18 Tools to Build Communities Online You Need for 2022
If you're a creator, brand, or organization looking to either start an online community or to revitalize one for 2022, then you're aware that there are a lot of online tools for you to pick from. There are many options for problems that you've probably had no idea about, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the possibilities.
In this article this article, we'll discuss the top 18 community building tools online worth trying in 2022. The list is split pretty equally between the 10 options which an online community platform ought to offer, then 8 actual software options to consider.
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In this post...
1. 10 online community-building tools that your platform requires
1.1. Discussion forum
1.2. Subgroups
1.3. Course platform
1.4. Live streaming
1.5. Options for a plan
1.6. App
1.7. Currency options
1.8. Member profiles
1.9. Chat and direct messaging
1.10. Event functions
2. 8 Online community-building tools: options for software
2.1.
2.2. Zoom
2.3. Calendly
2.4. ConvertKit
2.5. Facebook groups
2.6. Patreon
2.7. Udemy
2.8. Google Analytics
10 tools for community building online your platform needs
Forum for discussion
For discussions forums, online communities are pretty much where the whole thing began. When they first came online, in the early days of the web when people could log on to chat rooms or forums and meeting other people across the globe was thrilling. It was an exciting period.
The time was when the discussion forums were text-based, but it was still enough to spark our excitement for meeting strangers.
Discussion forums are an online community-building tool that nearly every community has at least one way or the other. This is a feature the majority of community platforms offer. At its core, the discussion forum takes a discussion and arranges the discussion. However, since discussions aren't usually in real-time, it allows for a discussion that spans months, days and even years.
If you're searching for the best kind of forum for discussion Look for excellent user-friendliness and a clean organizational schema as well as the possibility of adding more than just text: videos, GIFs, emojis, and much more.
is a program that each community requires.
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Subgroups
Now you've been granted access to the forum for discussion. Another option that is a relative of the forum (but is also a great tool to have) is the subgroup. It lets you create smaller communities of members around shared interests. If, for instance, you were a member of a fitness community there could be subgroups set up around themes such as diets, workouts and motivation. People who wanted to go more in depth on these things could join those groups and get more tailored content.
Subgroups are a great online community-building tool for businesses too, since they're an effective way to create sub-products within your community. Whether you charge for membership to the primary community or not, adding a charge for subgroups can be an upsell for the individuals who decide to go with the option. This is a huge benefit for coaches, for example, who can manage a group but also upsell into individual group coaching. In a group of entrepreneurs, subgroups could serve as a means of creating a paid mastermind group as an expensive item.
course platform
Talk to any successful creator and they'll tell you that creating online courses can be an effective method to expand your following and assist those who follow you make a change. So when you're thinking about starting or growing an online community, think about courses too!
The first time online courses were released and were launched, there were lots of business leaders who advocated the "throw it out and forget about it" method of course creation as well as the income stream that is passive from that. Although it's a nice idea in principle, the completion rate of conventional online asynchronous courses are abysmally small. In the end, more and more people want a class which isn't just intended for them to view They're seeking the engagement that only a community can bring.
This means that developers are trying to tie on communities to their courses, sometimes by awkwardly meshing platforms or launching the Facebook group on the side. It is a hassle for customers and leads to an unbalanced focus. So ideally, you want to choose a platform that integrates community and courses well and allows you to do both in one place.
Live streaming
It's not a new concept that's only been around for a few years, but it's being used as a tool and more community hosts use to communicate with their participants. Members love live streaming, as it provides a degree of fun to your group's rhythm. If you're streaming live, you're going to say the "ums" and "ahs" and you'll have those awkward silences... And do you know what? That's AMAZING! The people love the imperfections of live streaming because it's true.
The ability to live stream is definitely an online community-building tool you need.
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Options for a plan
One other tool that's great to have at you is the ability to make money from your group. There was a little discussion about this above, with subgroups, but in general it's a great idea to have the ability to combine elements like classes, subgroups, and even membership. If you are able to quickly and easily make different community plans at different price levels, it will give you a ton of flexibility in creating a community business.
App
It is essential to have an application. Everybody uses apps. The members should be able access your community on the application.
Your software for community building is likely to include an app.
Enough said.
Currency options
While it's probably not on the list of things to consider when you're fantasizing about your community, if you reside outside of the US it's great to have the ability to provide your members plans as well as payments which are made in their local currency.
Member profiles
One community-building tool that's a very beneficial feature on a platform is the ability to allow members to build their own profiles that showcase who they are as well as what they're passionate about. It's a great tool for members to learn more about each other than simply their names and also to meet people who share like interests! (With the help of Mighty Network, you can find out who's nearby! )
Direct messaging and chat
Once you've mastered the forum feature, it's also nice being able to switch an exchange to DM or group chat. This can be a useful instrument for the community host as it allows you to send important messages to members (to ensure they receive it) and answer any queries that they might not feel confident posting on the main forum. It also gives your members an opportunity acquainted with a greater degree of privacy than on the main forum it also provides you with the foundation to foster genuine friendships within your community.
Event functions
Not last, having the possibility to organize community events without abandoning the PLATFORM is a really important tool. Do not mix a lot of programs to help your customers. Instead, select an option that lets you design the event, create reminders and RSVP all in the same location.
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8 Tools for community building online Software options
Above we talked about the tools required to build an online community. We'll now go over various software choices that can be used to create online communities. There is no need for each of them. In most cases only one or two is sufficient!
This is a community platform that's all-inclusive that allows you to do all the things that we mentioned above. It's the best place to host community, launch courses, run live events and live streams, and build a thriving community-based business. Although you could look into some of the options that are listed as extensions that you could easily start your community , and become profitable with alone.
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Zoom
If you missed its rise to prominence during the pandemic, Zoom is a video conference tool that is utilized for anything from 1:1 meetings to webcasts. It's a crucial tool for building communities. Each Mighty Network comes with Zoom ability built in, and a single mouse click can create an event within the Mighty Network that will automatically generate an automatic Zoom Meeting link.
Calendly
While Calendly doesn't have a specific purpose for creating community, it's actually for 1:1 meetings, it's a great tool to have on hand in case you hear someone say, "Hey can we chat?" As you probably are aware, a significant part in scheduling is lining up calendars. Calendly helps you with this.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is an email-capture tool that lets you build opt-in pages and grow your mailing list. It allows you to tag and segment subscribers, set up automations and sequences, and lots of other useful stuff. This is the ideal tool to run your mailing list for your community.
Facebook groups
Facebook Groups are really limited as tools for social networking, but certain people prefer to start using them since they're free and easy to access. Although you may struggle to keep momentum and stay ahead of the game, even if you're not yet ready to invest in an official community site yet, this might be a place to begin.
Patreon
If you're still not prepared to charge admission to your online community it is possible to join it up with an Patreon account as it gives patrons the opportunity to become patrons instead of paying for membership. It allows them to decide to donate money to you. they can also join your community to earn an added Patreon bonus.
If you're a creator looking to make money from your followers, it's arguably better to get started instead of Patreon starting from scratch, as Heather Ramirez explains
.
Udemy
Udemy is a different platform for courses with several drawbacks, it also offers an entirely new approach to community building. Udemy is a marketplace for course, meaning that customers must choose your course among thousands of other courses. For those who want to begin using a platform to create courses instead of creating the creation of their own course Udemy is a good alternative. It will share a small portion of your earnings, paying just 37% of your fees when people find your course through their website, but some creators choose Udemy to create their first course and starting to build their brand.
Google Analytics
Although we often imagine Google Analytics (GA used by the cool kids) as something that measures website traffic, it can also be used to gauge communities' traffic. Through a Mighty Network, once you're connected to a business plan or greater, you'll be able to integrate your site with Google Analytics to find out the exact location of your customers are coming from and how they're finding them, and the way they behave once they arrive to your landing page on behalf of your community (do they visit, or bounce away? ).
This is a great data source to keep, as it will provide you with insights into the way your landing pages perform and which sources of traffic to focus to improve. Learn more about the Google Analytics integration on this page.
Conclusion
If you're not familiar with the concept of the world of online communities, this article has given you an idea of the tools you should be looking for and how to make use of the tools. There are a lot of great options out there. But remember, don't get carried away. It's easy to get caught up in tools and forget the fact that building communities looks distinct for different people. It's essential to determine what is most effective for you and your audience and to learn how to build it effectively.
And if you'd like to try , you can check the service for free during 14 days! This is a fantastic starting point, so you can get a feel for how to make your online community more enjoyable. There is no credit card required for registration.