Community Purpose is essential to the success of an online community.
The biggest mistake I see community leaders make is not clearly defining the purpose. Due to the Global Pandemic, the world has had to adjust to living in a bubble. Many new online communities have offered virtual events, masterminds, and networking opportunities to replace traditional local meetups.
In 2022, 76 percent of internet users participated in an online community. According to a recent article (January 2022) by PeerBoard*, Reddit hosts over 130,000 active communities (subreddits). Due to restrictions on communication, this is mainly in the US.
Over 2.9 billion people are reported to be active on Facebook. However, users of these platforms feel like they need a voice. Establishing the purpose of an online community is the most crucial aspect.
The purpose and vision of a community concept can change over time. Flexibility to the ebb and flow through community-building is vital to success. Let’s talk about what an online community is and isn’t.
Community Purpose: What is a community?
An online community is a group of people who gather virtually through platforms, apps, and other software.
These people have similar interests, goals, problems, or ambitions. They want to connect, find and offer solutions, and inspire each other virtually. This can be done through video calls, interactive polls, prompting questions, and curated content.
We define an online community hosting site as a platform off of social media. It offers a private or exclusive virtual space for specific members to connect. They will be able to collaborate and cultivate a sense of belonging.
Here are a few examples of what we believe are online communities:
A single virtual event (workshop, webinar, conference) that offers members a space to connect.
An email with a group of people who communicate with each other occasionally or regularly.
A forum or text chat where users can share photos, images, graphics, video, audio, or other content.
A platform that invites specific people for connection and conversation.
What an online community isn’t
We don’t consider social media an online community as these are public. Still, even when private, the person, brand, organization, or company usually has a business purpose. This purpose does or does not align with the members. It also doesn’t offer the ability for a member to honestly and authentically be seen, heard, and valued.
Social media aims to distract and create an environment of urgency, comparison, and algorithms to serve the platform’s desires. It does not care about the business owner’s needs.
Consider the last time you logged into Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. The experience usually doesn’t bring calm. How many groups are you a member of? Of these, how many are you active as a member? Of these, what do you consider to be the most important reason WHY you join?
Hivebrite, says there are fewer distractions inside an online community. The software company helps organizations build and manage a community. It provides a break from social media. There are also stricter controls and less spam.
Not only do online communities offer members a sense of belonging, but they also give the community host ownership.
Facebook went down for several hours in October of 2021. Some business owners received a gut punch and reality check. Their sales took a nose-dive due to the outage.
“While the IG outage was mildly stressful. It did reaffirm some of the concerns and thoughts I’ve been hearing from many brand founders. Namely, that IG rarely rewards us for the time we invest. Furthermore, it’s risky to rely on a 3rd party to mediate our relationships with customers.” Rachel Jones, founder of underwear and bralette company Jonesey to Mashable.
What’s the why? How is it intentional?
Some leaders start an online community to bring together resources in one place. This allows peers to offer their experiences to support each other. It elevates and empowers others to feel seen, valued, and heard.
Coaches, consultants, and leaders can gain from scaling a business in several ways. They can offer group coaching in one place. They can also connect their clients to give elevated support. There are many community structures.
“Strong communities have a significant sense of purpose. People’s roles have meaning in the bigger picture of the community. Each group member understands how their work connects to others and adds value. As community members, people don’t just want to lay bricks; they want to build a cathedral.”
From my experience, I’ve learned that a community concept is much more than who you bring together. It comes down to what problem this community solves.
An online social media community supports diversity. It brings together individuals from different cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. This fosters a sense of unity. This is listed as an advantage in the Top 7 Impacts of Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages article by Simplilearn.
Questions to consider
Starting with your “why” is the most powerful step you can take. It helps cultivate meaning and connection in your own life. When discovered, this will help you flourish as a leader.
What’s your “Why” for considering leading an online community?
What’s their why for wanting to be a part of this community?
What problem will this community solve, and how does a community solve this?
How passionate are you about this “why”?
Would you do this for yourself?
Do you feel others relate to the problem you want to solve?
What do you want to feel as the leader of this community?
How do you want members of this community to feel?
How much time do you want to dedicate to an online community?
How many online communities do you participate in and why?
What are the outcomes that would make this community worth your time?
What are the potential challenges of this community?
Why do you think this community is needed right now?
Are there other communities like this one? If so, what are they?
Why would people want to give time and energy to the communities’ mission or purpose?
Chris Fitz is the Founder and Artistic Director of River Crossing Playback Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. With experience in improvisational arts since 2003, Chris and his ensemble use Playback Theatre to build community by dramatically portraying real-life stories.
He is also a trained mediator and former Executive Director of the Center for Community Peacemaking, specializing in Restorative Justice—community-based practices that address harm and promote healing in schools, communities, and the legal system.
Chris sees Playback Theatre as a tool for personal and social healing, emphasizing the power of storytelling to foster connection, belonging, and understanding. Through performances like ”Healing York,” his troupe has addressed issues like racial harm, showing how storytelling can help heal communities.
Chris believes in the importance of repeated dialogue and rituals to foster belonging, whether in-person or online, and offers advice to community builders on engaging participants without relying too heavily on presentations.
His focus remains on creating safe spaces for people to connect, share their stories, and address community challenges through both art and conversation.
If you have an online community, or just want to grow an online business, communicating directly to your audience allows you to build relationships with them one email at a time!
You might think you don’t have enough time, but I have some great news for you!
ConvertKit can help you start building your email list with easy-to-setup templates, immediate analytics, and start for free!
The Community Strategy Podcast offers interviews with online community leaders who share their community-building journey. Our podcast covers community concepts, community building, community strategy, community structure, community membership, and community management. Visit our Website Find Calm Here to learn more about working with Deb
