Throwback Thursday – Community Strategy 101

By Shannon Abram, The Community Roundtable

Too often new community managers (or veteran community managers faced with a brand new community) will dive right in – because from day one, the to-do list can be daunting. We can’t urge you strongly enough: STOP! DROP! STRATEGIZE!!

To liberally paraphrase the great Ben Franklin – an ounce of stratigization is worth a pound of community success. (Our apologies to Mr. Franklin…) But seriously – time and time again our research has shown that communities that spend time thinking about their long term strategy are simply more successful. Join us for this week’s trip in the way-back machine as we explore community strategy 101.

This week’s #throwbackthursday focuses on Community Strategy 101 – getting back to basics with the fundamentals of building a community strategy.

The Basics of Community Strategy – Are you just getting started and looking to build your community strategy? We recommend using the Community Maturity Model to help in building a community strategy.
Why is a Community Roadmap Important? – A roadmap highlights your community’s objectives and how you will achieve them. When you have a roadmap, your conversations with stakeholders become more productive. Instead of talking about “why we should invest in community,” you can discuss where to target your investments.
I need to build a community strategy. Where do I start? – Whether you are starting from scratch with a new community, or taking over an existing community that could use some love there is a good chance you’ll be tasked with building a community strategy.
For TheCR Network Eyes Only: Community Pitch Deck – Are you a member of TheCR Network? Check out this community strategy pitch deck that a fellow member put together to make the case for their community strategy!