Designing online communities

1. Designing Engaging Online Communities Social Fresh St. Louis April 19, 2010

3. These good practices are the result of Jive Strategic Consulting ’s extensive work with many large customers who have deployed Jive Social Business Software for both employee and public-facing communities

4. To interact directly with Jive strategy consultants and Jive customers , please join our community at: Jivesoftware.com/Jivespace

5. Why do community at all?

6. Community is a place to <ul><li>Give context to content </li></ul><ul><li>Drive eyeballs to </li></ul><ul><li>Drive reference selling </li></ul><ul><li>Enable advocates </li></ul>

7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7502393@N04 Design should engage

8. Design enables objectives

9. Design is a process <ul><li>Identify top three community characteristics </li></ul><ul><li>Express characteristics through four elements </li></ul><ul><li>Identify the elements’ activity flow </li></ul><ul><li>Structure the site to accommodate the flow </li></ul><ul><li>Seed the structure with interaction and content </li></ul>

10. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics

11. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics who people think you are in the community

12. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics sharing things that are meaningful to participants e.g., volunteering photos, videos, stories

13. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics become aware of one another, discover commonalities, and progress to a trusted relationship e.g., connecting to one another

14. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics clusters of people around a common interest or goal e.g., collaborating to further standards of practice, to complete a project, to deepen knowledge in specific topic

15. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics knowing who is online, available or otherwise nearby e.g., broadcasting via micro blogging or status updates

16. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics knowing the status of other people in the community e.g., publishing one’s experience and expertise, or community standing

17. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics static content that is primarily consumed e.g., educational and marketing content

18. Based on Gene Smith’s “Social Software Building Blocks” http://nform.ca/publications/social-software-building-block Jive Software Strategic Consulting Identify top three community characteristics talking and responding to others e.g., support forums

19. <ul><li>P urpose </li></ul><ul><li>C alls to Action </li></ul><ul><li>M otivation </li></ul><ul><li>E xample </li></ul>Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements

20. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements What’s this all about in 2 seconds or less? P urpose C alls to Action M otivation E xample

21. <ul><li>P urpose </li></ul><ul><li>C alls to Action </li></ul><ul><li>M otivation </li></ul><ul><li>E xample </li></ul>Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements OK, I’m here. What do you want me to do ? What’s this all about in 2 seconds or less?

22. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements What’s in it for me if I participate? P urpose C alls to Action M otivation E xample OK, I’m here. What do you want me to do ? What’s this all about in 2 seconds or less?

23. <ul><li>P urpose </li></ul><ul><li>C alls to Action </li></ul><ul><li>M otivation </li></ul><ul><li>E xample </li></ul>Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements What behavior do you want me to model? What’s in it for me if I participate? OK, I’m here. What do you want me to do ? What’s this all about in 2 seconds or less?

24. Purpose? Calls to Action? Motivation? Example?

29. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow What happens when I click a call to action?

30. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Newbie Savvy Level of Concierge Service Member Attributes None Low Medium High Familiarity with basic computer skills Willingness to learn new technologies Exposure to online community/social networking concepts Perceived value of online communities or social networking Social technology activity level Knowledge level about your community’s topics

31. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Newbie Savvy The higher the newbie score, the higher the design’s “concierge service” should be Level of Concierge Service Member Attributes None Low Medium High Familiarity with basic computer skills Willingness to learn new technologies Exposure to online community/social networking concepts Perceived value of online communities or social networking Social technology activity level Knowledge level about your community’s topics

32. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Savvy Open profile in edit mode C: “Introduce Yourself”

33. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Newbie Savvy C: “Introduce Yourself” P: All about Profiles C: Complete your profile M: Benefits of networking E: Profile guidelines E: Featured member profile Open profile in edit mode Open profile in edit mode C: “Introduce Yourself”

34. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Structure to promote characteristics and activity flow

35. <ul><li>7 Site Areas </li></ul><ul><li>Help </li></ul><ul><li>About Profiles - “ Connect ” </li></ul><ul><li>About Blogs - “ Communicate ” </li></ul><ul><li>About Groups - “ Collaborate ” </li></ul><ul><li>Feedback </li></ul><ul><li>Ask a Question </li></ul><ul><li>Break Room </li></ul>Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Structure to promote characteristics and activity flow <ul><li>Taxonomy implemented for 95,000 employees </li></ul><ul><li>Characteristics: Relationships , Sharing , Groups </li></ul><ul><li>Tagline: Connect. Communicate. Collaborate. </li></ul>

36. <ul><li>7 Site Areas </li></ul><ul><li>Help </li></ul><ul><li>About Profiles - “ Connect ” </li></ul><ul><li>About Blogs - “ Communicate ” </li></ul><ul><li>About Groups - “ Collaborate ” </li></ul><ul><li>Feedback </li></ul><ul><li>Ask a Question </li></ul><ul><li>Break Room </li></ul>Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Structure to promote characteristics and activity flow <ul><li>Taxonomy implemented for 95,000 employees </li></ul><ul><li>Characteristics: Relationships , Sharing , Groups </li></ul><ul><li>Tagline: Connect. Communicate. Collaborate. </li></ul>P: All about Profiles C: Complete your profile M: Benefits of networking E: Profile guidelines E: Featured member profile

37. <ul><li>3 Main Areas </li></ul><ul><li>Manage Your Condition </li></ul><ul><li>Healthy Living </li></ul><ul><li>Find People Like You </li></ul>Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Structure to promote characteristics and activity flow <ul><li>Taxonomy implemented for people concerned about health </li></ul><ul><li>Characteristics: Relationships , Sharing , Conversations </li></ul><ul><li>Tagline: Connect. Share. Support. </li></ul>

38. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Structure to promote characteristics and activity flow Seed the structure with interaction and content ‘ Community’ is people interacting about stuff (yours, theirs, etc.) People go where the people are So, seed the content, then model the interaction you want people to mimic

39. Identify top three community characteristics Express characteristics through four elements Identify elements’ activity flow Structure to promote characteristics and activity flow Seed the structure with interaction and content “ Wow, [well-known subject expert] answers questions accurately and quickly. I feel comfy posting a question now!” “ Others like me provide feedback on stories. I think I’ll post mine!” “ This content looks like it has been recently updated. I’d better make sure mine is, too!”

40. Thanks

Designing online communities

Gia Lyons

Designing online communities