What is the best way to evaluate community platforms? |
If you're looking to create an online group and have a virtual community, then you probably know that we're in an amazing time for online community building.
Today more than ever worldwide, individuals are looking for new ways to meet people with the same interests as them. The problem is that with so many options to choose from, it is difficult to know how to evaluate the best community-based platforms.
Ahead, we're providing specific criteria to evaluate community platforms, so you'll be able to choose the one that makes the most sense for your needs. But first, let's define what an online community platform actually is.
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In this piece...
What is an online community platform?
Four key factors to be considered when evaluating community platforms
4. An excellent Support system
What is an online community platform?
An online community platform is a service in software that allows people to build and manage and expand online communities at once.
Thus, online communities platforms revolve around building a virtual space that connects people who share similar interests together to interact, accomplish goals, and make connections.
and the most important thing to creating these kinds of virtual spaces is selecting an application that comes with many features and a great software for managing communities with a wide range of options to earn money for the work you do.
Now having gotten the fundamental facts off the table let's look at how to evaluate community-based platforms.
four key elements to consider when evaluating community platforms
We've broken down our requirements of community platforms into four main areas: native features and monetization, accessibility, and potential for expansion. While there are a number different ways to assess an online community but we think these are the top aspects.
1. Native features
The end of the day the primary factor to assess community platforms is researching what kind of features they have to offer.
If you're creating an online network, the better options are available to design the online space you wish to build for your users The more options you have.
One thing to check at right off the bat is whether the features on the community platform are integrated or native. Native features are designed by service developers and designed specifically using their platform in mind. Integrations on the other hand, are often advertised as simpler and faster for creators who already have a successful service elsewhere.
It's true that the small benefit you get from using integrations doesn't outweigh the additional effort and time you'll be investing managing multiple platforms to build the online communities you have. In contrast to native features that have a seamless interface.
You might be wondering what native capabilities are we talking about. So, here's a list of some that we love:
Your community on Web, iOS, and Android applications.
Discussion board posts, polls, and Q&As.
Livestreaming and recording video capabilities.
Virtual Events, paid memberships, online courses.
Direct and messages for groups, profiles of members.
Complete analysis.
This feature will enable you to build communities that offer a range of options for content and methods for your community members to interact.
2. Many ways to make money
Another crucial aspect to consider when assessing community platforms is understanding the options for monetization.
Memberships paid for
In the process of the evaluation of monetization options available on the community platform, it's good to remember that monetization and features go hand in hand. Take it in this manner that if you're able to offer many options to creating content and experiences for your users, it also means you have more ways to make money off of that content.
One of the most basic community platform features that you'll want to monetize is the capability to charge for paid memberships. It could be a once-off month, annual or monthly subscription fee that members of your community are charged to access.
Virtual Events
Another aspect of community platforms which has proven to be crucial is the capability to hold virtual event.
Virtual events can be an ideal way to make money from your event because they can take a plethora of scopes big or small. Additionally, you could charge per person who attends.
If you're managing an online community, you may invite famous presenters in a virtual event for your members. However, you could also host something as simple as a mixer for networking or a mastermind group.
Online courses
An online course is another community building feature that could be considered in your strategy for monetizing.
Perhaps this is something not quite in your wheelhouse (and this may not be...yet!). But online courses are the perfect way to boost participation from members, increase the value of existing content and grow your company.
Just as online communities bring together people in common goals, so too, does an online course. If you design an online course, you're building the community you want to create with a particular goal that the members of your community will be able to attain.
If you are evaluating community platforms offering online classes (which you should!) These features must be easily implemented and native. These platforms are like Circle which will attempt to convince you to integrate the community features in your online class or vice versa, but why should you have two platforms when you can have one platform that can do both?
It doesn't matter if your group is focused on religion, finances, art and self-care or anything else. Online courses are a great opportunity to open the eyes on your online community and re-engage people who've fallen off. One of the best features on a community platform is the ability to provide an offer on a group membership when someone is taking your online class.
3. Accessibility
We are living during a time where more and many people use their phones and tablets , rather than sitting on the desktop or laptop. A crucial aspect to evaluate the community platform is how accessible their platforms are.
What do we mean by this? When we speak of accessibility it's about the importance of having the best web and the native mobile experience. A lot of platforms do not offer the functionality, which means your members must access your group via mobile website. That's...not great.
There's good news that there are a few platforms out there that offer native mobile apps that are accessible on iOS and Android devices. If you're looking to take it an extra step, however you should select a platform which lets you create an application that has your own branding will put your company in the ideal place.
4. Great Support system
The most important factor to take into consideration when evaluating community platforms is something that you may not have thought of the support system on the platform you are using.
At the final analysis, you can have every one of the features on the community platform that you want, a plethora possibilities to make money, and an amazing mobile app. But, the reality of the situation is that you're going to have issues.
If you're a developer in the process of creating your first online community or changing an existing one to a brand new platform the software provider you go with will have a wealth of sources to guide you.
For example, at we provide a community for free called Mighty Hosts, which anyone is able to join to connect to other creators who are building communities. This means that you're not just getting an ever-growing well of community connections and resources, but you also get an enormous amount of resources for building your community, starting it, and bringing them to the next step.
It doesn't matter how many options that you can choose from if you don't know how you can make the most of them. Making sure that you choose an option with a solid service is essential.
Ready to start?
It is a robust cultural software platform that allows you to combine community, classes as well as content and business. Furthermore, Mighty's flexible Spaces give you the option to develop what YOU want for your community, and not whatever a platform thinks it should offer. You can choose from features like live streaming, courses, events, discussion forums and member chats, as well as long or short-form material as well as many more! You can also offer access to 135 distinct currencies, or through token-gating.
In addition, with the Mighty Network, you'll be able to offer all of the pieces under your own brand immediately accessible on the web, iOS, and Android. Don't underestimate the power of your users being able to access your company's brand anywhere they're.
Let's start building the community you've been in the process of.