Why you want to build an online community?

 

One of the foundational elements to my community building journey was defining the core reason. I needed to understand why I wanted to lead a group of people. 

This took so much time. Thankfully, I was lucky to have a supportive community with me. They helped me navigate the challenges and gain clarity.

The community I’m referring to is the group of peers. They are all trying to clarify their “Big Purpose” for their online community. Some of my clients fear they don’t have what it takes to build a community. They think they can’t start without a certification, degree, or accreditation.

If you feel this way, let me tell you what I tell them. None of this is as important as finding clarity about your why.

This framework (Which I learned from Mighty Networks) has helped me. I use it with clients every day. I connect (ideal members) who face (a problem they have). Together, we work on solutions) to achieve (an outcome they want with others). 

Sure, your why is financial, and you surely have business goals. For example, some leaders start an online community to offer resources in one place. Others are coaches or consultants who want to scale their businesses. These goals matter, but they’re not what I’m referring to when I ask about your why.

A why that resonates with your future members has as much meaning for them as it does for you. It involves an obstacle you’ve overcome in your personal or professional life. You yearn to help others solve it, too. In a Forbes article about why communities matter, writer Tracy Brower says: 

“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. Their work adds value to the whole. As community members, people don’t just want to lay bricks; they want to build a cathedral.” As my clients and I have come to discover, a community concept involves more than who you bring together. It encompasses the problems this community aims to solve. 

One of my community-building friends introduced me to Ayelet Baron. She is recognized as one of Forbes’ top global female futurists. Ayelet is also an inspirational community builder. Ayelet brings together amazing people in her Conscious Community. These individuals are pioneering healthy paths. They ask questions and connect in new ways.

During my interview with Ayelet Baron for the Community Strategy Podcast, she shared her insights. She explained how she defines finding a purpose. 

“What if we followed our heart? What if we got our minds aligned with our hearts? What I find in conversations is that many of us feel alone and isolated. The three biggest currencies of where we’re headed are our trust in relationships, community, and the world.”

Ayelet made the case that we need to create a world. In this world, we approach life differently. We align our heads and hearts. This statement reflects the values she brings to the communities she runs. Community values and purpose: to create a world where we approach life differently. 

When Ayelet left Cisco after 15 years, she was the VP of Strategy, Innovation, and Transformation. She continued speaking because so many people asked her to. The companies she speaks to are some of the biggest in the world. They desperately need her message of humanity.

She went on to say, “If you don’t understand why you’re building the community, think about your reasons. Think about why you are doing it. If somebody is telling you that that’s what you must do to be successful, question it. Ask yourself, is that true for me, and what does community mean?”

She went on to say, “If you don’t understand why you’re building the community, you’ve got to sit down. Somebody might tell you that that’s what you must do to be successful. Ask yourself, is that true for me, and what does community mean?”