What are the best tools and platforms for managing online communities of practice?

Focus on broad questions like: 1. Who are the people who need to be in this community? 2. What value do you want to create for them? In essence, don't rush to define goals and needs, as it can be very difficult to predict in advance what will work for a group of people. More importantly, members of a community prefer to be part of the process of defining goals and needs and watching them evolve rather than starting with a fully baked strategy.

Picture this: your community's goals are to share knowledge quickly and casually. Slack is like your local café, where members can pop in, have a chat, share ideas, and leave feeling energised. It's brilliant for informal, real-time communication. You can create channels for different topics, ensuring everyone knows where to find the right conversations. Plus, with its fun integrations like polls and gifs, Slack keeps interactions lively and engaging. It’s like having a friendly neighbourhood where everyone feels welcome and heard.

An example for the IT guys would be the following: a software developer CoP uses Slack for quick code reviews, real-time problem-solving, and integrations with GitHub for seamless collaboration.

Don't be that KMer! I've had to 'rescue' more communities of practice programmes than I care to remember. My advice: focus on current and emerging strategic/operational needs. Don't start with the 'best' platform - "It worked at XYZ company, and they are one of the best at KM, so it must be a good idea." My best is not your best; the result is a solution - a good idea - in search of a problem. KM must create value; meaning you need to quantify the platform's impact. This requires strategic partnering built on functional expertise (your ability to seize opportunities and solve problems), the insights for which come from advocacy (being the voice of the knowledge worker)—meaning your platform needs to be much more than a good idea.

Always start with the value for the user. Don't build a community for the sake of having a community. What is it, that most community members will look for and benefit from? Is it the pure knowledge sharing aspect or are there other interests (like lead generation for additional services). Build your community around those needs.

Although as Knowledge Managers, we repeat the line "technology is just an enabler" ad nauseum, choosing the right platform and the right technology is crucial for community building. The user experience needs to be given a lot of priority. How can I find the right answers to my questions? How can I find the right people who'd give me the right answers to my questions? How easy is it to share ideas or knowledge? Once this is made simple and seamless, your community has a better chance of thriving. Another question leaders need to ask is how much will this cost? Most enterprise productivity software do come with certain built in features that can be tweaked to suit your needs, so costs can be kept low.

How the community meets, and interacts is key to the community. Not all communities require a software platform, other than to organise / advertise events. I think the approach of this article seems to be more suited to open, non-corporate communities.

This depends on if you’re starting a Community of Practice for a professional endeavor or a personal passion, or perhaps both. Enterprise software options such as Viva Engage (Artist formerly know as Yammer) is an excellent option to explore in your workplace. Chances are your organization already has enterprise licensing with Microsoft and this feature may just need to be enabled. The Communities feature in Viva Engage allows for thriving Communities of Practice and Communities of Interest to easily be started, curated and collaborative. Outside of the enterprise I’ve seen a number of entrepreneurs using Mighty Networks, Slack, Teams (Consumer), Substack and even building their own apps, something OnBeing did for their followers.

There are 7 essential criteria that make a platform fit for purpose when it comes to communities of practice: - Member connection - Knowledge sharing - Customisation and admin control - Data and analytics - Security and privacy - Integrations Strategic support Zapnito is a great example of an enterprise solution that provides a white-label community knowledge platform + expert guidance to drive impact

It is super important to select a platform that supports the core needs and value drivers of the community members. In most cases, it's not just the pure "knowledge transfer" that is creating value but the networking aspects, lead generation for services that go beyond the initial knowledge transfer etc.

A successful community platform is all about providing members with the right knowledge and connections at the right time. A new member onboarding process means they can start connecting with other members and accessing relevant information from their first visit.

Think of Mighty Networks as your vibrant community centre. It allows you to design a visually appealing space with custom themes and logos. You can host live events, share courses, and encourage rich media interactions. This platform turns your community into an exciting hub where members are eager to participate and explore.

Make your community welcoming and warm with the right branding, tone, and introductory interactions. Use tools like Microsoft Designer or Canva to help design inviting banners for your community when they first discover you. Have polls activated to seek feedback from users on ways to engage and improve along the way. When sharing articles, links and media, make sure to enable the optimal, eye-catching visuals to keep users focused and engaged. Have co-sponsored posts with other communities of interest that intersect or overlap based on commonality and similar passions and purpose. Inclusion always wins over exclusivity.

Totally. Here's a breakdown: Name & Logo: Like naming a kid, right? Needs to be catchy. Plus, a neat logo that's easy on the eyes. Easy Navigation: Nobody wants to get lost. Keep it simple, so people don’t bounce. Rules: Gotta have 'em, but nothing too crazy. No one wants to feel they're walking on thin ice. Quick Sign-In: Make it easy, but safe. And, seriously, less of those CAPTCHAs. Fresh Stuff: Keep things updated. New articles, vids, whatever. Keep the peeps engaged.

An attractive space is a personalized space. Platforms that use AI to very quickly identify individual interests and expertise have a much higher adoption rate than those that only personalize based on manual definition of individual interests and expertise.

Whether you're creating a community of practice or a community of product, you need to make sure you're providing members with the right knowledge, at the right time. This means creating content specifically based on their pain points as you understand them and gathering feedback over time to better inform where you focus your time and energy.

You won't know in advance where the tipping point will be and the platform will just work on its own. Therefore, you have to make sure that there is enough relevant content also before reaching the tipping point. Have a group of pioneers managing that platform from the very beginning on to create an environment that is inviting. Then make sure that users are incentivized to invite others.

LinkedIn is like hosting a swanky networking event for professionals. Share insightful articles, host webinars, and give shoutouts to active members. Encourage members to invite colleagues, and use analytics to keep the growth on track and the community thriving.

To empower your community members to participate and share knowledge your platform must be able to provide the following capabilities to segmented member groups: - Start a discussion - Follow other members - Contribute articles and videos - Private message other members - Take part in video panels - Take part in idea up/downvoting - Find and RSVP to events

Microsoft Teams feels like a buzzing office where collaboration flourishes. Create dedicated spaces for projects and hold virtual brainstorming sessions. Use features like polls and surveys to engage members, and ensure a positive atmosphere by moderating with clear guidelines and active support.

I would add making the guidance and resources available contextually in the workflow when the individual worker requires them is key to success.

Uma comunidade de práticas online eficaz vai além de ser um repositório passivo de informa??es. Ela é um ecossistema dinamico que inspira, capacita e celebra o aprendizado, a aplica??o do conhecimento e a inova??o entre seus membros, contribuindo assim para o progresso profissional e o impacto organizacional positivo.

Recently, I reviewed some reports from Gartner and Forrester for a similar case, focusing on the best tools and platforms for managing online communities of practice (CoPs). Microsoft Teams excels with its real-time collaboration features and app integration. Slack is praised for its user-friendly interface and extensive integrations. Yammer enhances enterprise social networking. Confluence by Atlassian is ideal for documentation. Jive supports forums and blogs. Google Workspace offers real-time collaborative tools. SharePoint is strong in document management, while Moodle is flexible for educational needs. These tools cater to different collaboration and knowledge-sharing needs effectively.

Personally I have found Yammer, slack and some companies's inbuilt tools almost a replica of Facebook very exciting to manager collaboration, communities and discussions.

One important aspect to consider in managing online communities is maintaining active engagement. Encourage regular participation through interactive discussions, polls, or challenges. Offer incentives or recognition to active contributors to keep motivation high. Regularly review and update community guidelines to ensure a positive and respectful environment for all members. Consider hosting virtual events or webinars to provide valuable insights and networking opportunities.