Building Online Communities - a Twitter Space Collaboration with AgorapulseUKIRL

I was super excited to be able to host a Twitter Spaces session with Erinn D. Social Media and Content Manager for AgoraPulse UK and Ireland, the social media scheduling tool.

We explored how you can build and grow communities online, the platforms you can use and how to find the right people. And of course, we looked at how to use FOMO to increase engagement. Part of your brand must be focused on building that community.

Creating and Supporting Communities

‘Community’ is a word I’ve seen bandied around a lot in the last 18 months or so, but I’d say it’s not enough to just put together a group or chat on a platform. What you need to do is encompass and help the whole group.

Not everyone feels comfortable about speaking up, so as the group owner or moderator you need to give them the space to ask their questions in a safe, supportive environment. Set guidelines for your group so that people know they can ask anything they like without the fear of being judged.

Set some rules around what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t – this includes language people use, types of posts, what to expect from other members and the moderators. Having rules in place at the start means the group runs smoothly. It’s important to be aware that people need gentle encouragement to post and engage, and how you do that is part of your pre-launch planning. Give some thought to your content – what will help people to engage?

In my own experience, the written word can sometimes be misinterpreted, and the moderator might find themselves getting between people to defuse a situation. The group rules help members to understand what’s expected of them.

One big tip is remember that whenever you create or share content in the group, you’re doing this for everyone, not just the people who comment and engage. There are always lurkers, and you need to appeal to them too. Be mindful that there are people watching, even if they don’t post. You never know who’s reading your posts and when they start talking about you outside of the group.

Using FOMO to Attract People to Your Facebook Group

If you want to get lots of people into your group, you need to generate buzz and excitement so they have that fear of missing out (FOMO). If people have a positive experience of being part of your group, make sure you share that onto the socials to generate excitement. If people see the success of the group, the buzz, the excitement

Planning is important if you want to create FOMO and create a supportive group. When I ran my own group, I came up with ideas for every day, so members knew what to expect. On Mondays, it was a motivational quote, ‘Teaching Tuesdays’ let members share their expertise and so on.

The more active people in the group got more out of it, because they were seeing their own names. And of course, other members saw them being helpful and were more likely to do business with them. As the group owner or moderator, it’s also a good idea for you to know your members, so you can make connections for them.

How to Make Your Members Feel Valued

People often feel valued if you give them something tangible, like money or merchandise, said Erinn. But if you’re not in a position to do that, or it doesn’t fit with your group ethos, then look at other ‘perks’.

When people are active, regular contributors, highlight that fact. Give them a star to show they’re top commentors, or most knowledgeable in a certain topic. If you trust them, make them a moderator or admin. This has the added benefit of moving the group towards being self-sustaining. Gamify it wherever you can.

You can also make people feel special by listening to what they say and letting them know you understand and appreciate them. You don’t always have to say anything; sometimes it’s better just to give them the space to speak. Thanks to @amanda webb for asking.

How can the Group Owner/Moderator be Genuine?

There is a need for influencers and personal brands to share something of themselves, so people see that they’re human and personable, but there has to be a line – you need to be relatable but comfortable about what you talk about for the good of your mental health.

Social media platforms prompt you to share as much as possible about your personal life, but everyone needs to set their own, individual line and be clear on what they will and won’t share. Don’t force out personal content just for likes.

If you’ve shared something that’s on the edge of the line and you get engagement but it gives you an icky feeling, then you know that it’s not a topic you want to talk about again. Or, suggested Erinn, if you do talk about personal stuff, tie it back into your work.

Remember: social media is performed authenticity. It’s an authentic version of yourself, but it’s not all of you. And it doesn’t have to be. People have to get to know us, but share only what makes you comfortable.

It’s also important to manage expectations in a group – what is appropriate and what’s not. Be aware that groups will form within your group and sometimes people will fall out. Think about how you support your members and keep everyone safe.

When your Communities End

If you don’t make your group self-sustaining, or it’s just not feasible for you to keep running it, it will come to a natural end. If you’re setting up a new group, give yourself four months to build it and see how well it does.

Erinn said you need to set clear goals for the group too. It’s not just about getting a certain number of members in that four-month period. There are other factors, such as how much engagement you get, or how much content your users generate.

Break down those goals, so you know what you need to do to achieve (or motivate others to help you achieve) them. Look at your metrics and your top line, and be honest and realistic about what you’re doing.

Equally, as I recommended, you might create a pop-up group for a short period of time – for an event, a challenge or conference. Remind people that it’s only there temporarily and will be archived on a certain date. People tend to become more engaged and active to get what they need from it.

Groups for Co-Working

We had a great question from Natalie Pithers who enquired about organising a virtual co-working session and the best way to do that. After discussing the options (Zoom / Facebook Group), I suggested to Natalie that she introduce herself at the start and ask each attendee to say what their goals are for the session. This will really help to bring the community together.

How to Deal with Sensitive Subjects

Group owners sometimes find that people challenge them on things that they’ve posted. Erinn said that the key is to post with the best of intentions, and understand that feedback is unavoidable.

If there’s something sensitive or political, post about it if you feel strongly about it, but remember that others might disagree with you. In an ideal world, we’d talk about difficult topics only in certain forums, where everyone is having the same discussion.

When you feel passionate about a topic but you worry that you don’t know enough about it, make it clear that you’re not an expert. I use IMHO (in my humble opinion) to share my thoughts on a subject so people understand that I don’t know everything about it.

And when I disagree with someone, I say something like, “I respectfully disagree with you, and these are my thoughts”. I then hope that the comment I’ve put forward is received in the spirit that it’s sent in. People can sometimes read more emotion into your words than you intended.

Credits: I want to thank @gudrun lauret for compiling the Twitter Space discussion together,

Final Note from May King: When building community, don't forget to shout about the impact, the outcomes outside of your group and onto your socials. By creating that buzz, that excitement, that FOMO, this invokes curiosity which might, in turn help you to grow your community.

I'd like to thank Errin. D from Agorapulse UK IRL for inviting me to discuss building comunity on our collaborative Twitter Space. Our next event is on Thurs 23 September 9pm - 10pm