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Building an online community rewards the journey and the destination for any business. Showing up online in a consistent and thoughtful way builds the very bridges you need to get your name out there was well as strengthening those bond by never neglecting them.

Ready for the 4-part framework? Let's go!

Keep it simple

Just like you, your growing community are busy and distracted people. This means, when you show up, know the single message you wish to send. Keep it brief and interesting.

Part 1: Showing Up & Being Thoughtful

Your community knows the difference when you are talking at them verses talking with them. Showing up is not just about being available: it's proactive and desires interaction. Thoughtfulness is understanding that time is precious: how will you connect the business message to the needs of our customers?

• Define your posting cadence:

  Once you decided on a posting schedule, stick to it. Posting one message ad-hoc every so often leaves your community unsure of your presence and intentions. Be reliable and the first way to do that is by being consistent. It's ok to post once a week if you never skip a week. However, most modern audiences are expecting short snippets from you 2-3 times a week to keep your business relevant in their feed.

• Establish your content topics:

  Staying on topic is crucial for about 75% of your posts. Take some time to define 3-5 topics that you would like to cover. Keep posts about these topics even though they may become repetitive. This keeps your content focused and gives your community an expectation of what they will find.

• Engage with people:

  Thoughtful engagement is taking time to consider others’ perspectives and adding value through constructive feedback. That doesn’t come easily for everyone and may take practice. Go beyond a simple “Great post!” and aim to add value to the conversation.
  • Ask follow-up questions
  • Share personal experiences
  • Offer constructive feedback (with a positive perspective)
  • Be vulnerable and share your successes as well as your failures. These humanizing touches help build genuine connections and show your community that you have their best interests in mind.

Part 2: Offer Value

Offering value is a key driver for growth. People subscribe because they want what you are providing, and that does not just mean the product or service you sell. It includes you and the relationship you are building with them. They depend on us to connect what we do to who they are. 

• Educate them:

  Provide useful, easy to digest information that solves their problems. A great place to start is by focusing on solving their “pain points.” What are the biggest challenges they face? Create content that directly addresses these challenges and deliver them in how-tos, infographics, and quick tips.

• Entertain (Infotain):

  Use humor, pop culture, or storytelling to engage your audience. Simple memes can resonate with their shared struggles or make light of common issues.

• Inspire:

  Share motivational stories, quotes, or relevant examples that encourage your members. This is a good place to share more of your own journey, successes, and doubts.

Remember to treat your comments like they are their own posts. Replaying with a detailed, helpful answer adds value not just for the person who asked, but for everyone who reads through the thread after. If you only post and never respond, or respond with a vaguel "I like that", it's a one-way conversation going nowhere fast.

Part 3: Encourage Feedback & Spotlight Contributors

This is where your turn your following into a true community. Make your members feel seen and heard.

• Ask the right questions:

  Ask open ended questions such as, "What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced with [niche topic] recently?" Prompt your members into giving more detailed feedback and answers.

• Create a feedback loop:

  Involve your community feedback to create new content. Which members share new information or problems, create a post, and highlight their experience? Tagging a member and raising their concern to the community is a great way to show you are listening.

• Amplify their voices:

  Take the feedback loop one step further by sharing member content. Many companies do this by sharing reviews and testimonials. This creates social proof and lends the credibility of others to yourself. By amplifying their voices, you also encourage participation, creating a positive cycle of active engagement.

Part 4: Grow Together through Collaboration

Collaboration is one of the fastest ways to grow your community. Engage with other creators to spread your message and benefit both communities.

• Partner with like-minded communities:

  Find businesses who serve a similar audience but are not direct competition. Cross-promoting with complementary communities is a great way to grow by offering new value to both. This leverages the work of others to promote yourself, which can be especially beneficial when launching on new platforms.

• Start simple:

  It doesn’t mean to have to run off and start a business together or build a new product for your communities. It can be as simple as:
  • Hosting a joint Q&A
  • Tagging the partner in a post or asking them a question
  • Offering a shared product code or giveaway

• Build a network of peers:

  Connect with other creators who are on a similar journey. Share ideas, support each other’s work, and offer encouragement. When you have peers to workshop with, you create better value for your community members.

Final Thought

Nurture the kind of community online you would feel warmly invited to join and would delight being part of.