Launching your own community involves many content-related, communicative and general strategic questions. No two communities are the same; target groups, objectives and needs are different and all of this has an impact on the requirements of the offering.
To make it easier to start the planning process, we have created a checklist that briefly lists all the important topics. Many of the questions are closely related, meaning that the answers have a direct impact on each other. The topics do not always have the same relevance.
Nevertheless, this is in any case a good start to the internal discussion or exchange with us.
The ultimate community checklist
Target group analysis
Who is the community’s primary target group? What are their needs and interests? Is the target group likely to use the service on a mobile device or on a desktop PC? How and where does the target group currently exchange information?
Purpose of the community
What is the community intended to achieve? Is it knowledge sharing, networking, customer loyalty, product feedback, or something else?
Long-term goals
What long-term goals should be achieved by building and maintaining the community?
Added value
What specific added value does the community offer its members? This could include exclusive content, access to experts, networking opportunities or other benefits. This also raises questions about the content offered.
News Feed
The news feed is the central, most important element, as it is the first thing users see after opening the app. What content in this feed ensures that new, relevant news and content is offered regularly (i.e. ideally daily)?
Content planning
What content is offered? What content categories should there be in a kind of “topic list” or a kind of navigation? Who creates it? How often is new content published?
Tab Bar
The most important navigation element in mobile apps today is the navigation bar at the bottom, the so-called “tab bar”. The news feed is the first element there, but the other elements can be defined. Categories and topic lists can be placed here, as well as other feeds that should differ in content from the main news feed.
Access
How do users gain access to the community? Is the community open to new, unknown users or is it more of a closed offering?
Different channels
Should there perhaps be an open area for anyone interested and a closed area for members? And if so, how would the two areas differ?
User rights
Are users allowed to post content and if so, where? Should users post in their own area or can they do so in the central news feed, on an equal footing with their own content?
Moderation
Who moderates the community or who monitors the content? How are inappropriate content or discussions handled?
Launch strategy
How will the app be launched? Is there a pre-launch campaign, beta testing or influencer partnerships? How will the app be presented to an existing group of interested parties or participants?
User acquisition
What strategies are used to attract new members or to draw attention to the offer? Or does the app initially focus on an existing group of users?
Engagement and retention
How do you keep members in the community for the long term? What measures are there to encourage users to return to the app? Push notifications, regularly updated content, but also interactive formats such as chat groups, threads or general comments are important here ? How can you encourage people to discuss relevant topics?
Important functions
Which functions are particularly essential in your opinion? Examples: forums, chat groups, direct messages, notifications, content management, etc.
User data
Do you already have contact details (e.g. emails and names) of members or interested parties? If so, in which system are they available and do members perhaps already have passwords for an existing system? Should this continue to be used to control access?
Monetisation model
Will the community be free or is there a premium model? What monetisation options are planned in the short, medium and long term (e.g. subscriptions, advertising, in-app purchases)?
Summary
These considerations are the starting point for planning and implementing a successful community platform. A clearly defined plan that takes these aspects into account forms the basis for a strong and sustainable community.
Of course, we are fully involved here as sparring partners. In any case, however, it makes sense to discuss these points within the team and to document this accordingly.
If you have any questions, please contact us or your contact person at any time!
