So, you want to create and manage an online community? There are five main things to consider before and during your project. Firstly, you need to have a well thought-out and well articulated vision for what you want your community to be. Second, you must decide what it is that you can do differently than everyone else (individuality). What can you bring to the table that another person can not? Next, you must decide how you are going to organize your website or forum. What kinds of content do you want to host? After this, you need to get your hands dirty, so to speak. You’ve done the planning - now it’s time to build. Design your community’s home, test, and then launch.
Your vision is paramount to the success of your community. Without an articulated vision for what you want to accomplish, you will produce an aimless, albeit functional community that may survive, but never thrive. You should be able to summarize your vision within a short paragraph. It must include your purpose and your plan as to how you will achieve this purpose. An example of a present-tense vision statement is below.
The Ant Network is an organization that promotes the study and keeping of ants, community values, and professionalism. We serve ant keepers and ant researchers worldwide by providing a network of services including a functional community website and forum, an updated YouTube media channel, research and citizen science resources, and a myrmecology news outlet, along with many other services. We also provide the first professional subforum for the keeping and study of termites and other social insects. We represent a new community of hobbyists, citizen scientists, and researchers who are dedicated to Myrmecology.
After you have developed your vision, you must decide how you are going to accomplish what that vision expects. One of the elements necessary to do so is to establish what makes your ideal community stand out from the pack. Maybe you have special expertise in your topic. Or, maybe you excel at making web graphics and coding, and your website is the most attractive and functional of the group. There are a number of different scenarios that may overtly set your website apart. While these are indispensable, there are a number of smaller factors that may be at play. Respect (rules is coupled here), responsibility, and reputation - the three “R’s,” as I call them, play a big role in how popular your community becomes. Your community must have all three, or you might as well lack them all. Respect is a fundamental concept when applied to online communication. The world of anonymity and aliases opens unprecedented opportunities for harassment and outright viciousness. Respect is also reciprocal; you must respect your community’s users, and they must respect you and each other. Responsibility is also essential. You are responsible for your community - you don’t point fingers or rush to judgement. You serve as a leader and as an owner. Lastly, your reputation is important. It is near impossible to start a community in an atmosphere that is hostile to you. Your name should evoke credibility and respect. You are your community’s most effective ambassador, and that should be reflected in every communication you make and every content piece you write.
All right, so you know what you want to do. Now what? Figure out how to make it happen. If you are working with a team, you will want to have a way to store content files and calendar information so that everyone has access. If not, you may devise your own strategy. Get yourself organized, and then begin to piece out the layout and functionality of your website.
Software, hosting services, and preferences vary greatly with projects of this type. Decide what fits your abilities and budget, and go from there. You should decide on your forum’s basic layout, color scheme, logo, and content expectations before you begin to assemble the website. Once the website is to your liking, it’s time to introduce some beta testers. These are trusted friends or individuals who will use your service before you release it to the general public. They are looking for bugs or problems in your website that you might otherwise not notice. Once beta testing is complete, you move on to your final step.
To launch an organization, a large swath of factors must be considered. The scope of your project will play a large role in the type of announcement you make and how dramatic the “grand opening” is. By this time in your project, you will intimately know the subject at hand, how many people are involved in the topic, and what the existing culture is. You must consider these aspects when designing your launch plan (and no, we aren’t sending a shuttle to space. Just a website and an idea into cyberspace. Somewhat similar, no?).
Once you have launched, it is up to you to ensure that your community grows and stays active.
~M.M.
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