Getting started: Community Sketchbook

If you’re thinking about building a community initiative for your organisation then there are some key questions that you can answer to help you to design an engaging community that will deliver the value you seek.

I have created a community sketchbook resource to help you answer those questions. This design is inspired by the community canvas but I have focussed it on community marketing initiatives as this is predominantly the model my clients are most interested in. I find that writing them down in this way helps you see how the different parts and decisions are connected. For people who just want to know what the questions are, here you go!

Why does the community exist? It helps to answer this question from the perspective of the community member and of your organisation too. Defining the purpose of the community will dramatically change how you shape your community experience.

Who is the community for? Do you have a clear idea of the kind of person􏰀you would like to be a member?􏰉 Do you know􏰖enough about them to design an engaging community? You must answer all of these questions with extreme clarity to ensure you’re on the right path.

What value do the members get? Members need to get enough value from your community to stay engaged. Do you know what they value most and are you the right person/business to deliver it?

How will your community gather and connect? It’s not a community if your members aren’t connecting so identifying this early on is key.

What roles can community members play? How can they give back. Reciprocity builds bonds of trust so find a way for members to contribute.

What happens in the community regularly that builds the experience? What about this experience is unique to your community? What is onboarding like?

Finally you need to set your vision. If your community is a success, what will it look like in 12 months time? How will you measure if it has been a success?

I hope the sketchbook is a useful start. If you’d like my help to build a strategy from here please get on touch.