As any entrepreneur knows,
Having a following, a tribe of like minded people who engage consistently and view you as an authority figure is unbelievably VALUABLE!
And having a well established online community will give you a strong and secure foundation to build a successful online business from.
So it’s well worth putting in the time and effort at the beginning.
So… Where do you start?
If you’re worried it’s complicated and daunting
And you have no idea what to do first
Keep reading…
We’re about to uncover some super valuable tips to follow, to easily create a thriving online community!
Are you ready?…
The Coaching Masters Top 10 tips For Building A Thriving Online Community!
1) Get to know your ideal audience
> Never underestimate how important it is to know your ideal audience.
> It’s likely to be your main customer profile and it’s not just required to build a community of like minded people but important for your business overall.
> If you build a community full of your ideal customer all following and looking up to you, seeing you as an authority figure, these people will buy from you too. WIN WIN!
> You must know as much about them as possible, to be able to appeal to them and to serve them.
> Here are some questions to help you get to know them more:
Who are your ideal customers?
What are their likes, dislikes?
Where do they spend time online?
What do they value?
What are their needs?
> All of these questions will help you gain an understanding of the type of person you need to reach out to and add into your community.
2) Decide which platforms to use
> You may choose to build a membership area on your website. But a lot of people start with Social media to gain a following first. It’s easier this way as you have access to lots of people all in one place.
> It’s important to understand where your ideal customer hangs out.
> In Facebook groups, on Instagram or maybe LinkedIn.
> It’s worth while having an understanding of all main social media platforms you will use to get as many people interested in you as possible.
> Facebook groups can be a brilliant tool for easily building a strong online community.
3) Be clear about member conduct within your community
> As you set up your online community consider the type of atmosphere and image you want it to portray
> How would you like members to behave towards each other?
> Having guidelines in place for members to follow will ensure correct conduct is kept within the group.
> And your members will feel like it’s a safe place to share and contribute.
> It will also save you some time clearing up any damage caused by members crossing the line of improper conduct if rules are clarified at the start.
4) Valuable, regular and consistent content
> People will join your community for two reasons. First, to be around like minded people. Second, to learn something valuable.
> So consistently posting valuable content and encouraging members to do the same is extremely important for a thriving community.
> This may seem daunting at first, but once you get in the habit it will become second nature,
> You may want to talk about your own experiences, your personal journey, post content that interests you and about subjects you know your audience will appreciate.
> Be creative and always encourage engagement.
5) Interact with your members
> Always respond!
> It’s important you put time in and commit to your community.
> If a member asks you a question and shows an interest, it’s important to respond and show support back.
> There’s nothing worse than a community with zero interaction so make sure you are always on top of any comments directed your way.
> This will go a long way to building trust and loyalty
6) Encourage engagement
> You want to avoid a quiet and dead community.
> It’s important to encourage your members to interact, you will get a thriving community and they will get more value.
> It starts right at the very beginning, welcoming new members to your community, encouraging them to interact and get into the habit of feeling involved, from there it will be easier for them to continue.
> The content you then put out should attempt to continue this engagement, ask questions, get to know your audience, make it fun and encourage members to connect with each other.
7) Manage your community
> It’s important to keep on top of the management of your community, it will be an incredibly valuable component of your business so deserves some decent attention!
> It’s advisable to check in daily, ensure that everything is as it should be, meeting community guidelines and progressing nicely.
> If there are any issues, if members are not following correct conduct or something unfortunate happens you will be able to solve problems quickly and efficiently before anything escalates.
8) Make it personal
> Your following wants to know about you!
> If you are honest and open about who you are, your thoughts, feelings and journey so far, your community members will relate to you, find similarities within themselves and begin to form a friendship with you.
> This will then encourage them to be open in return, which is exactly how great, trustworthy, community relationships are built.
> You must be willing to share your story, your opinions and portray an open and honest approachable image FIRST so others will follow.
9) Community clearout
> Plant seeds and pull the weeds.
> It is important to constantly review your community, if there are members who just don’t fit or never get involved, now would be a good time to remove them.
> It doesn’t have to be made into something big, you are doing what is best for your community bubble.
> Ideally you want a consistent great bunch of people in your online space, so feel empowered to take charge and clear out regularly.
> Another powerful secret is to identify who your main influencers are in your community and do everything you can to encourage their continued participation.
10) Measure and adapt
> Last but not least, it is important to consistently measure the success of your online community.
> Make sure you regularly focus on the reach of your posts and engagement of members.
> Keep a note of which topics and conversations work best and put out more.
> Try new ideas, new ways of getting your community involved and to build trust and authority for yourself too.
> Don’t be scared to try something new, remove the old that doesn’t work any more and experiment with new ideas. Keep things fresh.
Now you have some powerful practices to follow to build a thriving online community.
We know what works because we’ve done it. We’ve experienced it all and here at The Coaching Masters we have an AWESOME online community..
We built it up from scratch to what it is today, full of like minded, incredible people all supporting each other to create the freedom based lifestyles they desire, whilst feeling a part of The Coaching Masters family.
We know it’s daunting to start with, but the benefits of creating a thriving online community are unbelievable!
We now have a highly successful, 7 figure business which runs along side our community and continues to grow every single day.
To be a part of our wonderful community, watch our FREE webinar to find out all about how The Coaching Masters can support you to build a freedom based online coaching business. Click HERE!
