Given the amount of information (and cat videos) that’s accessible today, thanks to the internet, it is a miracle we manage to extract anything useful from it all. There’s a better way, though, to use the power of the internet while sidestepping the clutter: Online Communities.
There are a number of ways to communicate online, including social media, instant messaging apps, and emails. Despite the myriad ways, the online community space is rapidly growing in value. More and more businesses are fostering online communities. Here’s why:
How An Online Community Platform Enables Better Communication
There is a lot of noise online, be it spam in your email folder, ads on your favourite social media network, or forwarded messages on your preferred instant messaging app. An online community, on the other hand, is built around a specific topic. For instance, you could have an online community for your local RWA (Residents’ Welfare Association). By explicitly defining a common area of interest, online communities cut clutter and foster a more engaging environment for useful conversations. And when these online communities are built using an online community platform, you can define your own rules, and even customise features, something that’s not possible with Facebook groups.
There is also the advantage of reaching the right target audience. Instead of relying on a social media platform’s algorithm for reach, you let your audience come to you, thus enabling connections with the right people.
Online communities can also be helpful in extending conversations from the offline world. Let’s say you are an institute that runs short-term design courses. You could have an online community where students can discuss their problems with peers. Participating in public conversations online can be daunting for many; and there is the menace of online bullying, too.
Online communities can be safe spaces where people feel comfortable reaching out for help and support.
Online Community Platforms Foster Better Collaborations, Too
When you have an engaged community, often, people are encouraged to resolve conflicts among themselves. In the case of a customizable online community platform, you can inculcate this sense of community even more by letting people actively participate in how things are run. This lays the foundation for a strong collaborative environment.
Research has shown that accountability can increase your chances of achieving a goal. When you have someone to check up on your progress at frequent intervals, you are more likely finish the project. And online communities can encourage this good-kind of peer pressure, since people are already bonding over a shared interest.
