From building trust with mastermind sessions to uniting enthusiasts via collaborative reviews, seven industry professionals, including a career coach and a CEO, share their proven techniques for nurturing a vibrant and engaged online community.

• Build Trust with Mastermind Sessions 
• Cultivate Brand Presence and UGC
• Leverage Social Media for Community Engagement
• Establish Clear Communication Channels
• Foster Connections with Interactive Content
• Create a Sense of Belonging
• Unite Enthusiasts via Collaborative Reviews 

Build Trust with Mastermind Sessions 

The best way to build a strong and engaged online community is to find opportunities to build trust among members. Offer face-to-face (in-person or online) mastermind sessions. Allow small groups to come together for an hour every two weeks to collaborate. The idea-sharing and trust that are quickly built are powerful.

Kelli Anderson, Career Coach, Texas General Insurance

 

Cultivate Brand Presence and UGC

Creating a community is all about providing options for where users can “hang out.” Through the use of Facebook groups, website portals or forums, comments on blogs, and social media comments, you can lead your community to answer their own questions, and you don’t need to sell them on your brand anymore—your community does that instead.

Building a strong brand presence is key to creating such a community. One trend that is expected to increase in 2024 is user-generated content. Tools that facilitate the creation of UGC by adding tags, QR codes, reward systems, and interactive widgets to your website will be instrumental in this process.

Social proof is the strongest part of building a community. Therefore, having active leaders who can receive rewards or scale up in your community is essential for long-term growth and rapid expansion.

George Panayides, Digital Marketing Specialist, The Digital xx

Leverage Social Media for Community Engagement

When small business owners and non-profits connect with me for social media advice, the most common thing I hear is, “I’m not getting any traction on my social media channels. What should I be posting?” While posting to your business pages is important, it’s just as important to take a step back and look holistically at your digital community. 

To be successful, you will need to make the algorithms work for you. This means being SOCIAL on social media by making relevant connections and fostering an active digital community besides posting meaningful content. This will help you gain visibility with your local community and will help train the algorithms to recommend your business page in the news feeds of your digital community members. But what does that look like?

1) Build your network. Follow and connect with organizations and individuals with whom you have real-world relationships.

2) Engage both on and off your owned channels. Add valuable insights to relevant conversations, even if they aren’t happening on your channels. Like, comment, and support your community members’ relevant posts. A quick “Happy Birthday!” or “Congratulations on earning that award!” can go a long way to build rapport and loyalty. On your owned channels, respond to inbound comments and private messages quickly. This shows that you care, are invested, and value their time.

3) The bulk of your organic social media posts should be dedicated to community cultivation. Don’t talk about your organization too much. Educate, entertain, and inform on the topics in which you are a subject matter expert. Ask your community questions and hold polls to get to know them and their preferences. Use these insights to keep future posts relevant and tailored to their interests. You can even build out a UGC (user-generated content) program to share what your community members are saying on your owned platforms.

4) Consider rewarding active members with exclusives, like badges and SWAG. If you work with ambassadors or influencers, make sure that you’re appropriately paying and rewarding them for their work.

Fey Grimm, Social Media Manager, Starkey

Establish Clear Communication Channels

To build a vibrant and engaged online community, prioritize effective communication by establishing clear channels, guidelines, and consistent content moderation. Actively participate in discussions, engage with members, and showcase their contributions. Recognize and reward active participants, and consider hosting Q&A sessions and community events. 

Empower community leaders, seek feedback, and adapt based on member needs. Maintain transparency, encourage diverse perspectives, and, when possible, facilitate offline connections. Building a strong online community requires time and dedication, fostering a sense of belonging and enthusiasm among members.

Madison T, Ecommerce Manager, My Supplement Store

Foster Connections with Interactive Content

One effective technique I’ve employed for cultivating a vibrant online community is fostering genuine connections through interactive content. Encouraging members to share personal stories, experiences, and tips creates a sense of belonging. 

Additionally, regular engagement, responsiveness, and recognizing community contributions help strengthen the sense of camaraderie, fostering a lively and connected online space.

John Frigo, Ecommerce Manager, Best Price Nutrition

 

Create a Sense of Belonging

One technique we’ve used and highly recommend for building a vibrant and engaged online community is to foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity. People want to feel like they are part of something special, so create a space where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. Encourage active participation by asking thought-provoking questions, hosting interactive events, and providing opportunities for members to showcase their expertise. 

Additionally, be responsive and show genuine interest in your community’s feedback and suggestions. By creating a welcoming and interactive environment, you’ll not only attract new members but also keep them engaged and excited to be part of your online community. It’s all about building connections and making people feel like they belong!

Alex Stasiak, CEO and Founder, Startup House

Unite Enthusiasts via Collaborative Reviews 

One successful technique I’ve employed to build a vibrant and engaged online community on BestCafeDesigns.com was the initiation of a collaborative effort. This began with the task of gathering reviews on cafe designs from contributors worldwide. 

Architects, photographers, and writers were invited to share their insights and critiques, creating a global perspective on cafe aesthetics. This inclusive approach not only resulted in a diverse array of reviews covering cafe designs from 40 different countries but also fostered a sense of shared enthusiasm among the contributors. 

This collaborative initiative has been instrumental in establishing an active and engaged online community centered around our common interests in design, travel, and coffee.

Andrew Chung, Founder, Best Cafe Designs