using content to build community
DESCRIPTION
Presentation for Cause2Mkt, August 25, 2010. The best online communities provide the best experiences for their members by creating content worth talking about. Here are some case studies, tips, and next steps for progressive organizations exploring the online community space.TRANSCRIPT
Turning your audience into a community: Using Content to Connect
Aerin GuyAugust 25, 2010
Agenda•me
•community overview
•community management
•content
•Totally ADD
•hows and tos
•you
community
•today’s social media is about community
•communities of practice
•communities of shared interests
•communities solving problems
The web is about conversations and
connections, not top down delivery
of information or messages.
•“when we change the way we communicate, we change society”
•“new technology enables new kinds of group-forming”
mePublishingMarketing
Web StrategyPR
Community ManagementTotally ADD
BlogTweetEat
Sleep
Community Chops
•Collaborative publishing: Pearson Education
•Edvantage Interactive
•Wellesley Institute: virtual communities of practice
•Ontario Disability Employment Network
•Totally ADD
✴“Let’s make a community and it will be just like Facebook and everyone will have hilarious status updates and make tons of videos and we can run contests and Richard Branson will come over for dinner and George Strombolopoulos will speak at our AGM......”
Types of community
•site based, internally housed (Totally ADD, Cystic Life, Classroom 2.0)
Types of Community
•social media based/external (Twitter, Facebook, MeetUp)
The Community Manager
Role of the Community Manager
•multi-faceted, multi-tasking, multi-responsibility
•plan content
•be the face/voice/ears
•manage technology
•gather insights
•report back
not all fun and games
•vigilance
•ability to connect people
•maintain simultaneous challenge
•ready to fail and try again
•provide technical support
•respect community needs (privacy etc)
Content is King
•content makes you findable
•content is share-able
•content is searchable
•content is worth talking about
Great content moves people. It touches people at their human core and that - - the ability to connect with human beings - -
overcomes any and all budgetary deficits you might encounter in
marketing today.
“
”Tom Martin, HelpMyBrand.com
And now for something spicy
TADD Strategy
•ADHD-ers like short, visual snippets
•cohesive community
•splinters have voice in forum
•open up blogs to community members
•create video and cross post
•merchandise as content (contests etc)
Content
“buckets”
• Blog
• Newsletter
• Forum
• Monthly webinar
• Events
• Video
• Articles
• Interactive content
External Channels•Facebook
Page
•YouTube
•Vimeo
•Events
•Organizations
How?•developed a plan: content and
community
•built an editorial calendar based on targeted activities, initiatives, community needs
•listen to feedback constantly
•respond as often as we can
•knock heads....because we care
•...on a very limited budget
Hot tips•Develop a deep understanding of your
community. Groups who are successful are able to tap into the knowledge of who they are trying to build a relationship with.
•Connect people directly. Bringing people together can be scary. Power in numbers! Your value is in your ability to do this.
• Be open, ego free.....and let go of control. You never had it anyways.
• Emulate, innovate. Fail, experiment. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Text
People want to connect
•shift the lens to community building as a part of communications/marketing
•consider the insights your community can give you
•ask
Resources•New Community Rules: Tamar
Weinberg
•Tribes: Seth Godin
•The Community Roundtable (website and community)
•CommunitySpark.com
•Here Comes Everybody: Clay Shirky
•The Whuffie Factor: Tara Hunt
Community Building Platforms
•WordPress with Buddy Press
•Ning (not free anymore)
•Group(s)
•Spruz
•Yammer
•Flowr
slides and notes available at
www.gospacerace.com
Ping me, eh?
gospacerace.composterous.com/aeringuy
2plus1family.caLinkedIn: Aerin GuyTwitter: @aeringuy
[email protected]@totallyadd.com