To listen to the podcast episode that features this series, CLICK HERE.

 

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller

 

I’ve been very tuned in to how powerful TOGETHERNESS is since I was a kid.  I was raised in a family with six kids.  I was an avid athlete on just about every team sport you can imagine.  I was always a key leader in school organizations.  And as it relates to business, I spent the past 7 years of my life building an in-person entrepreneurial community with my husband.  So once the dust settled from the launch of this crazy idea I had called Biz Women Rock, I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t simply producing a podcast or building a business that created products and services…I was building a community.  

 

Google defines community as…

“A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.”  Or “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”

 

Basically, my community was getting created as I gathered my listeners, my supporters, my email readers, my coaching clients, my course students and anyone else who identified with the Biz Women Rock brand and brought them together for a larger purpose.  

 

This is what I’ve been doing since I was a kid.  And this is what I love.  Because I believe that my purpose is to make a massive impact in the lives of women around the world.  And I’ve seen over and over again how creating and leading a community allows me to do that exponentially.

 

In the past few years, the word “community” has become a bit of a buzzword within the online business space.  Everyone is talking about their “community.”  They’ve exchanged the words “following” or “tribe” or “email list” or “listeners” or “readers” for community.  And while I love this shift to utilizing my favorite multi-dimensional term, my purpose in creating this series is to expose just how intricate this whole building a community thing really is.  

 

 

I’ve identified seven simple steps to follow in order to build a tremendous community.  And I’ve even included some phenomenal advice from some of the most impactful and successful community builders I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing!

 

This series is broken up into four parts that will be showcased over the next four weeks.  So, if you happen to be diving into part 3, make sure you go back and listen to all the previous ones in order to get the full impact of the lessons here.  

 

One final note…

 

Building a community is not for the faint of heart.  Nor is it for someone who wants an “easy” business model.  Building a community and becoming a leader of one is for someone who wants to make an impact in a profound way on the lives of others, who wants to make ripples in the universe and do it through other people.  And as it pertains to business, it’s for someone who believes in giving value to a group of people they truly LOVE (and I don’t use that word lightly) before ever offering products or services for sale…because they understand the value and fragility of having an endless pool of loyal customers who believe in their brand.  

 

So, if you’re listening to this because you want to “build your following online,” you will definitely get some great ideas here.  However, I highly recommend you listen with an open mind knowing that building a community is something that happens in an entirely different stratosphere…and maybe, just maybe…you’ll feel called to lean into the possibilities it can open for you to live in your purpose.  

 

So here were go…

 

HOW TO BUILD A COMMUNITY

PART 1

 

Step 1: Establish your niche or your super niche

 

Before you can possibly think about a group of individuals gathering under your banner, you must first think of yourself.  This may seem contradictory (isn’t a “community” all about the people?”), but the truth of the matter is NOTHING can exist without YOU and YOUR WHY.  Being a community leader is much like being a parent (to humans or animals)…you can’t take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself first.  So the first step is to identify what YOU love, what YOU are curious or passionate about.  What interests do you have?  What topics or ideas could you talk about forever?  What makes you light up inside?  

 

I knew that I loved business.  And I knew I loved women.  I could talk about business all day long through the lense of being a woman.  I could talk to women forever about their business wisdom.  I could never get tired of engaging in transparent conversations about money, operations, the myth of multi-tasking, the pulls of motherhood and the never-ending surge of emotions and issues that we constantly have to deal with as a business woman.  And especially, the endless DRIVE we all seem to share to do great things!  Ah!!!  It gives me goosebumps and makes my heart race just as I say this!  

 

So, obviously, I knew business women and all the stuff that came under that umbrellas was where I was supposed to live.  

 

If you don’t know the answer to this, don’t fret. You don’t have to be 100% sure before you begin.  But, you do need to have an idea of where you like to live.  I like fitness.  I like graphic design.  I love organic farming!  It could be this general to begin with and zone in after you get started and niche your focus down even more.  

 

And speaking of niching down…creating a community around a super niche can be incredibly powerful!  

 

Here’s an example.  

 

I love birds.  More specifically, I love parrots.  I have two of them at home (they were my first kids!).  I love them dearly.  One is a Brown Headed parrot and one is a Sun Conure.  

 

There is a community out there (which lives online on a Facebook Group) that is specifically for Sun Conure lovers.  

It’s filled with over 9,200 community members just like me who LOVE their Sun Conures.  

 

As you’re doing the work to figure out what your niche is, keep asking questions that force you to go deeper into a super niche.  What KIND of fitness do you love the most?  WHO do you tend to connect with the best when you’re sharing your fitness story?

 

And do some homework!  Search on Google and Facebook to see how and if these ideas exist already.  If they do, that’s great news!  It means the there’s proof of concept!  But, your job is to decide how YOU will be different (and also to make sure you’re not creating the exact same name that already exists!).

 

Getting clear on your niche or super niche is vital in order for you to build and lead your own community.  

 

Because once you do, you will easily be able to see WHO your community members will be.  And knowing your avatar (otherwise known as your community member or target market) is necessary so you can start to build your community.

 

And that brings us to another amazing piece of advice from one of the sexiest and most powerful community leaders I know, my husband, Chris Krimitsos.  

 

Step 2: Decide on a platform to deliver your message and gather your people

 

A leader needs a way to be heard and a community needs a place for everyone to gather.  

 

I believe that there are THREE distinct levels of platforms.

 

1. Two dimensional (deliver message and receive feedback)

1. Podcast
2. Blog
3. Video blog
4. Email 
   1. Do i still need email?  YES!  YOU OWN IT!

 

2. Three-dimensional (they can connect to each other only as long as you start the convo)

1. Blab
2. Facebook Live
3. Periscope
4. Twitter
5. Facebook Page

3. Multi-Dimensional (they can connect without you)

1. Facebook Groups
2. Your own forum
3. Physical meetings

 

One of the reasons I’m SUCH a big fan of Facebook Groups is because I’ve lived in the offline space of community building for years…way before I started building community online.  And a Facebook Group is one of the few platforms that is able to create an experience much like an in-person experience, complete with intimacy, purpose and relationship-building potential…and it’s available 24 hours a day!

 

All in all, I believe that creating a powerful community requires you tapping into some platform on EACH of these levels.  

***

Stay tuned for Part 2 of How to Build a Community!

 

 

Looking for a way to start and grow your own community?

Check out Facebook Groups Rock!  Your complete online course to help you start, grow and monetize your own Facebook Group!