Remember the good ol' days of online forums? You might recall those early iterations of "online communities" – perhaps a clunky support forum for a software product or a niche message board for industry professionals. Fast forward to today we've gone through multiple software "phases" - cloud, SaaS, social, gamification, to AI. All of these evolutionary changes have found their way into online community platforms as well.
By now, most associations recognize that a robust online community isn’t a luxury, it’s a must-have. Whether your members are craving more meaningful connections, better collaboration tools, or streamlined access to resources, the right platform can make all the difference. But choosing the “right” platform? That’s where it gets tricky.
Does your association or organization use an online community platform? There are several ways associations use online communities to address business needs across all industries. Online communities can not only adapt to your business, but it can also foster collaboration among members. We have created this series to give you some insight into how your community can be enhanced.
An online community can be more than just a community. There are several ways you can monetize your online community and raise capital for your organization. Here are some great ways to create a revenue stream from your community!
As online communication of all types becomes the norm for most people in the world, user generated content has never been more important. What is User Generated Content and why is it so important? UGC is exactly how it sounds; comments, posts, likes, shares of information created by the members of an online community. Content like this is vital to growing an organization as it allows members to share thoughts, demonstrate commonalities, showcase personal information, and interact with others. Having high levels of user generated content will attract other members to your community and foster organic member engagement.
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!