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The 10 Golden Rules of Building Communities That Matter.
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1. Relationships > followers
Building a community is about building relationships. People who just follow you won’t give you any indication of how relevant you are.
Building a community is about building relationships. People who just follow you won’t give you any indication of how relevant you are.
2. Communities need leaders, not managers
To start a community you need authority in your field. You can’t hire someone to take this over for you.
To start a community you need authority in your field. You can’t hire someone to take this over for you.
3. Participation is key
It’s not a community if people can’t participate. Participation means: creating something together, sharing knowledge, contributing to a common goal.
It’s not a community if people can’t participate. Participation means: creating something together, sharing knowledge, contributing to a common goal.
4. Your vision defines whether people are willing to follow you (or not)
You need to define why your community exists. It sounds easy but it’s the hardest part of it all.
You need to define why your community exists. It sounds easy but it’s the hardest part of it all.
5. Provide value first
The people out there won’t magically find you and become engaged members of your community. You need to show first what it’s all about.
The people out there won’t magically find you and become engaged members of your community. You need to show first what it’s all about.
6. Trust is the most valuable good you can achieve
If people trust you, you can go anywhere. Start a new community. Change direction. Close down and throw a huge party.
If people trust you, you can go anywhere. Start a new community. Change direction. Close down and throw a huge party.
7. Start small (1000 fans)
Kevin Kelly came up with the theory of 1000 fans. You don’t need more than 1000 die-hard fans to have a thriving business.
The same counts for your community. Focus on the people to whom your vision really matters. Invest in every single person.
Kevin Kelly came up with the theory of 1000 fans. You don’t need more than 1000 die-hard fans to have a thriving business.
The same counts for your community. Focus on the people to whom your vision really matters. Invest in every single person.
8. Community = culture
The scariest thing about communities is that you have to learn how to let go. Once people are aligned to your vision, it’s out of your control what they do with it.
The scariest thing about communities is that you have to learn how to let go. Once people are aligned to your vision, it’s out of your control what they do with it.
9. Celebrate success
When you’re focused on getting somewhere you easily forget to honor those who make it all happen. Stop and look around once in a while: what have you achieved so far?
Be generous in what you give and thankful in what you receive.
When you’re focused on getting somewhere you easily forget to honor those who make it all happen. Stop and look around once in a while: what have you achieved so far?
Be generous in what you give and thankful in what you receive.
10. Don’t mess it up
By leading a community you have to embrace that things won’t work out the way you want it. Humans are complicated. You’ve got to deal with it. If you don’t like that, don’t do it.
Your community creates meaning in people’s lives.
By leading a community you have to embrace that things won’t work out the way you want it. Humans are complicated. You’ve got to deal with it. If you don’t like that, don’t do it.
Your community creates meaning in people’s lives.
So I wrote a thread on audience building (especially for people building in public)
What are your thoughts?
@uxblake x @thisiskp_ x @curtisjcummings x @nocodelife x @lolitataub x @Austen x @MacConwell x @paigefinnn x @the1diegodiaz x @bramk x @brandonthezhang
What are your thoughts?
@uxblake x @thisiskp_ x @curtisjcummings x @nocodelife x @lolitataub x @Austen x @MacConwell x @paigefinnn x @the1diegodiaz x @bramk x @brandonthezhang
