The BS-Free Guide to Building Communities That Last More Than 3 Months
Mar 19, 2024
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Learn the keys to building lasting communities with Circle co-founder Andy Guttormsen. Discover why you shouldn't rush into starting a community, the power of tailoring your group to your strengths, and tips to ignite engagement. Find out the insider's guide to community management, the importance of attracting ideal founding members, and costly mistakes to avoid.
Starting with valuable signature gatherings sets clear expectations and fosters commitment.
Creative constraints like restricted access events increase value and engagement levels in community management.
Diverse formats such as office hours and themed content cycles enhance member engagement and interaction.
Deep dives
Starting with Compelling Value and Signature Gatherings
Communities often fail when the value of being a member isn't compelling enough. Starting with two or three signature gatherings that offer significant value to ideal members is crucial. This approach sets clear expectations and fosters a two-way commitment between founders and members, enhancing member engagement and retention. Examples like hot seats and live workshops, expert-led classes, and accountability groups highlight the importance of creating valuable and interactive community experiences.
Building Creative Constraints for High-Value Community Experiences
In community management, adding creative constraints like live events with restricted access can significantly increase value and engagement levels. Concepts such as exploding offers or time-limited access to content can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, enhancing the community experience. Integrating niche themes, monthly or quarterly, can deepen member engagement and participation, fostering community growth and sustained member interest.
Optimizing Engagement through Diverse Signature Gathering Formats
Diverse signature gathering formats, including office hours, community-powered courses, and themed content cycles, offer unique opportunities to engage members effectively. Accountable groups, marketplace dynamics, and feedback-focused sessions facilitate meaningful interactions and knowledge sharing within communities. By emphasizing thoughtful and high-quality execution of these gatherings, community managers can drive member satisfaction and long-term community success.
Creating Engaging Communities
Building a successful community involves understanding the needs of the people being served. The speaker emphasizes the need to differentiate your community from the overwhelming number of existing groups and forums by focusing on unique engagement strategies. Rather than adding to the noise, the emphasis is on creating value-driven interactions for participants to solve problems efficiently without unnecessary distractions.
Founding Members and Community Building
Establishing a community's foundation starts with identifying founding members who are willing to contribute to building something new. The speaker highlights the importance of personally connecting with each founding member to understand their expectations and values. Additionally, setting clear expectations upfront, offering incentives like discounts for early members, and maintaining a strategic approach to community growth and management are key aspects in the initial stages of community building.
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In this episode, Circle co-founder Andy Guttormsen cuts through the fluff to share his hard-earned lessons on building communities that last. No BS, just real talk and proven tactics to help you create a thriving group that stays engaged past the 3-month mark. Andy exposes the hard truths and gives you the tools to foster genuine, long-term commitment. Whether you're a pro or just starting out, this no-nonsense guide is your key to unlocking the staying power your community needs.
(00:00) - Intro
(03:08) - Reasons why you shouldn't start a community (yet)
(10:26) - Andy's perspective on what's a community
(11:56) - Tailoring your community to your personality and strengths
(21:01) - Tips that will ignite your community
(35:23) - The insider's guide to community management
(39:10) - The power of hot seats
(41:58) - Costly mistakes to avoid when building your community