Community building process

[Shawn Gossman]

What is your process in building a community from scratch?

Whether you've built one community or multiple communities, what is your typical process from start to launch and anything after?

Do you plan it out and keep the process organized?

Do you set goals?

Or do you just wing it?

 

[Page]

1. Forum software, paid or free, start with free I say to begin with 😉
2. Subject, what's going to be! and then type notes from name, domain name, categories and just about anything.
3. Put it together and then consider your paying host, google and research beforehand.
4. Ask if you need to ask, and maybe consider hiring people to help if you do not want to do it alone.
5. Pay for the host, download and upload your forum software,
6. at this point should have name and graphics work done and the layout that you think you may go with, via your notes.
7. Take your time to build, give yourself two weeks to 30 days before opening day, do topics and posts before opening

 

[Shawn Gossman]

1. Forum software, paid or free, start with free I say to begin with 😉
2. Subject, what's going to be! and then type notes from name, domain name, categories and just about anything.
3. Put it together and then consider your paying host, google and research beforehand.
4. Ask if you need to ask, and maybe consider hiring people to help if you do not want to do it alone.
5. Pay for the host, download and upload your forum software,
6. at this point should have name and graphics work done and the layout that you think you may go with, via your notes.
7. Take your time to build, give yourself two weeks to 30 days before opening day, do topics and posts before opening

Great process!

 

[Cedric]

It usually starts from an impulsive idea. I find a good name, buy the right domain, then setup everything correctly. Develop a mission statement and goal what I'd like to achieve. Nothing unrealistically though. It's important to set goals that you can achieve. For example, setting a goal to achieve 1000 members in the first year is usually not possible.

Once that is out the way, I setup the forums, get a theme and add ons, often custom from the start. And I start inviting some friends over, gathering an audience. Fill the forums with content, while my audience can test the forums for bug elimination purpose as well as launching a soft opening.

After that's done, open the board and hope for some success. Once it's opened, work hard on promoting, gathering more audience, creating content, etc.

 

[Page]

Great process!

There are more, I mean it's unless when running a FOurm LOL

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Develop a mission statement and goal what I'd like to achieve.

I think this is exceptionally important because it gives you the ability to analyze your results.

Too many new community founders want the success overnight but don't set any sort of goal.

Goals are how success occurs.

 

[Cedric]

I think this is exceptionally important because it gives you the ability to analyze your results.

Too many new community founders want the success overnight but don't set any sort of goal.

Goals are how success occurs.

Couldn't agree more with this. 🙂 It's like taking a walk. Without knowing where you wanna go, what's the purpose in walking? It's just a waste of time.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I usually figure out what I want the niche to be about. Then, I come up with a name depending on if the domain name I am wanting to get is still available. After that, I figure out which software I want to go with, find hosting and start building the forum. I'll make the graphics and find a theme to fit the niche. After I feel like I have every section added, I start adding content to each sub forum and then I start looking for people to do a post exchange with. After I get some extra posts on the forum and I feel like things are ready to go, then I promote the forum.

 

[Nomad]

I get a domain, choose open source to keep expenses down, and create a couple of fake accounts to create topics and replies. Then I start promoting.

 

[Baw$e]

I didn't plan anything when I started my forum. I had an idea of how I wanted it, and I also used my competitors as a guide when I set up the forums. I made tweaks, improvements as I go, and try to be active daily, starting new discussions...etc

 

[Al]

Goals are how success occurs.

If you don't have a goal or a target how would you know you were successful?

That's a rhetorical question, btw.

 

[BeautifulAngel]

What is your process in building a community from scratch?

Whether you've built one community or multiple communities, what is your typical process from start to launch and anything after?

Do you plan it out and keep the process organized?

Do you set goals?

Or do you just wing it?

When I ran my forum back in the day I had it pretty organized.

I had already thought out how I wanted it to look, what kind of atmosphere I wanted to create, and I also had gave myself and staff goals for the forum. I found having goals was very important because not only do you have a focus but you can also reward yourself at east stage or step. It's also amazing to look back and see everything you've accomplished when it is written out than if you just go by memory or wing it.

 

[cpvr]

When I started my forum, I had a clear vision of what I wanted it to be, and that vision has remained the same to this day. Keeping things organized is key, especially when you have a clear direction for your community and know the path you want to take.

 

[Katrina]

From what I've seen, a lot of forum owners base their new community on what others are doing, whether it's really successful or not. It's rare to see something truly original come from a new community these days.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Every forum I've started from scratch I've done so because it fulfilled a need. That might be a peer to peer help desk for a business, a meeting place for an existing group of people or a forum that provides a particular service e.g. listing ownership of a particular brand of rare guitar.

While I put a lot of effort into the forums I own I've never had to care about SEO, attracting members or activity levels because all my forums have had a ready made community in waiting. I just provide the vehicle for them to communicate with each other.