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Launching Your Online Community |
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Thursday, 17 April 2008 |
So, you've invested your organization's hard-earned dollars in a state-of-the-art online member community, and you're ready to launch. Fear sets in. Will anyone come? Will it work? How will people use it? Here are some tips and tools to help you along.
Community Launch Tips
- Just because you build it does not mean they'll come. Consider an email marketing campaign to promote the Community to your members. We recommend sending at least 3 emails to your entire membership - the "Here's What's Coming" email about 2 weeks ahead of launch, the "Join Us Online Now" at launch and the "Check Out What's Going On" email about 2 weeks after launch to report on Community activity.
- All new websites will have errors and bugs. Don't be suprised when things don't work perfectly and need some additional technical TLC. Expect you'll need technical support for at least 6 weeks as participation grows.
- Designate someone who can respond to member requests for help. This volunteer or staff member doesn't need to be technical -- he/she simply needs to understand how the website works and be able to collect and organize complaints/bug reports. Make sure you have an email address like
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where members can send questions like "I can't login" or "I need to edit my forum post -- there's a grave spelling error that makes me look stupid!" If someone can't login, rather than seek out help, chances are they'll disregard the Community altogether.
- You will need to cultivate initial participation. No one wants to be the first one on the dance floor. Invite a handful of tech-savvy members to post questions on the forum or volunteer as "conversation specialists" for at least the first 2 months. The more organized you are here, the better off you'll be.
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