A Path To Online
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of face to face communities?
How I imagine it is that I get in my car. Ready to speak on passion with others who may also have that same dedication. Yes, my nerves may start up because I don’t know anyone by name or meeting people for the first time. That is ok. No one may know each other but a community binds us all together. It is a safe place for all. We all are coming to a single place to learn from one another.
How can we convert this to online?
#1 — Giving
“I help people in this group, because I love this group and because I feel so connected to the people in it. I help because I want to, and I don’t expect something in return”. Isn’t this why we all joined a community in the first place? Think of the movie Elton. Elton John goes to rehab where he talks about his experiences with others who can relate to him. People that understand where he is coming from. Building an online community where these values can be replicated is important. Creating an online community should be about sharing your experiences and helping others. As the old saying goes, treat people the way they want to be treated.
#2 — Family
A community is another way of saying you have a family. What is family? A unit who loves one another, communicates, and helps one another. Sometimes it’s a cousin that always gets on your nerves but is ridiculously kind. there are more traits, but I understand where I am getting at. As you get excited to see one another in person, this should be the same mentality online. You should feel excited that every Wednesday at 4PM, you log into your favorite community and chat with your friends. Your extended family.
#3 — Be Persistent
Don’t make excuses to not show up to your online community. If you meet every Wednesday in person, schedule the time to log in. The conversation needs to be ongoing. Don’t let one person be the only person posting in the community. It takes two to tango or in this case everyone. There should be dialogue going on continuously. With that, make sure each person takes accountability. High engagement will make the community live longer online. If there is no engagement, everything will fall apart. What would be someone’s getaway from reality ends up hurting them.
So, what do you say? Do you have what it takes to bring your face to face community online? All you need is the motivation and caring to create something special. In the end, you are part of a family where you have each other’s back. To you, your interaction may not be important but for someone else, it can make a difference. Start the shift today. You have the ability to bring the conversation from in person to online. Make the difference now and start your family.
