How to Create a Private Online Community That Your Members Will Use & Your Board Willmmm

Josh Paul | @SociousSuccess

Knowing the differences is important.

Being able to clearly articulate and illustrate the differences is more

important.

Two Mindsets: Personal and Professional

Free

Members Are Already Using

These Platforms

Help, Support, and More Success in Job or Industry

Not Free

Requires Time and Planning to Attract

and Engagement Members

THE BASICSCost

Where Members Are

How Member Use Them

PUBLIC SOCIAL NETWORKS PRIVATE COMMUNITIES

Source: LinkedIn & TNS Source: Gallup & Walls Street Journal

Build personal brands

within a niche

Help others

Get answers and support

Stay informed

Access exclusive

information

Find partners

Ask experts

Have a voice in the

future direction of an

organization

Get job or career

advice

STRUCTUREDiscussions

Data Ownership

Walls

The Network Owns the Data

Groups

Your Organization Owns the Data

PUBLIC SOCIAL NETWORKS PRIVATE COMMUNITIES

Little Control

Manual Permissions

Management

Limited Options

More Control

Access is Based on AMS Data

Flexible and Extensive

CONTROLSegmentation

Management and Moderation

Branding and Uniqueness

PUBLIC SOCIAL NETWORKS PRIVATE COMMUNITIES

STRATEGYUsage and Results

Targeted Engagement

Message Penetration and Competition

PUBLIC SOCIAL NETWORKS PRIVATE COMMUNITIES

Broadcasting Content and Ideas,

Relationships

Simple and Few Options

A Lot of Noise

Member Benefits and Engagement

Granular Targeting Based on

Demographic, Transactional and Behavioral Data

Focused and Relevant

FUNCTIONALITYMedia Types

Engagement Opportunities

Analytics and Reporting

PUBLIC SOCIAL NETWORKS PRIVATE COMMUNITIES

Text Updates, Links, Photos, and

Video

Status Updates, Photo/Videos, and

Comments

Anonymous and Content-Focused

Text Updates, Links, Photos, and

Video + Documents, Files,

Audio, and Presentations

Discussions, Polls, Surveys, Idea Submission, Video

Libraries, File And Document Libraries, Event

Registration, Member Directories, Blogs, And

Social Networking

Contextual and Member-Focused

Should Your Treat Your Private Online

Community Like a Technology, Social Media Tool, or Member Benefit?

Attributes of a strong

member benefit:

1. Exclusive

2. Accessible

3. Simple to Grasp

4. Delivers

5. Supported

Attributes of a strong

member benefit:

1. Exclusive

2. Accessible

3. Simple to Grasp

4. Delivers

5. Supported

A Single

PlaceEasy to

Participate In

Important to the

Organization

Other

Members

Helpful

Information

TAKEAWAY:

Your Private Member Community Can Be Your Most Valuable Member

Benefits

What Are Your

Online Community Goals?

TAKEAWAY:

Organizational And Departmental Goals

Drive Your Online Community Goals

Getting Members to Use Your Online Community

TAKEAWAY:

Position Your Online Community at the Center

of Your Member Communication Universe

The Importance of Online Community Managers

TAKEAWAY:

Private Online Communities Need

Community Managers That Focus on Processes

Content Planning

TAKEAWAY:

The Engagement in Your Private Online

Community is Directly Tied to the Frequency of

Quality Content

Measuring Success

TAKEAWAY:

Measure the Right Things and Make Adjustments

Often

Feature Selection

TAKEAWAY:

Make Sure You Have Enough of Two Kinds of Features – Those That Create Value & Those That Keep Members

Engaged

Secrets to a Smooth Implementation

TAKEAWAY:

To Avoid Implementation Delays, Share Your Vision,

Make Time to Make Decisions, and Know Your

Data

Where to Focus

ROI Area #1:

Increased Member Value

ROI Area #2:

Member Engagement

ROI Area #3:

Non-Dues Revenue