What makes a good online community?

Many companies have been playing around with the online community idea to help build relationships with, and around, their brand. Have you seen any good examples lately?

Here are four important questions to ask yourself, if you are thinking in that direction.

Ongoing, or Temporary?
It is important to decide whether you want the community to be an indefinite entity, or created around a specific objective or time frame which will have an end. This decision is important because it frames the type of communication, the tools that should be used, and when resources are needed.

How do you decide between indefinite and temporary?

• An indefinite community likely already has existing off-line versions – tap into them. It will also tend to focus around a broad idea and have many sub goals/objectives.
• A temporary community needs a compelling and relevant objective. It may not have an existing off-line community, but has a latent desire passion waiting to be expressed.

Who are the trusted filters of your community?
There is a lot of information out there, which can’t always be trusted. A community creates good spill-over effects when trusted members assess information, find what is valuable, and share it with the group. Who is playing this role in your community? It’s not always your prime target, but it’s a role that creates a lot of value in the community.

What is the relevant shared value or purpose, and how is it recognized?
Though this seems very straight forward, it is often missed when “communities” are simply built around an open forum or a contest without mechanisms to reward those who take their time to participate and contribute.

What resources are accessed through the community?
This is the basics of incentive. What valuable resource/asset can be received from the community, which isn’t easily accessible somewhere else.