Online Community Tips

In the quest to cultivate vibrant online communities, it is understandable to inevitably turn to familiar chat applications like Slack or Discord. We all get chat, and its real-time immediacy is undeniably appealing for quick exchanges and team coordination. However, for those aspiring to build something truly enduring – a place where knowledge thrives, relationships deepen, and collective value compounds – these tools often prove insufficient.

For community managers in membership organizations, an online community space isn't just a "nice-to-have" – it's something people now look forward to, and they might be surprised if it's missing. In 2025, The days of static forums are long gone. Dedicated community platforms are now sophisticated hubs, purpose-built to help you cultivate a thriving ecosystem for your members. Let's explore the trends shaping this crucial technology for 2025:

In today's super-connected world, having a strong, active member community is a complete game-changer for any organization wanting to grow and make a real impact. A solid member community platform isn't just nice to have; it's a smart move that can completely change how your members link up, work together, and really get value from being part of your organization.

Last week we had the pleasure of sponsoring the Association Platform Power Conference (APP25), held April 1–2 at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia. This two-day event brought together users of Fonteva and Protech, two of the leading association management systems, for hands-on learning, networking, and discovery of tools that can amplify the impact of their organizations. With a strong turnout of association professionals eager to explore new ways to future-proof their operations, APP25 delivered on its promise to be a hub of innovation and inspiration.

The importance of a good mentor is no secret. As someone new in the association space half a decade ago, I leaned heavily on the connections I made both within Breezio and across the association space to familiarize myself with the industry. Building connections within your industry is one of the best ways to advance in your profession, and as an association, you can act as the home for building these connections between your members!

In our previous blog "Why Online Communities are Necessary in 2023 and Beyond", we discussed why online communities are key to getting your members engaged and connected with each other virtually, but what other types of systems or channels can you use to keep members connected with your association from anywhere?

           Setting up an online community is an exciting task that will help you grow your business and connect you with others that share your interests. This is the first step to developing long term connections and brand awareness within your community, so this is definitely a time to plan and research before you begin this journey. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there certainly has been an increase in interest for creating online communities. Breezio is a community forum platform that seamlessly allows members to interact, grow, connect, and learn from one another. Check out the many ways Breezio offers community growth through our interactive software!

     During this time where many of us are working from home, there is a heightened need for online presence in order to attract people to your organization. Community outreach is an important aspect to all businesses, and we wanted to share some pro-tips we have learned through building an online community platform. Here are some tips for connecting with people as business moves online!

1. Search hashtags and keywords 

If you want to access people who are posting and interested in a certain topic, search for keyword hashtags on social media. By doing this, you are narrowing down your target audience to those who could be potential partners in your business or members of your organization. The hashtag feature is used widely on the Breezio platform in order to categorize posts and discussions by topic and key words.