed by users?
- We recommend a strong expert presence initially in developing themes, programs and content. As a community becomes more vibrant, it is necessary to allow the users to define a large part (>50%) of the programs and content.
- Until a critical mass is reached, programming and content should be defined by engaging community *leaders* and finding content that is relevant, controversial (to spark discussion), and interesting to that constituency.
What are some of the best way to measure impact of these efforts?
- It depends on the goals on the community and is very difficult to determine early on. If you're building a community for lead generation (#/quality of new members), your goals are very different from a community build for business development (engagement in discussions) and brand eminence (views of blogs).
- At our recent Community 2.0 Conference the overwhelming majority of community experts suggest companies “wait until you see what happens and then define the metrics for your community.”
- The baseline metrics will be member adoption and activity, but defining targets for this may be difficult.
What is the right blend of online and offline interaction?
- This is highly dependent on the community member profile. They will migrate (embrace) the channel that's most effective for them, whether it's F2F, online, phone.
- In general, online community is additive and simply increases the depth and convenience of interactions within your existing networks.
What are some of the biggest barriers and shortcomings you see companies face as they embark on these efforts?
- Corporate DNA
- Executive buy-in: Do they agree with the goals and understand the commitment necessary for success?
- Constituent buy-in: Do the employees who own the customer relationships agree with the initiative?
- Ownership: Do the owners have the corporate knowledge and political capital to engage the diverse groups necessary to be successful?
- Skills: Does the organization have the skill sets necessary to be successful in community: community strategy, implementation, moderation?
- Control: Is the organization going to be able to let go of control as the community grows?
- Shifting mindsets
- Is it focused on the members or the company? Slow growth can impact how a company/sponsor answers this question.
- Is this just the “flavor of the month?” Starting a community and then shifting resources to the next big thing in 12 months is dangerous.
- Impatience: Make sure you really know what you want to build before you build it. Make sure you take the time to pilot the community with proven 1st adopters to populate the community with real, compelling content before the full launch.
Several of my responses were derived from a recent post by John Hagel, a leading thinker in the area of virtual communities and the author of several books on the topic. If you have additional questions, please leave a comment and I'll include it in Community FAQ (Part Two).