Listen in for a quick "Tips in 20" webinar to learn how to build a strategic framework that will allow your online community to evolve and achieve ongoing success.
Tips in 20 - How To Build an Online Community Strategic Framework
1.
2. Community Strategy Framework
BUSINESS GOALS ENGAGEMENT MODEL & PLAN
1. Content Plan
2. Event Plan
3. Community Promotion Plan METRICS/ROI
COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE
4. Community Moderation Plan
MEMBER NEEDS
3. 1) Business Goal
boil it down to one sentence
Enable Customers to Collaborate, Share Knowledge, Increase Revenue
Differentiate Yourself From Other Service Providers
Increase Sales (retain members, increase member loyalty)
Increase Brand Awareness
Eliminate Geographic Barriers to Networking
Decrease Cost of Customer Service
Co-creation of New Products
Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader
Better Search Results
Provide Additional Information
Educate Customers
4. 1) Business Goal
The business goal of PD 360 was to raise student achievement. They accomplished a
lift of 11.3% improvement in student achievement through an online learning
community for teachers with on demand professional development .
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11. 3) Member Needs Analysis
Understand your audience. Don’t ask me, ask them.
Share Knowledge: Explore ideas and
participate in one-on-one private Need for
discussions threads. Access actionable confidentiality
experienced-based solutions from like
minds.
Connect With Peers: Network with one
another to find exactly the individual you
need who shares your passion. Combat
isolation, share emotions, and experience
a sense of camaraderie.
Access Tools: find resources that allow
you to do your job better, shorten
decision times, and decrease risk.
Mirror Current Hot Issues & Needs:
Burning need to
Share information
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12. 3) Member Needs Analysis
Interview or survey employees to profile your audience
What member types or personas exist?
Can you predict their needs?
How do their needs vary?
What are they looking for?
How do they like to interact now?
How willing are they to share openly?
Do they want exposure?
Do they want to influence others?
Do they want to shape the department?
Are they time crunched?
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14. 3) Member Needs Analysis
Professiona
Professiona
Member Needs Analysis
Consultant
Business
Vendor
Other
Exec
IT
l
l
DEMOGRAPHIC
Career Level
Role
Areas of Interest
Geographic Location
College
Gender
Groups/Associations/Honors/Awards
NEEDS and SKILLS
Knowledge transfer
Leverage the experience of others
Collaborate on information and ideas
Implement BPM faster and learn from peers
Other
WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE
Comment or Rate (blog, wiki, chat, content)
Contribute content (blog, group docs, wiki, chat)
Speak (teleconference, webcast)
Lead or Chair (group, blog, wiki)
Collaborate (group, wiki)
ENGAGEMENT PREFERENCE
Chat
Post or Comment or Rate
Collaborate via wiki
Read content
Attend or lead teleconferences
Join or lead group
Private meetings with other members
Face to face events
CONCERNS
Trust or risk of online permanent record
Lack of time
16. Community Strategy Framework
BUSINESS GOALS ENGAGEMENT MODEL & PLAN
1. Content Plan
2. Event Plan
3. Community Promotion Plan
COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE
4. Community Moderation Plan
EMPLOYEE NEEDS
17. 4) Engagement Model
Content Plan
What will you publish?
Where will you publish?
How often will you publish?
How to integrate with traditional channels?
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18. 4) Engagement Model
Customize your engagement model based on member needs
Announce new members to the
community & within groups
Highlight relevant articles to
member types
Invite members to participate in
relevant events
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19. 4) Engagement Model
Active and relevant moderation engages members
• Plan touch point cycles
30% of
• Plan your trigger points
moderation is
• Plan for private and semi-private communication active
involvement
70% of
moderation is
behind the scenes
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20. 4) Engagement Model
Create multiple ways for members to participate
• Chair an affinity group or task force
• Employee-led webinars and teleconferences
• Small group calls, intimate setting, like-minded peers
• Collaborative projects and tools
• Dedicated column in publications
• Member spotlights
• Awards
• Leadership Development: video series on leaders
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21. 4) Engagement Model
Strive to balance the elements of the community
Content
Mix up the formats (text, media, audio…)
Seed with company generated content
Reward member-generated content
Events
Offer online webinars
Encourage members to host
Integrate in-person events such as conferences
Member-to-Member Interactions
Online: includes discussion forums, blogs, wikis, email, chat
Offline/Face-to-Face: includes phone calls, in-person meetings
Outreach or Promotion
Actively moderate and drive new memberships
Pushing and pull qualitative and quantitative information
Newsletters, digests, polls and surveys
2007 Patricia Seybold Group Inc.
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23. Community Strategy Framework
BUSINESS GOALS ENGAGEMENT MODEL & PLAN
1. Content Plan
2. Event Plan
3. Community Promotion Plan METRICS/ROI
COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE
4. Community Moderation Plan
EMPLOYEE NEEDS
25. 5) Metrics
Targeted members
Total members
New member acquisition per month
Average member logins per month
Average Page Views
Average Time Spent
Most active discussion thread
Most active group
Average Post/Thread
26. 5) Metrics
Build an ROI set based upon your dimensions of value
1. Activity
2. Engagement
3. Influencers
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29. Community Strategy Framework
BUSINESS GOALS ENGAGEMENT MODEL & PLAN
1. Content Plan
2. Event Plan
3. Community Promotion Plan METRICS/ROI
COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE
4. Community Moderation Plan
MEMBER NEEDS
30. Strategic Framework Questionnaire
Business Goals:
Try to boil it down to one sentence that gets to the core.
o Increase Brand Awareness , Personalize Your Brand
o Collaborate with Customers , Gain Insight , Co-create Products
o Decrease Cost of Customer Service
o Optimize Site, Better Search Results, More Traffic
o Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader, Educate Customers
o Increase Sales
What type of community will you be (Shop Talk, Info Dissemination, Professional
Collaboration)?
What are your expected outcomes?
Who are the main stakeholders?
31. Strategic Framework Questionnaire
Competitive Landscape:
Where are your members currently having discussions online?
How active are your members in social networking?
How does an online community weave into your overall communications strategy?
32. Strategic Framework Questionnaire
Member Needs Analysis:
What member types exist?
What are they looking for (might vary by member type)?
Where do they go? How do they like to interact? How much time do they have?
How willing are they to share openly? Do they want exposure?
Do they want to shape the industry or influence the next generation?
33. Strategic Framework Questionnaire
Engagement Model and Roadmap:
Engagement Model: it is important to plan and balance engagement elements such as:
o Event Plan: online and in person
o Content Plan: text to media, both internal and member generated
o Member to Member Interaction Plan: online discussions, blogs, wikis, chats, emails OR
offline phone calls and meetings
o Outreach or Promotion Plan: push and pull qualitative/quantitative newsletter, polls,
surveys etc.
What engagement elements do you currently leverage?
What new forms of engagement would you like to employ, is there a gap, which will be
prioritized?
Who are your "creators" of content or discussions? Do you need to recruit more creators or
hosts?
How will you integrate with other marketing channels (traditional marketing / social channels)?
34. Strategic Framework Questionnaire
Metrics / ROI:
What quantitative metrics do you currently monitor?
What qualitative metrics do you currently monitor?
How does each metric tie to your business goals and your dimensions of value?