7 Harsh Truths about running online communities

many organisations are not content to simply run a website, they want to run an online community too... I continually see the same mistakes...the harsh realities of running an online community [are] ...

Community is about people and relationships, not technology. The technology is the easy part... it also takes commitment.... months to get off the ground and years before it shows real returns... takes ongoing input... nurtured on a daily basis...

commitment to the individuals ... take on board their input, address their concerns and encourage their contributions... show you care... inspire, excite and encourage them... more like a politician or preacher than a manager...

you will mess up. When you do, how you respond is of crucial importance....never respond defensively to criticism... acknowledge the comments and thank people for their honesty. Ask others what they think... seriously consider whether the criticism is valid. If it is ... admit your mistake and correct it...

you do not have control over your message... Community is ... not a broadcast medium, it is a dialogue with your users... Users do not want a sales pitch or a feature list. They want the opportunity to feedback and a chance to help shape the future of the product or service they use...

You need a critical mass of users that want to get involved...a forum requires a substantial number of users to work... may be better starting with comments, reviews ... contributions are much more likely to be noticed ... Finally... seeding the discussion through new topics of your own. Asking lots of questions ...