Buzzing Communities

If community members do not invite others to join, or initiate activity without you directly prompting them, this is a sign that either the community concept is wrong (the community isn’t about a topic members are interested in), or you’re using the wrong tactics.

from one to nine months. Any longer typically indicates a development problem.

1. Invite members to join the community.

2. Initiate discussions members will be interested in.

3. Prompt members to participate in discussions.

4. Build relationships with members.

members will begin initiating their own discussions in the community. This number should steadily increase.

you should also invest time in building good relationships with members. Reach out to individual members and identify ways to be of assistance or continue to learn what members are most interested in.

members need frequent reminders to participate

Discussions can be scheduled in advance; mix those that are designed to convey information with those that affect members on a psychological level, such as bonding/status-jockeying discussions.

you will be initiating discussions on topics that research has shown members are interested in

Directly inviting people you know is the most reliable source of early growth in online communities.

You should be individually inviting people you have developed relationships with to join and participate in the community. These relationships should have been developed in the conceptualization stage. Those members you interview to learn more about how to create a community should then become the first members of the community.