1. COMMUNITIES 101
DAN FRANC

3. = COMMUNITIES

4. EFFECTIVE
DURABLE
SCALABLE
FOR YOU & FOR THEM
= COMMUNITIES

6. ????!!!!!!

7. CAN’T OWN THEM
CAN’T MANAGE THEM
CAN’T CREATE THEM
????!!!!!!

9. THE POINT IS...:
1. COMMUNITIES CAN HELP
CUSTOMER RELATIONS ON A GRAND SCALE
2. THEY EMERGE GRASSROOT - YET THEY CAN BE HELPED
3. THEY FOLLOW CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT PATTERN THAT
CAN BE SUPPORTED AND ACCELERATED
4. A CORPORATE PARTNER CAN BE INVOLVED INTO A
VARYING EXTENT - THE CHOICE IS YOURS

10. COMMUNITY IS...

11. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED PEOPLE

12. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED PEOPLE (VIA A
SHARED PASSION *))
*) NOT NECESSARILY GOALS, INTEREST OR DEMOGRAPHICS

13. COMMUNITY IS NOT A
FOLLOWING, WHERE MANY
FOLLOW ONE.

14. COMMUNITY IS NOT A SOCIAL
MEDIA PAGE WITH ONLY 2-WAY
COMMUNICATION.

15. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED AND ___________
PEOPLE

16. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED AND INTERACTING
PEOPLE.

17. COMMUNITY SIZE DOESN’T
MATTER AS LONG AS PEOPLE
ARE CONNECTED AND
INTERACTING

18. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED PEOPLE VIA A
PASSION AND INTERACTION,
WHICH GIVES ITS MEMBERS
SOMETHING: SENSE.

19. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED PEOPLE VIA A
PASSION AND INTERACTION,
WHICH GIVES ITS MEMBERS
SOMETHING: SENSE.
“My life is better”

20. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED PEOPLE VIA A
PASSION AND INTERACTION,
WHICH GIVES ITS MEMBERS
SOMETHING: SENSE.
“I belong to”
“My life is better”

21. COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF
CONNECTED PEOPLE VIA A
PASSION AND INTERACTION,
WHICH GIVES ITS MEMBERS
SOMETHING: SENSE.
“I live my passion”
“I belong to”
“My life is better”

22. Bottom line of the nature of communities:
To see a community develop, you need to support
creation of an environment of connected and
interacting people, which makes their life better.
Structures without these elements might not be a
communities and the community power might not be
applicable to them.

23. PEOPLE NEED TO BELONG
/ TO A COMMUNITY

25. BECAUSE OF
ITS RICHNESS

26. BECAUSE OF BECAUSE OF
ITS RICHNESS ITS POWER

27. BECAUSE OF BECAUSE OF
ITS RICHNESS ITS POWER

28. COMMUNITY ISN’T JUST
A CROWD. IT’S A TRIBE.

29. PEOPLE SEARCH THEIR TRIBE

30. PEOPLE LOOK FOR THEIR TRIBE

31. RELATIONSHIPS: FAMILY
ACTIVITY: SPONTANEOUS
CREATIVITY: WILD & CHAOTIC
PARTICIPATION: ENGAGED
LOYALTY: HIGH
PEOPLE LOOK FOR THEIR TRIBE

32. LET’S HELP THEM FIND IT!

34. BUT HEY, WE DON’T
NEED A BOSS!

35. WE NEED A
PLUMBER, A
GARDENER AND A
GATEKEEPER
BUT HEY, WE DON’T
NEED A BOSS!

37. ?

38. ?
CAN WE PROVIDE THESE?

40. ?
AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?

41. AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?
IT MUST BE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME, WHAT’S IN IT FOR MEMBERS.
YOU ARE ONLY ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AFTER ALL.

42. RELATIONSHIPS: FAMILY
ACTIVITY: SPONTANEOUS
CREATIVITY: WILD & CHAOTIC
PARTICIPATION: ENGAGED
LOYALTY: HIGH
AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?
IT MUST BE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME, WHAT’S IN IT FOR MEMBERS.
YOU ARE ONLY ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AFTER ALL.

43. AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?

44. Attract to tech
Build loyalty
Get feedback
Build buzz
Learn about customer needs
Build awareness
Educate the system
Find people
Have things done
Tap the innovations
AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?

46. IT’S NOT
A MARKETING
TOOL !

48. old school communication community communication

49. old school communication community communication
we launch campaigns to the
we insert stimuli into community
community
the community talks to us & all in

50. old school communication community communication
we launch campaigns to the
we insert stimuli into community
community
we communicate one way the community talks to us & all in
it

51. old school communication community communication
we launch campaigns to the
we insert stimuli into community
community
we communicate one way the community talks to us & all in
it
it’s the community members who
it’s only us who talk about us
talk about us

52. old school communication community communication
we launch campaigns to the
we insert stimuli into community
community
we communicate one way the community talks to us & all in
it
it’s the community members who
it’s only us who talk about us
talk about us
we talk to a community we are members of a community

53. old school communication community communication
we launch campaigns to the
we insert stimuli into community
community
we communicate one way the community talks to us & all in
it
it’s the community members who
it’s only us who talk about us
talk about us
we talk to a community we are members of a community
we do market studies the market explains itself to us

54. BUT: MEMBERS’ INTEREST MUST
GO FIRST. ALMOST.

55. (ACTUALLY: IT’S THE
COMMUNITY LEADERS INTERESTS
WHICH GO FIRST)

56. Bottom line of the tribal leadership:
You have to find out what your audience is passionate
about - best by listening to the existing chatter, which
also proves that this passion has the power to connect.
Then create a mechanism for people to relate to one
another based on that passion.
Be aware of the benefits for you, but don’t build
everything on them and don’t see the community as
your marketing branch. That’s the zen way of getting
from communities what you don’t cling to.

57. BUILDING A COMMUNITY

58. BUILDING A COMMUNITY

59. BUILDING A COMMUNITY

60. “INSPIRING COMMUNITY
GROWTH”

62. 1. UNDERSTAND

63. 1. UNDERSTAND
2. SEEDING

64. 1. UNDERSTAND
2. SEEDING
3. TEST RUN

65. 1. UNDERSTAND
2. SEEDING
3. TEST RUN
4. PUBLIC OPENING

66. 1. UNDERSTAND
2. SEEDING
3. TEST RUN
4. PUBLIC OPENING
5. SUSTAINABILITY

68. IT
DOES
TAKE
TIME
TO GET
TO THE
STARS

70. TAKE ONLY
ONE STEP AT
A TIME SO
THAT YOU
CAN
BACKTRACK
EASILY.

72. BETTER
MANY
SMALL STEPS
THAN ONE
BIG LEAP.

74. ONCE THE
COMMUNITY
GETS
ROLLING,
NOTHING
CAN STOP IT.

75. Bottom line of the community evolution:
Newly evolved communities follow similar patterns of
their growth but you never can be sure how the
individual steps will look like and how long they will
take. But once the mass of energy, people and
connections is created, it’s undestructible.

76. WHY A COMMUNITY?

77. 1. UNDERSTAND
WHY A COMMUNITY?

78. IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR A
COMMUNITY?

79. IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR A
COMMUNITY?
PASSIONATE THEME?

80. IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR A
COMMUNITY?
PASSIONATE THEME?
BEING DISCUSSED?

81. IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR A
COMMUNITY?
PASSIONATE THEME?
BEING DISCUSSED?
BY “ENOUGH” PEOPLE?

82. IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR A
COMMUNITY?
PASSIONATE THEME?
BEING DISCUSSED?
BY “ENOUGH” PEOPLE?

83. IF YES...

84. IF YES...
who the community will be mainly for about?

85. IF YES...
who the community will be mainly for about?
how members benefit and how?

86. IF YES...
who the community will be mainly for about?
how members benefit and how?
how organizers benefit and how?

87. IF YES...
who the community will be mainly for about?
how members benefit and how?
how organizers benefit and how?
how you benefit and how?

88. DECIDE “WHY” A COMMUNITY

89. DECIDE “WHY” A COMMUNITY
Is a community the right way to achieve the
benefits?

90. DECIDE “WHY” A COMMUNITY
Is a community the right way to achieve the
benefits?
In your country and around the passion you identified.. is
there potential for a
community ?

91. DECIDE “WHY” A COMMUNITY
Is a community the right way to achieve the
benefits?
In your country and around the passion you identified.. is
there potential for a
community ?
Does the management support the initiative?

92. BUILD ON VALUES

93. BUILD ON VALUES
Values
Norms
Behaviors

94. BUILD ON VALUES
Values
Norms
Behaviors
THIS IS HOW IT’S OFTEN DONE,
BUT IT’S NOT NECESSARILY GREAT.
DEFINING JUST BEHAVIORS OR
RULES DOESN’T PROVIDE A
STRONG GUIDANCE FOR NEW
INITIATIVES OR IDEAS.

95. BUILD ON VALUES
Values
Norms
Behaviors
THIS IS HOW IT’S OFTEN DONE,
BUT IT’S NOT NECESSARILY GREAT.
DEFINING JUST BEHAVIORS OR
RULES DOESN’T PROVIDE A
STRONG GUIDANCE FOR NEW
INITIATIVES OR IDEAS.

96. BUILD ON VALUES
Values
Norms
Behaviors

97. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM

98. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS

99. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS
• CONTENTS

100. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS
• CONTENTS
• “VIP TREATMENT” of
organizers

101. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS
• CONTENTS
• “VIP TREATMENT” of
organizers
• PROMO & PR

102. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS
• CONTENTS
• “VIP TREATMENT” of
organizers
• PROMO & PR
• SWAG

103. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS
• CONTENTS
• “VIP TREATMENT” of
organizers
• PROMO & PR
• SWAG
• MENTORING/
COACHING

104. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS • PLATFORM CREATION
• CONTENTS
• “VIP TREATMENT” of
organizers
• PROMO & PR
• SWAG
• MENTORING/
COACHING

105. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS • PLATFORM CREATION
• CONTENTS • NETWORKING
• “VIP TREATMENT” of
organizers
• PROMO & PR
• SWAG
• MENTORING/
COACHING

106. DECIDE ON THE SUPPORT FORM
• EVENTS • PLATFORM CREATION
• CONTENTS • NETWORKING
• “VIP TREATMENT” of • FINANCIAL SUPPORT
organizers
• PROMO & PR
• SWAG
• MENTORING/
COACHING

107. WANT MORE?
THEN DECIDE IF YOU HAVE THE BALLS...
... to deal with community specifics:
... long run
... unpredictability
... more facilitation than management
... shared ownership
... work with volunteers
... creating a non-corporate atmosphere

108. Bottom line of the community preparation:
You have to decide whether a community is a right
form for your goals and how much you want to be
involved.
If the community “doesn’t exist”, don’t even try to
start it. Otherwise, at the minimum, you can setup the
tone and create an “empty garden” for seeds to arrive
(hopefully).
If you decide to support a community, you must learn
a non-hierarchical managerial style and let go your
control of ownership.

109. PREPARING
THE GROUND

110. 2. SEEDING
PREPARING
THE GROUND

111. ACCEPT SHARED CONTROL

112. ACCEPT SHARED CONTROL
old school control community control
our community members create
our company people create values
values
our company “owns” people who our company “attracts” people
create values who create values
our company participates in the
our company owns the product or
ownership of the community
the platform
products
our company owns all know-how or the knowledge is spread among
can choose to open it community members
decisions in our company are top- decisions in our community are
down and hierarchical spread and non-hierarchical

113. AGAIN: TAKING MORE THAN ONE STEP AT A
TIME MIGHT COST YOU SOME BACKTRACKING

114. FORGET ABOUT A PERFECT
COMMUNITY DESIGN.
IT’S AN ITERATION AFTER ITERATION

115. Bottom line of the seeding phase:
It’ll be as good as will be the people who will actually
be the gravity points towards which other organizers,
members and activity recipients will be attracted.
And if you manage to get those leaders under one
umbrella, you will create a potential to multiply their
effect and help creation of a truly national community.
Don’t plan too much though.

116. OPEN IT, BUT STAY CALM

117. 3. TEST RUN
OPEN IT, BUT STAY CALM

118. GET PUBLICLY
AND GROW
EXCITED

119. 4. PUBLIC LAUNCH
GET PUBLICLY
AND GROW
EXCITED

120. FOR THE
GROWTH, FORGET
ABOUT A CENTER.
THE MOVEMENT
IS DEFINED BY
THE PERIPHERY

121. YET ANOTHER GOLDEN MANTRA
You can’t make
people join a
community,
become
organizers or
create events. All
you can do is to
create an
attractive
environment that

122. LET IT GROW.
AND LET IT BE.

123. 5. SUSTAINABILITY
LET IT GROW.
AND LET IT BE.

124. IT MIGHT RUN ON
AUTOPILOT.

126. COMMUNITIES ARE LIKE A MOON. THEY’RE
EITHER GROWING, OR DECREASING.

127. ALWAYS CHANGE THINGS,
ALWAYS ADD THINGS.

128. AND WHEN THEIR TIME
COMES, LET THEM GO

129. Bottom line of the sustained growth:
Don’t go on autopilot.
The energy/resources that you’ll get by seeing many of
the things done by the community can now be spent
on new projects, new chapters, new dreams - and on
dealing with leadership succession and activity
terminations.

130. Daniel Franc
dan@gug.cz
Google+
http://plus.ly/danfranc
linkedIn: Daniel Franc