I agree with Max's point below. It used to be (during Covid especially) that all you had to was "build it and they will come" as you point out. In addition to having genuine engagement and connection in a community, how we can effectively "message" that as we promote these communities now that we can't simply "hang up a sign" and have people lining up to join simply because they crave connection.. Maybe it has to do with being more specialized or targeted in what our vision or mission for the community is?
This reminds me of the chat thread we started last week about clarifying the reason why people are gathering and articulating it in such a way that it’s easily understood. That’s definitely a great starting point.
Oh - and I almost always agree with @Max Pete! He’s awesome. 😎
Laura: I can't remember how we previously chatted, but could you possibly drop me an email at stevepsyd@gmail.com so I can share with you a first rough draft of a project proposal for the idea I mentioned to you?
I think the previous versions of Social Media, like X, Facebook, IG, and even LinkedIn are transactional social networks. They became marketplaces, everybody wants to get something.
Nothing wrong with that, many conferences are also marketplaces.
But we we talk about communities, it is more of a "relational" space. It is hard to explain, but I think it is about giving more than getting. At the end, the result is that everyone wins.
You need people in those communities who genuinely want to be there and are there for the right reasons. Online, it’s especially challenging because so many join with self-interest in mind. It takes time to sort out who’s truly invested.
Yes! And it also takes someone who's skilled at helping turn those loose ties into friendships. Setting the culture of the space and making sure members know they matter is an art. We're talking about "hospitality" this week and I think that's often a missing ingredient in many online communities. An automated workflow is NOT going to cut it!
Hospitality is a good way of putting it. It also takes time to get to know someone, so you have to be willing to invest. Not just post and ghost, but be present without expecting, “What can you do for me?”
If I were to add anything, I'd suggest examining the friction between monetization and authenticity more directly. Many communities struggle not just with engagement but with the question of whether turning connection into commerce alters its nature.
Worth considering - How can community leaders authentically address the economic realities of their work without reducing members to "Monthly Recurring Revenue"? The most successful communities I've seen acknowledge this tension rather than pretending it doesn't exist.
Thanks this insightful addition, Neela. (I brought your article into a workshop I led today, btw!)
That tension between monetization and authenticity is real and unavoidable. I love your point about the most successful communities acknowledging this tension rather than pretending it doesn't exist.
I'd love to hear more about communities you've seen navigate this balance particularly well. (How? What did they do/say?) This might warrant its own exploration in a future article!
Hi sis :) Love your point about integrating monetization into a community in a way that makes sense. This is something I dealt with when I ran #Blogchat on Twitter and brought on sponsors. This was done on a monthly basis, and I was upfront with potential sponsors that their sponsorship needed to make sense for bloggers IOW there needed to be some symmetry there. And there had to be some clear benefit to the #Blogchat members from the sponsorship. That way the sponsors would be companies that were already familiar to the community, and the sponsorship made sense. The goal was that the sponsorship would actually create value in some form for the members. Otherwise it’s me selling a sponsorship that makes no sense to the community and creates no value for them. That can be a disconnect that leads to irritation and frustration with me.
A long-winded reply to say you are spot-on about thinking about ‘what’s in it for the community?’ when monetization is being considered or introduced.
Thanks for sharing your experience with #Blogchat, Mack! That's a perfect real-world example of what Neela was talking about.
Not long-winded at all…I appreciated the "case study" on how to prioritize creating value for your community through sponsorships that made sense for your members. That alignment between business decisions and community needs is exactly what keeps them from feeling transactional. Finding those win-win partners is ideal.
Thank you, Laura! I actually really enjoyed the challenge of finding a way to create a benefit for the sponsor, the community and myself all at the same time. Sponsorships should be viewed as a ‘value add’ first, not simply as a way to get as much $$$ as possible solely for the creator.
Hi again! Curious if you'd like to continue this conversation about finding sponsorship opportunities? If this is an area of expertise (or even interest/experience), that's a topic I'd love to explore more deeply with members in my community, The Hive. If you'd like to come share with us, feel free to be in touch. You can see a bit more about us here:
This used to happen in the game modification (modding) forums, they would have a creative burst that would peak and then the key creatives would drift to new games and the forums would be left with the nostalgic users.
I've watched the same thing happen to LinkedIn, there's really no compelling reason to be there creatively and people drift away.
So while there's something fresh that many enjoy and share their mutual experience and emotions the community thrives but most naturally die as the creativity fades.
Apologies for taking a few days to respond here. You're definitely not "completely wrong" - I actually want to write a full novella here to validate some of your points!
I have zero experience with gaming communities, but have certainly seen spaces where connection wanes.
I think you've actually highlighted some of the brilliance of experienced community founders/leaders and underscored why their time is so valued. The best ones know how to help turn strangers into friends. And then it's those friendships and zest that keep the space alive. I'm so glad you hopped in to share.
(I still pop into LI a few times each week, but mostly for the chitter-chat in the comments and to stay connected with a broader community of friends. Nine times out of ten the magic is happening in the comments and/or the messaging feature—at least for me.)
Long after the creative reasons for being are gone - the friendships linger on - I suspect this a trait of many communities on and offline - like sports people who continue to meet up long after their playing days are over
YES!!! I keep a list of my favorite definitions of community. (It's one of those squishy words). Your comment made me think of this one from Adam Grant:
“I've long seen a community as a place where people bond around shared values, feel valued as human beings, and have a voice in decisions that affect them. Now I would add that in a truly strong community, people continue to feel value and cared about even after they leave." - Adam Grant
I agree with Max's point below. It used to be (during Covid especially) that all you had to was "build it and they will come" as you point out. In addition to having genuine engagement and connection in a community, how we can effectively "message" that as we promote these communities now that we can't simply "hang up a sign" and have people lining up to join simply because they crave connection.. Maybe it has to do with being more specialized or targeted in what our vision or mission for the community is?
So many great observations here!
This reminds me of the chat thread we started last week about clarifying the reason why people are gathering and articulating it in such a way that it’s easily understood. That’s definitely a great starting point.
Oh - and I almost always agree with @Max Pete! He’s awesome. 😎
Laura: I can't remember how we previously chatted, but could you possibly drop me an email at stevepsyd@gmail.com so I can share with you a first rough draft of a project proposal for the idea I mentioned to you?
Of course…coming your way!
Yes!
I think the previous versions of Social Media, like X, Facebook, IG, and even LinkedIn are transactional social networks. They became marketplaces, everybody wants to get something.
Nothing wrong with that, many conferences are also marketplaces.
But we we talk about communities, it is more of a "relational" space. It is hard to explain, but I think it is about giving more than getting. At the end, the result is that everyone wins.
We’re so aligned!
This one is from 2023, but so much applies now more than ever: https://laurazug.substack.com/p/a-desire-for-digital-well-being-will
Amazing! just posted a comment there too. We indeed are so aligned
You need people in those communities who genuinely want to be there and are there for the right reasons. Online, it’s especially challenging because so many join with self-interest in mind. It takes time to sort out who’s truly invested.
Yes! And it also takes someone who's skilled at helping turn those loose ties into friendships. Setting the culture of the space and making sure members know they matter is an art. We're talking about "hospitality" this week and I think that's often a missing ingredient in many online communities. An automated workflow is NOT going to cut it!
Hospitality is a good way of putting it. It also takes time to get to know someone, so you have to be willing to invest. Not just post and ghost, but be present without expecting, “What can you do for me?”
This is a great read Laura.
If I were to add anything, I'd suggest examining the friction between monetization and authenticity more directly. Many communities struggle not just with engagement but with the question of whether turning connection into commerce alters its nature.
Worth considering - How can community leaders authentically address the economic realities of their work without reducing members to "Monthly Recurring Revenue"? The most successful communities I've seen acknowledge this tension rather than pretending it doesn't exist.
Enjoy the rest of your week :)
Thanks this insightful addition, Neela. (I brought your article into a workshop I led today, btw!)
That tension between monetization and authenticity is real and unavoidable. I love your point about the most successful communities acknowledging this tension rather than pretending it doesn't exist.
I'd love to hear more about communities you've seen navigate this balance particularly well. (How? What did they do/say?) This might warrant its own exploration in a future article!
I hope you enjoy your week, too! 🌷
Hi sis :) Love your point about integrating monetization into a community in a way that makes sense. This is something I dealt with when I ran #Blogchat on Twitter and brought on sponsors. This was done on a monthly basis, and I was upfront with potential sponsors that their sponsorship needed to make sense for bloggers IOW there needed to be some symmetry there. And there had to be some clear benefit to the #Blogchat members from the sponsorship. That way the sponsors would be companies that were already familiar to the community, and the sponsorship made sense. The goal was that the sponsorship would actually create value in some form for the members. Otherwise it’s me selling a sponsorship that makes no sense to the community and creates no value for them. That can be a disconnect that leads to irritation and frustration with me.
A long-winded reply to say you are spot-on about thinking about ‘what’s in it for the community?’ when monetization is being considered or introduced.
Thanks for sharing your experience with #Blogchat, Mack! That's a perfect real-world example of what Neela was talking about.
Not long-winded at all…I appreciated the "case study" on how to prioritize creating value for your community through sponsorships that made sense for your members. That alignment between business decisions and community needs is exactly what keeps them from feeling transactional. Finding those win-win partners is ideal.
Thank you, Laura! I actually really enjoyed the challenge of finding a way to create a benefit for the sponsor, the community and myself all at the same time. Sponsorships should be viewed as a ‘value add’ first, not simply as a way to get as much $$$ as possible solely for the creator.
Hi again! Curious if you'd like to continue this conversation about finding sponsorship opportunities? If this is an area of expertise (or even interest/experience), that's a topic I'd love to explore more deeply with members in my community, The Hive. If you'd like to come share with us, feel free to be in touch. You can see a bit more about us here:
https://www.laurazug.com/the-hive
This was a great read! Totally agree that communities are not dying, folks are just more selective on where they spend their time and energy.
Oh good - it's always nice to hear that I'm not waaaaay off base. 😂 I trust your insights and appreciate your commenting.
This used to happen in the game modification (modding) forums, they would have a creative burst that would peak and then the key creatives would drift to new games and the forums would be left with the nostalgic users.
I've watched the same thing happen to LinkedIn, there's really no compelling reason to be there creatively and people drift away.
So while there's something fresh that many enjoy and share their mutual experience and emotions the community thrives but most naturally die as the creativity fades.
Or I could be completely wrong 🤗☕
Apologies for taking a few days to respond here. You're definitely not "completely wrong" - I actually want to write a full novella here to validate some of your points!
I have zero experience with gaming communities, but have certainly seen spaces where connection wanes.
I think you've actually highlighted some of the brilliance of experienced community founders/leaders and underscored why their time is so valued. The best ones know how to help turn strangers into friends. And then it's those friendships and zest that keep the space alive. I'm so glad you hopped in to share.
(I still pop into LI a few times each week, but mostly for the chitter-chat in the comments and to stay connected with a broader community of friends. Nine times out of ten the magic is happening in the comments and/or the messaging feature—at least for me.)
Long after the creative reasons for being are gone - the friendships linger on - I suspect this a trait of many communities on and offline - like sports people who continue to meet up long after their playing days are over
Thanks for the response Laura
YES!!! I keep a list of my favorite definitions of community. (It's one of those squishy words). Your comment made me think of this one from Adam Grant:
“I've long seen a community as a place where people bond around shared values, feel valued as human beings, and have a voice in decisions that affect them. Now I would add that in a truly strong community, people continue to feel value and cared about even after they leave." - Adam Grant