7 Best Practices for Building a Community in 2024

Hey, you, yes, you, Helios

Okay, that was just a double-confirmation to see if you’ve been following me for way too long

Today I want to share with you 7 non-negotiables that should be present in
any community customer-centric business

Customer-centric business is the only way to go in an AI-age

Otherwise, you get stomped
There’s way too much volume in this sea
It’s easy to be mediocre nowadays and get lost

So, let me help you get out of the darkness
Making sure everyone sees your light:

1. Create guidelines

If you don’t have a brand book, you have no clue how to present a brand

The same thing goes for communities and business communication

Guidelines will differ from one community to the other a lot

Here are some of the common frameworks you can follow:

1. I create a mind map that just shows the whole strategic vision for the community, making it easy to access and navigate

2. Obviously, not only show your plans to the team but to the whole community. I took this practice from big Web3 communities I worked with into the regular communities. They usually develop a roadmap and share it with everyone.

3. Set up who is responsible for the community in the team and share with them a simple set of rules for engaging with members and the team.

2. Stay in touch

Regardless of the type of community, you are building, ensure that you are keeping a pulse of the community.

That can be done by regularly checking in with your members.

Seriously, just DM people more often, they will appreciate it.

3. Be genuine

To handle culture right, you need to bring authenticity.

When your clients, fans, and leaders join your community, they should instantly get your branding and messaging.

You should intentionally put it in every single word you are typing.
Inside jokes are welcomed.

4. Capture the Voice of the Customer

Being a good listener is crucial in community management because you interact a lot with stakeholders.

Whether it's paying attention to what people are saying, keeping an eye on the forum, or responding to feedback, knowing what customers want is key to making the community better.

5. Show compassion

Connect with all the new members of the community as soon as they sign up. Thank them and ask them what they are expecting as well as how you can deliver a better experience.

Be aware of who the main contributors to the community are. You can send them brand swags, and special privileges, or give them a shout-out for being awesome.

6. Be consistent with brand communication

No matter how big or small your community is, make sure they recognize the brand.

This way you can build a consistent narrative in all interactions, communication, and content.

You promised to do something and you did it.
Being the person of your word is the best brand to have.

7. Keep the community engaged

Work on the engagement strategy consistently and make sure that it’s up-to-date. Ask your power users (most active members) questions to improve the experience. Engage them in the creation of those plans as well.

There’s a lot to unwrap on community engagement strategies and I can make a whole post about it, let me know if you want to read it.

See you soon, build great communities!
(by the way, wait for the next issue in a week on how some of the biggest communities are leaving so much on the table (counting millions of $) )
Valeria