If you’re starting a community from scratch, I cannot overestimate the importance of starting small when clarifying which structure will work best for you. Equally important, pay close attention to what your members want. When my audience started telling me that I could start supporting community builders, I pivoted. 

When I let go of the idea that I had to provide continuous education, I offered a support call weekly instead. I was amazed. Now, I was doing less work, but the group showed up consistently. 

Before long, this group became a cohort. The same people showed up repeatedly, getting to know each other and supporting each other’s progress actively. The biggest lesson I learned was that it’s a lot easier to do a cohort because of the low lift. Still, it took time to work out the kinks, which made it harder for me to set a price. Hence, a community with a small beta cohort is a good place to start. if you are new to building an online community (and even if you’re not), try a model that’s focused on support, more than education. 

What you need to create a beta cohort

1. A desire to gather others around a topic, interest, or challenge. 

2. A group of 3-15 people willing to meet consistently for a period of time, which you can define based on your understanding of the group.

3. A place to gather, which can be anything from a coffee shop to a virtual space. 

As you can see, I’m convinced that the better you understand the importance of connection, the better off your venture will be. Now matter what type of structure you created, you will need to build relationships. That said, there are many types of structures you can choose from. Here are five that have worked for my clients and me.