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

What is a Rewarded Job?

Rewarded jobs are attractive offers that employers post on an exclusive job board on DigitalWisers for industry experts to find and refer candidates. These offers work according to a system specifically designed to reach only the best-fit talent as quickly as possible. Rewarded jobs are only available to a special group of people called "Blok owners" and are not visible to candidates or companies. (For more info: Who is a Blok owner?)What are the advantages of rewarded jobs?There are several important advantages of rewarded jobs:Access to a wider talent pool: Rewarded jobs allow you to discover talent that you may not have reached before. This is an advantage considering that the network of Blok owners are usually experienced and highly-skilled.Faster candidate referrals: High-amounts of rewards attract more attention from Blok owners, which leads to faster candidate referrals. This allows the position to be filled sooner.Only the best-fit candidates: As Blok owners are experts in their industry, they focus on finding not only the "top" but also the "best-fit" candidate. While trying to understand the needs of open positions in detail, they also try to find the best talents in terms of skills, experience and personality traits that best fit the company and the position.Paying the reward when the candidate starts: Blok owners receive the reward when the candidate starts working.How is the amount of the reward determined?The amount of the reward is determined by the employer. The employer sets a reward amount based on the requirements of the position, industry standards and the importance of the position. This reward is a critical factor in attracting the attention of Blok owners who see the advertisement and accelerating candidate recommendations.How does it work?Posting a rewarded job is quite simple:The employer creates the job on DigitalWisers and sets the reward amount.The job is published on a board accessible only to Blok owners.Blok owners view the rewarded job and refer candidates.The employer ranks the candidates based on their DWS Score and selects the best-fit candidate from the referred candidates.When the selected candidate starts working, the Blok owner who referred the candidate is paid the set reward amount.Rewarded jobs are an effective way for employers to quickly attract the best-fit candidates. In rewarded jobs, all Blok owners compete with each other to recommend only the best-fit candidates. The AI algorithm DWS Score calculates the candidates' match with the job. All referred candidates are ranked according to their DWS Score.Post your rewarded jobs on Digital Wisers and find the best-fit candidate easy and fast!

06.09.2023 · DigitalWisers
What is Community Management? How to Build an Online Community?

For Communities

What is Community Management? How to Build an Online Community?

Community management has emerged as a critical area in the digital world where brands, individuals, and organizations interact, communicate, and build loyalty. With the rise of social media and digital platforms, community management has become a strategic necessity. In this article, we will explore what community management entails, how to build an online community, and key considerations for success.What is Community Management? Community management is a process that enables brands and organizations to directly and meaningfully communicate with their target audience. This process encompasses key stages, such as creating, growing, and maintaining a community.How to Build an Online Community?Building an online community requires careful planning and strategy. Here are the fundamental steps to get started:1. Define Your Brand’s Growth Goals with the CommunityBefore diving into community building, it’s essential to clearly define your business objectives. Answer the following questions:What is your brand’s primary purpose?What problems are you solving?What long-term results do you expect from your community?These answers will form the foundation of your community and guide your strategies effectively.2. Develop Your StrategyEstablishing a clear strategy ensures success in community management. Consider the following elements when crafting your strategy:Content Types: Choose content like blog posts, videos, and polls.Timing: Plan when to share your content. For instance, create weekly or monthly content schedules.Platform Selection: Focus on platforms where your target audience is most active.3. Motivate Your CommunityKeeping your community engaged and motivated is vital for its longevity. Here are some effective methods:Organize contests.Reward active members.Offer exclusive content and discounts.4. Interact with UsersMaintain constant communication with your community. Respond to comments on posts, conduct polls, and take user feedback into account to ensure an active and dynamic community.5. Add Value Through Your ContentThe content you provide should captivate your community, add value, and address their needs. Content types can include:Core Content: Information about your brand or industry news.Educational Content: Guides that help users solve their problems.Engagement-Oriented Content: Polls, quizzes, and contests to encourage interaction.6. Analyze and MeasureEvaluate your community’s performance to assess the success of your engagement efforts. Focus on metrics like:Engagement rates on posts.Follower growth.User feedback.These insights will help you refine your strategy and achieve better results.ConclusionCommunity management plays a crucial role in a brand or organization’s success in the digital realm. With the right strategies, you can build a community that aligns with your goals, foster its growth, and establish sustainable loyalty.Frequently Asked Questions1. Why is community management important?Community management allows brands to directly engage with their target audience and build long-term customer loyalty.2. On which platforms can I create a community?Communities can be created on social media platforms or dedicated community management tools.3. What tools can be used for community management?Tools like DigitalWisers offer the fastest and most efficient way to manage communities.4. What qualities make a successful community manager?Strong communication skills, creativity, patience, and mastery of social media platforms are key attributes.5. How long does it take to build a community?Community building is a long-term investment and requires consistent effort. Initial results are usually seen within a few months.6. How can community growth be encouraged?Using engagement-focused content, conducting polls, offering incentives, and incorporating user feedback are effective ways to encourage growth.

18.11.2024 · DigitalWisers
Adaptation Into an AI-driven Job World

For Members

Adaptation Into an AI-driven Job World

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the rapid advancement of technology is reshaping industries and transforming job markets at an unprecedented pace. As automation becomes more prevalent, it is crucial for individuals to adapt and acquire new skills to remain relevant in the workforce. Reskilling has emerged as a vital strategy for professionals to navigate this changing landscape and secure their future employability. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of reskilling in the age of AI and discuss how individuals can effectively embrace the adoption of a new model of work.How Are New Technologies Changing Skills?New technologies, especially AI, are automating several tasks that were traditionally performed by humans. In Microsoft's 2023 Job Index Report, the data showed something surprising: workers are more eager for AI to help them with their work than they are afraid of losing their jobs to AI. Even though 49% of people worry that AI will take their jobs, 70% would give as much work as possible to AI to make their lives easier. This collaboration not only increases efficiency but also demands a different set of skills. Automated systems are increasingly replacing manual and repetitive tasks, giving workers more time to concentrate on innovative ideas, complex problem-solving, and creative thinking. The ability to learn and pick up new skills swiftly is now a must-have, as technology advances at an unprecedented rate. Adaptability, flexibility, and a growth mindset are crucial as we navigate the interplay between humans and machines. New research suggests that technical skills, which include professional knowledge and experience, may become less important as artificial intelligence improves. According to current thinking, human review and the provision of the necessary arrangements are necessary because artificial intelligence results cannot be completely accurate. When artificial intelligence technologies deliver almost exact or totally accurate results, technical skills will no longer be essential for fully automated corporate positions. At this point, re-skilling comes to the fore because it allows individuals to adapt and acquire new skills that are in demand in a rapidly changing job market. As artificial intelligence continues to advance, individuals will need to develop skills that complement and enhance the capabilities of these technologies, such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. What are the standout skills?Microsoft's 2023 Job Trend Index report revealed that the three most important skills that employers and their employees believe are necessary are analytical reasoning, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. Using emotional intelligence, the ability to empathize, relationship management, and communication come first. Artificial intelligence's current limitations prevent it from being used to make exact projections and develop effective plans for the future. At this point, learning how to ask the right questions also emerges as a new skill.Alessandro Di Fiore, a former writer for Harvard Business Review, emphasizes the importance of judgment in the age of artificial intelligence, arguing that reasoning ability will become as crucial as technical skills as all workers gain access to AI.These skills are seen as essential because AI can handle routine tasks and data analysis, but it lacks the ability to understand human emotions and effectively communicate with others. As AI becomes more prevalent in the workplace, individuals who possess strong judgment and emotional intelligence will be better equipped to navigate complex situations and build meaningful connections with colleagues and clients. The Path to Successful Re-Skilling Identifying in-demand skillsBefore embarking on a re-skilling journey, it's crucial to identify which skills are in high demand in the job market. Research and analyze industry trends to make informed decisions.Online learning platformsThe internet offers a wealth of resources for re-skilling. Online learning platforms such as Coursera, edX, and LinkedIn Learning provide a vast array of courses on topics ranging from data science to digital marketing.Joining CommunitiesNetworking with professionals and joining professional communities in your desired field can provide valuable guidance and insights. Learning from experienced individuals can accelerate your re-skilling process.Reskilling in the age of AI is not just about surviving technological disruptions but also about embracing new opportunities and unlocking the full potential of human capabilities. By recognizing the changing skill landscape and taking proactive measures to reskill, both talents and companies can thrive amidst the rapid advances in technology.

03.10.2023 · DigitalWisers