Check these three easy community management to-dos off your list and set yourself up for community success.
The days are getting longer, the sun is peeking through… it’s time for a SPRING CLEANING! Our quick wins for April focus on cleaning out the old to make space for the new.
1. Refresh your Community Design
Thriving communities update their UX frequently… you want your community to thrive, right? There’s no need to replace the entire interface, but changing icons or adding a feature you’ve been considering can spark interest and, in turn, increase engagement. To make sure your changes are intentional and strategic, we’ll provide some expert advice. Stephanie Field, Community Manager at Carbon Black, has tips for thoughtful community UX:
1. Do leverage internal experts.
Mine your organization for internal resources that are experts in user experience for feedback and ideas. This might include your UX team, designers and QA folks.
2. Do your research.
Conducting research beforehand ensures that you have the interests of your audience in mind. Analytics, stakeholder interviews and end-user interviews all contribute to a well-rounded view of needs.
3. Don’t procrastinate.
When you have to rely on other teams to be successful be proactive with the project deliverables. Getting the necessary resources in place so everything is ready for go-live will make sure you launch smoothly.
4. Don’t over-promise.
Set clear expectations in the beginning of the project of what internal stakeholders and end users can expect. When you crush expectations, then everyone will be even more bought into the UX.
Read more here and get started!
2. Allocate your Budget Wisely
Spring cleaning includes cleaning up your spending! We know many budgets are lower than they have been in years past, and that’s okay. You can still improve your community with whatever funds you have. Where should you put your money to get the greatest return? Starting with content and programs is a good idea.
Our 2023 State of Community Management report showed best-in-class communities allocating money toward virtual discussions, new member onboarding, and member spotlights.
Don’t be afraid to leverage knowledge from outside your community team! 76% of best-in-class communities reported to be pulling from “peers from other areas of the organization.” Not only is it a good idea to get a diverse perspective, it’s also usually FREE! The same thing can be said for creating valuable content: utilize your connections who know your company well!
See more content and programming data from the 2023 SOCM report here.
3. Calculate your Community Score
You may be familiar with our Community Maturity model, or CMM. This defines the eight competencies required to build a successful business community. The Community Roundtable created this model back in 2009! It has since been updated and community professionals use it both as a community management checklist and as an organizational roadmap.
The Community Roundtable offers a free tool to benchmark your community using the CMM. If you’ve never done it, great, try it now! If you did it years ago, try again and see how you’ve improved! Knowing where your community stands can help inform you on what to work on next. The Community Score Assessment takes less than 20 minutes, and your answers are not shared anywhere.
