How To Build, Grow And Nurture A Community Authentically!

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You’ve probably heard about the importance of community building in business.

After all, it’s no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to engage your customers on their level, and that means building an online community around them.

But, what does “engaging” mean?

How do you build and maintain an online community that feels authentic instead of forced?

You can’t fake it.

I know that’s not what you want to hear (especially if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to build your community), but it’s true.

People can spot a phony a mile away.

You might be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but ultimately, your community will suffer when they realize that their trust has been violated.

The best way to build an authentic community is by being honest and open about who you are and what you’re doing with them in mind — not how much money or how many followers and likes each post might bring in return for their participation.

You also have to stick around; if everyone knows that all they’ll get from engaging with your brand is one-and-done interaction, then why would anyone stay around?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my years studying online communities, it’s this: authenticity matters more than anything else when building relationships with other people online — and really everywhere else too!

Be generous.

The best way to show your community that you care about them is by being generous with your time and attention.

Be a good listener, and try not to assume the worst about people. Empathize with others rather than judging them.

You can also set an example of generosity by sharing ideas freely, writing blog posts on topics that aren’t directly related to your business or industry, and actively engaging in online discussions that aren’t about you or your product (especially ones where people disagree).

These things will make it obvious that you’re a kind person who truly wants others to succeed just as much as they want themselves — or more so!

Be an active participant, not just an observer.

To build a community and create engagement, you should be an active participant as opposed to an observer. That means:

• Asking questions
• Commenting on their posts
• Giving them feedback on how they can improve their content or the tone of a post

You don’t have to do all three of these things; however, it’s important that you do one of these three things in order for people to trust that you care about them as humans and are invested in what they’re doing.

Be yourself.

You want to be genuine and true to who you are.

If you’re not a naturally outgoing person, that’s okay! You can still create a community of people who love and appreciate your content simply by being yourself. Don’t try to be someone else or something that you think your audience wants or expects from you.

The only person that matters is yourself!

Be honest and vulnerable (when appropriate).

It’s important to be honest with your community.

You can’t expect people to trust you if you aren’t transparent about who you are, what your vision is, what struggles and successes have shaped your approach, and more.

This happens organically when someone asks a question about where an idea came from or how the product was built. If it’s appropriate for the audience (and I think it almost always is), this is also a great time to share personal stories that demonstrate how much time, money, effort and heartache went into building something for them — or not being able to build something for them.

It shows vulnerability as well as transparency because it makes clear that there are some things you’re still working on!

Being honest also means admitting mistakes. When you realize we’ve made an error — whether it’s caused by human error or faulty code — you need to say so immediately rather than wait until after the damage has been done before fixing things up again.

Be welcoming — even when it’s hard.

Being welcoming is not just about being nice. It’s about looking out for people who are different from you, and making room for those with whom you may disagree. It’s about seeing the value in opposing perspectives, even if they’re difficult to hear.

You should see this as an opportunity — not something to be afraid of or avoid. You want your community members to welcome others with open arms regardless of where they come from on the political spectrum, how much money they make or how many tattoos they have (or don’t have).

The reality is that there will be moments when someone says something that makes your jaw drop; but if you can keep a level head and listen without judgment, you’ll find that often times what appears at first blush as polarizing, ends up being friendly debate rather than ideological warfare.

Prioritize community members’ needs over your own.

To create an authentic community, you must first prioritize the needs of your members over your own.

This means that you need to be a good listener, and respond authentically and proactively when they have questions or concerns.

Be present in the community on a regular basis. If people can’t see where the discussion is going, they will lose interest quickly!

Your role as a moderator is not only to administer rules but also to facilitate conversations between members in order to create value for everyone involved.

Foster a sense of belonging with your community.

You can’t build a community if people don’t feel welcomed, so make sure that you do everything in your power to create an environment where everyone feels safe and engaged.

Ask people to share their stories and interests, because the more they share with you, the easier it will be for them to connect with other members (and vice versa).

The more they feel like part of something bigger than themselves, the more likely they’ll be willing to contribute content and participate in discussions — which will help grow your network even faster while benefiting everyone!

Show gratitude to the people who are part of your online community — they make you who you are.

Showing gratitude is a powerful thing to do.

It can help you feel happier, stronger, and more productive. It can also help you build better relationships with other people because it shows that you appreciate their work and value their time. But there’s another reason we should be grateful: gratitude helps us sleep better at night!

Authenticity is a key factor in building and maintaining an online community.

Whether you’re an expert or just starting out, one thing that will make all the difference in how effective your efforts are is if people can tell that you’re being honest with them.

While it may be tempting at times to try and trick others into believing something, doing so only serves as a disservice to everyone involved — including yourself!

So instead of putting on airs or trying too hard, just let people know who you really are — flaws included (if there’s anyone who knows about being real with folks online).

After all, being open about what makes up who we all are helps us recognize each other’s humanity which means we’re more likely work together as equals towards common goals than fight against each other over petty differences.

Thank you for reading! I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below. For more insights from my experiences as an executive and an entrepreneur in how we can harness the power of community to change our world to find success and fulfillment, be sure to?subscribe?to Plan B Success Newsletter.

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