For Communities

How to Build Thriving Communities: Based on 20+ Years of Insights

02.09.2024 · DigitalWisers
How to Build Thriving Communities: Based on 20+ Years of Insights

Have you ever wondered why some communities experience continuous growth and sustained engagement while others seem to stagnate? Heather VanCura, a seasoned community manager with 20+ years of experience, has had a front-row seat to the evolution of community-driven growth. In her article featured on Community Led Growth, she highlights the commonalities among numerous thriving communities, from her involvement in the Java Community at Sun Microsystems to her tenure managing technical and non-technical communities at Oracle:

Throughout my career, I've employed a diverse range of community strategies across various technical and non-technical groups, including Java and MySQL communities. This article distills some key insights I've gleaned regarding community interaction, the motivations behind participation, and core community values. These insights can serve as a valuable resource for enhancing your community management practices:

The Foundation of Successful Communities: Community Values 

The first step in building a community is establishing a solid value system. Community management is fundamentally about human relationships and the connections people form with one another. Successful communities are built on values that are long-term, inclusive, and practical. For example, the Java Platform community has focused on principles like "quality and security, performance, sustainable code, compatibility, and community ownership" for over 20 years.

Taking time to engage in sincere conversations about these values with both current and potential community members is crucial. Remember, one of the most important aspects of community building is listening. As VanCura often says, "Listen more than you talk, especially if you're managing a community."

Establishing the Foundations of Your Community 

Once you’ve defined your values, it’s time to consider the foundational structure of your community. This includes:

  • Membership types

  • Governance models

  • Contributor agreements

  • Community platforms

While these elements should remain relatively stable, they can evolve over time. Engaging in strategic discussions about these aspects before launching your community is essential. If you work within an organization, discuss these with your leadership chain and gather feedback from potential community members.

Creating Member Personas 

To truly understand and best serve your community, it’s essential to create member personas. Who are the people you’re trying to reach? What motivates them? What benefits will they gain from joining your community?

Communities often have multiple personas. For example, a technical community might include:

  • Business-focused individuals

  • Technology-focused developers

  • Developer customers

  • Contributing developers

  • Designers or data scientists

Understanding these different personas will help you tailor your engagement strategies and ensure you meet the diverse needs of your community members.

Providing High-Quality Content

 When starting a new community, it’s crucial to begin with a strong foundation of high-quality content. You don’t want to present an empty community to your first members. Collaborate with other teams or external content creators, such as agencies or freelancers, to create engaging, value-driven content that aligns with your community’s goals and values.

Collaborating with Internal Teams 

If you’re launching a community within an organization, it’s important to engage with other departments, such as marketing, sales, and engineering. Ensure that they are aware of the community and can direct potential members to you. Remember, a community cannot be built in isolation—internal communities require collaboration across the organization.

Building Partnerships 

Even if you have the backing of a large organization, partnerships are crucial for community growth. Consider partnering with:

  • User groups

  • Brand ambassadors

  • Influencers

  • Related organizations or communities

These partnerships can help amplify your message, gather feedback, and scale your community more effectively.

The key to building a successful community lies in constructing it around human relationships and shared values. Community management is, at its core, about the connections people form with one another. Clearly defining your community values, building a structure based on these values, and understanding your member personas are essential steps in laying a solid foundation for your community. Additionally, producing high-quality content, collaborating with internal teams, and establishing strategic partnerships will contribute to the sustainable growth of your community.

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For Companies

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For Companies

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16.12.2024 · DigitalWisers