We must never forget that people participate in online communities for a variety of reasons. But they do share some common traits. People log on at-will (when they want to and when it is convenient for them) and participate in activities that they enjoy (not everyone wants to send and receive IMs). This is primarily a do-it-yourself, do-it-my-way activity. For those operating an online community, a sense of balance must be achieved and finding that balance can be quite a challenge. If a community is under or over-managed or if the sense of fun, purpose or belonging is removed, people will simply stop participating. At the end of the day, you really need to listen to your community. They drive your success, not the other way around.” Crystal Williams – February 2008
Building an online community is like walking a tightrope hooked to washing machines on the spin cycle. It’s tough – really tough! It takes knowledge and experience to get it right. But this is a relatively new area and not many people have this special know-how.
These are the critical steps for planning, launching and managing a thriving online community:
- Community Needs Assessment and Planning
- Community Design Management and Deployment
- Community Recruitment and Outreach
- Incentive Program Design and Administration
- Ongoing Community Management and Moderation
- Community Mediation and Arbitration
Types of Online Communities
In short, there are three broad classifications that online communities fall into (each with different requirements and purposes):
- Social Networking and Shared Interest Communities (general, broad-reaching communities or those defined by a common activity such as the sharing of knowledge, sports, trivia, etc.)
- Business-focused or Corporate Communities (inward communities comprised of employees, customers, members of a specific professional group, etc.)
- Geographical or Demographical Communities (people connecting from specific regions around the world or being of the same gender, race, age, etc.)
Community Dynamics
No two online communities are created equal, but they all share similar dynamics:
Motivation(s) for participating: Participation in an online community is largely fuelled by intrinsic motivation. One of the best definitions of intrinsic motivation is from the book Motivation in Education by Paul R. Pintrich and Dale H. Schunk. Their definition is simple, yet brilliantly sums up why people participate in online communities: “intrinsic motivation is the motivation to engage in an activity for its own sake. People who are intrinsically motivated work on tasks because they find them enjoyable.” This desire comes from within, rather than from any external source or extrinsic motivation. Primary motivations for participating in an online community are: 1) satisfaction in completing a specific task or activity; 2) ongoing recognition and praise for contributions (known as Egoboo); 3) giving for the greater good (such as sharing knowledge freely).
Sense of ownership: After time, regular or power users will develop a sense of pride and ownership of “their” community. And since they actively participate in core activities, they are key to future growth and development. They should be invited to take part in recommending and viewing new tools and features before they are released. In additional, their status in the community should be elevated and made public either through a special symbol or designation such as Community Administrator or Community Leader.
Shared interests, ideas or goals: People enjoy connecting with other like-minded individuals whether on or offline. That’s why online communities typically consist of users or various groups of users who share the same interests, goals or ideas.

Community Life Cycle
Several models have been suggested for the life cycle of an online community. One model presented by Amy Jo Kim, author and online community architect, suggests the following:
- Peripheral (Lurkers) – Outsiders with unstructured, erratic participation
- Inbound (Novices) - New users, interested and invested in the community; on their way to full participation
- Insider (Regulars) - Committed participators and contributors; active members of the community
- Boundary (Leaders) - Members brokering interactions and encouraging/sustaining participation; visible community leaders
- Outbound (Elders) - On their way to leaving a community, perhaps to another community due to a particular change in the community or personal choice

In yet another similar model presented by Forrester Research, the life cycle of a community as a whole is directly tied into the levels of individual user participation (low to high).

Based on the two models, it is apparent that a high level of collaborative participation is the symbol of a mature, established online community. Critical in the life cycle and management of any successful online community is the ability to effectively turn lurkers into regulars – active participants – and regulars into leaders – evangelists.
The Benefits of Online Communities
Some experts tout the fact that setting up an online community is extremely expensive, frustrating and once set up, difficult to manage. While these are valid points, what ‘dynamic’, in-the-moment site is free and effortless? All good Web sites take time, money and nurturing. And if there is one type that offers a significant return-on-investment for these efforts, it is a community-based site.
The benefits of setting up your own online community are immeasurable. Here are just a few of the perks:
- Getting to know people on a personal level; gaining key insight into their needs, wants and habits
- Having access to a virtual 24/7 focus group that can offer feedback at anytime to help make your products/services better
- Generating a constant source of referrals – like a permanent viral marketing campaign
- Increasing your brand awareness through a low-cost channel
Nurturing an Online Community
Online communities are all about people – employees, customers, Web site visitors, members, prospects, constituents, volunteers - people. And people love to be recognized and appreciated. That’s why constant praise, ongoing communication and special incentives go a long way to fostering a thriving community. Below is five-step plan for growing and maintaining a virtual community:
- Send personalized welcome notes to all new users via their message boards, IM or e-mail. Thank them for joining the community and encourage them to participate more. Send them periodic notes of appreciation, hello’s and get to know members on a one-to-one basis. Knowing a little bit about them creates a connection.
- Establish a structured program that awards contributors for their various levels of community participation. Place cool logos on profile pages for everyone to see when members successfully reach the various milestones. Make sure the program is posted in a public area of the site.
- Let the most active participants take ‘ownership’ of the site but offering them a certain set of administrative responsibilities and participation in the product development process. Give them a sandbox to play in so that they can test drive new features before they are released. Make sure to get their feedback and pass that feedback along to the appropriate department(s).
- Implement an incentive program whereby the most active participants are sent periodic tokens of appreciation such as company t-shirts and items that tie in with their likes and hobbies.
- Don’t use corporate e-mail addresses when communicating with members of a community. This is a major turn-off which says that you are making money at their expense. Remember that they are essentially volunteers. You should never be above them. For this reason, opt to use a Gmail or Yahoo! address. This is one way to foster a feeling of goodwill.
As a final note, remember that it’s not about “I, you or me.” In an online community it’s all about them and ‘we’.
Tags: benefits of community, community management, growing an online community, managing online communities, Online community