By Ted McEnroe, The Community Roundtable
In The State of Community Management reports, we refer frequently to “Best in Class” communities. From a statistical standpoint, we are referring to the communities that scored in the top 20% overall in the State of Community Management survey (which you can still take here to get your score).
Looking at the data, we found the best communities had a number of common features that help make them more successful. We highlight some of those general elements in the report, and note them in our Monday facts.
How do best-in-class communities achieve community empowerment? Three examples:
- They prioritize new members: Nearly 90% of best-in-class communities have new member welcome programs, versus just 54% of communities overall.
- They empower member advocates: Nearly half of best-in-class communities have multitiered advocacy programs, meaning they place a high priority on identifying and serving their most active constituencies, often with programs that give these informal leaders access to information and executives in exchange for their efforts on behalf of the community.
- They involve members in planning: More than 80% of best-in-class communities get members involved in their community planning, helping to ensure that the community represents the values of the organization and the members – a key part of community maturity.
The result is more vibrant communities with greater member engagement – the best-in-class group has more active members, and a greater level of member contributions, a sign that members feel ownership over the community.
Once upon a time, the thought was that if you built it, they would come. best-in-class communities know they will come, but only when you welcome them, include them in running the community and help them realize real rewards for their efforts in the community.
Looking for ways to learn best practices in community management in a safe, open environment that reflects those practices? We’d love to have you join TheCR Network, our professional network for the best community professionals. Learn more at https://www.communityroundtable.com/TheCRNetwork.
