People everywhere want to be a part of a community, and Viber users around the world share this desire. People want to be able to gather around shared interests and common passions – and have a joint way to easily and instantly communicate.
Viber Communities is the perfect way to bring people together based on their shared interest in any topic, through an app they use regularly – their favorite messenger.
We’ve already given you the tips you need to start your very own Community with an unlimited amount of participating members. Now we will discuss how you can manage and grow your Community and engage as many people who use Viber as possible.
Choose your Community’s main principles and guidelines
A successful and engaged community will usually have a clear purpose and guidelines that members can identify with and follow. Begin by defining the main guidelines your Community members will have to follow. Let your Community members know you discourage spam and inappropriate content, and explain to them what types of activities are permitted in your Community and what you won’t allow. Make it simple for Community members to remember – pin your guidelines to the top of the chat.
Do your research when building your guidelines.
Join and participate in other Communities to get an idea of the things you like and dislike, how you would like your Community to run and what type of style you want to use. Think about which guidelines might be necessary. For example, members posting spoilers in a “Game of Thrones” Community could annoy the other members, and could even cause people to leave the Community.
Once you’ve set your guidelines, it will be easier for you to define your principles. Think about what you wish to accomplish through your Community and how you want a successful Community to look.
Turn passionate members into Community admins
Now you can move on to recruiting the right mix of people to make your Community a success. Since you are the Community’s superadmin, you get to choose the admins, or co-pilots, who will help you steer your Community in the right direction.
Admins are also the Community’s moderators, helping you manage the chat. By choosing admins who are as passionate about the Community as you are, you will be able to provide your Community members with a strong leadership who they can engage with. An engaged membership is more likely to participate in chats and activities, exchange knowledge and take pride in the Community. They are also more likely to avoid negative or disruptive behavior.
Define the roles of your Community moderators, and how you will respond to inappropriate content. The types of action you can take include removing and banning members from the Community, and removing all their posts in the Community. Think about the admins who can help you moderate the Community.
Create an emotional connection between the Community and its members
When your Community is established, focus on the ways in which your Community can help people stay connected and engaged. Help members develop a sense of belonging based on their interest in the Community theme.
Think about how you can enable members to feel as though they are really part of something big. Follow these four community foundations when deciding how to develop your Community:
Membership – a feeling that each individual member belongs in this Community.
Influence – the feeling that members can influence what happens in the Community. Think about the different ways that individuals contribute, not just with posts, but other ways as well.
Integration and fulfillment of needs – the way the Community develops should be beneficial to both the membership and the Community itself. For example, if you post too often, and don’t allow members to post their own content, comment on what there is, or have their say, members will feel as though they are missing out.
Shared emotional connections – members of the Community feel as though they are connected to each other at some level. Developing a connection between Community members isn’t simple, but start by facilitating activities that provide regular contact, good quality interactions between members, shared experiences and emotional openness.
Bottom line: create a shared connection and interest
A successful Community revolves around mutual interest and a shared connection or value between members. Engaged members will want to feel they can influence the Community’s development in some way.
Pay attention to how your members respond to your posts in the Community. Use feedback to help you decide what to do in the future. Be flexible about what you post and when you post it. Encourage members to promote and share your Community, and don’t forget to promote it your Community wherever you can.
Now that you’ve got the lowdown on how to manage, grow and engage your Community, start setting it up, invite new members to join, choose your admins and start posting.
Create a Viber Community: https://vb.me/8e24a1