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1. 9 Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Communities
WWW.SOCIOUS.COM Nonprofit: @SociousSuccess For-Profit: @SociousSoftware

2. 9
Today’s Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Presenters Communities
Paul Schneider Joshua Paul
Co-Founder & SVP, Socious Director of Strategy, Socious

3. 9
A Little Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Housekeeping Communities
 Tech Check
 Ask Questions in the Q&A Panel
 We ARE Recording!
 Twitter: @SociousSuccess

4. 9
Today’s Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Agenda Communities
1. Why Private Online Communities Matter
2. Getting Strategy Right
3. Community Management
4. How It All Works
5. Takeaways

5. Why Do Successful Private
Online Communities Matter?

6. 9
Why Do Successful Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Private Online Communities
Communities Matter?
Associations reporting a decrease in
membership over the past 5 years
indicate that weak product or service
offerings are a major challenge in
growing their membership*.
*2012 Association Membership Benchmarking Report, Marketing General

7. 9
Why Do Successful Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Private Online Communities
Communities Matter?
The primary reasons association executives
give as to why members join associations
continues to be:
• networking (22%)
• access to specialized/current info (12%)
• advocacy (12%)*
*2012 Association Membership Benchmarking Report, Marketing General

8. 9
Why Do Successful Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Private Online Communities
Communities Matter?
Associations with more than 5,000
members report their greatest challenge
is attracting and keeping young
members*.
*2012 Association Membership Benchmarking Report, Marketing General

9. 9
Why Do Successful Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Private Online Communities
Communities Matter?
Associations that report an increase in
overall membership growth are
statistically more likely to report having
higher levels of engagement*.
*2012 Association Membership Benchmarking Report, Marketing General

10. 9
Why Do Successful Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Private Online Communities
Communities Matter?
40% of professionals’ online time is
spent engaging in peer-to-peer online
communities, followed by interacting
with friends at 31% and family at 13%*.
*The Social Mind, Society for New Community Research

11. 9
Why Do Successful Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Private Online Communities
Communities Matter?
• Low rate of usage and success.
• Average industry usage 14%.
• Most associations view the technology as
the most important aspect of a successful
online community-it isn’t.
• Technology is a way to deliver your
strategy. It is not a strategy itself.
• Online communities CAN be successful.
We are going to tell you how.

12. Private Social Networking
Success Starts with a Sound
Online Community Strategy

13. Should Your Treat Your Private
Online Community Like a
Technology, Social Media Tool,
or Member Benefit?

14. 9
What Makes A Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Strong Member Communities
Benefit?
Attributes of a strong member benefit:
1. Exclusive
2. Accessible
3. Simple to Grasp
4. Delivers
5. Supported
Secret #1:
Member Benefit Strategy

15. 9
How To Make Your Private Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Online Community A Valuable Communities
Member Benefit?
 A Single Attributes of a strong member benefit:
Place
1. Exclusive  Easy to
 Other 2. Accessible Participate In
Members 3. Simple to Grasp
 Helpful 4. Delivers  Important to the
Information 5. Supported Organization
Secret #1:
Member Benefit Strategy

16. SECRET #1
Your Private Member
Community Can Be Your Most
Valuable Member Benefits

17. What Are Your
Online Community Goals?

18. SECRET #2
Organizational And
Departmental Goals Drive Your
Online Community Goals

19. 9
Align Your Private Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Community With Your Communities
Organizational Goals
Base online community goals on your
executive management team’s goals for
the organization.
Secret #2:
Goal Setting

20. 9
Basing Goals on Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Staff Challenges Communities
• What are the top 3 administrative issues you face in your department?
• What are the top 3 member communication issues you face in your
department?
• What are the top 3 benefits you would like an online community to be able to
do for your department?
• What is the 1 major issue you hope an online community could help our
organization with?
• Do you currently use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or other social media sites on
a weekly or regular basis?
• What do you believe is the ONE TOP reason members choose our association?
• Which communication methods do you use to communicate with our members
currently? Why are you using that method?
• What do you believe is the ONE TOP reason members don’t renew?
Secret #2:
Goal Setting

21. Getting Members to Use Your
Online Community

22. 9
Common Mistakes that Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Membership Communities
Organizations Make
Membership organization must switch from
thinking of their private online community
“something extra” for their members to
viewing it as an all-in-one member-facing
platform that bring all electronic interactions
together.
Secret #3:
Positioning Your Community

23. 9
Online Communities Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Are at the Center of Communities
Member Engagement
• Makes all communication social
• Augments staff and creates a constant
backstop
• Provides actionable insight about your
membership
• Creates growth, buzz, and credit for providing
value
Secret #3:
Positioning Your Community

24. SECRET #3
Position Your Online
Community at the Center of
Your Member Communication
Universe

25. Community Management

26. The Importance of Online
Community Managers

27. 9
The Role of Online Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Community Managers Communities
The best online community managers
focus on creating, maintain, and
improving processes than impact the
masses rather than addressing
individual member issues.
Secret #4:
Community Management

28. 9
What Does an Online Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Community Manager Communities
Do?
• Content coordination
• Outreach
• Re-engagement
• Measuring & adjusting processes
• Look for opportunities to help members
& for the organization
Secret #4:
Community Management

29. 9
What to Look for in an Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Online Community Communities
Manager?
• Understanding of social media,
collaboration and, online sharing
• Good project management skills
• Grasp of your organization’s larger vision
• Appropriate authority
• Age does not matter
Secret #4:
Community Management

30. SECRET #4
Private Online Communities
Need Community Managers
That Focus on Processes

31. Content Planning

32. 9
Why Should You Care Secrets of Successful
Private Online
About Content? Communities
Secret #5:
Content Planning

33. 9
Why Should Your Care Secrets of Successful
Private Online
About Content? Communities
Secret #5:
Content Planning

35. 9
Key Components of an Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Online Community Communities
Content Plan
• Real Dates
• Prioritization
• Type of Content
• Categories
• Content Owner
Secret #5:
Content Planning

36. SECRET #5
The Engagement in Your
Private Online Community is
Directly Tied to the Frequency
of Quality Content

37. Measuring Success

38. 9
What Can You Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Measure? Communities
Visit Event registration
Page view Profile
Login Time in community
Registration Time on page
Post Entry page
Comment Exit page
Click path Purchases
Secret #6:
Measuring Success

39. 9
It is Important to Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Measure the Right Communities
Things
• Find out why things are happening
• See if what you are doing is working
• Prevent rework and going down the wrong path
• Fix leaks in your member or customer
engagement flow
Secret #6:
Measuring Success

40. 9
Start With These Key Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Online Community Communities
Ratios
• Visit to New Registration Ratio
• Visit to Login Ratio
• Login to Post & Comment Ratio
• Post to Comment Ratio
• Login to Action Ratio
• Members to Completed Profile Ratio
Secret #6:
Measuring Success

41. SECRET #6
Measure the Right Things and
Make Adjustments Often

42. How It All Works

43. 13 Key Online Community
Features in 6 Minutes

44. Creating Value: Discussions

45. Creating Value: File, Video, Audio, Etc.

46. Creating Value: Expert Blogs

47. Creating Value: Finding People and Info

48. Creating Value: Communities

49. Creating Value: Content Management

50. Keep Members Engaged: Email Engine

51. Keep Members Engaged: Email Alerts

52. Keep Members Engaged: Integrated Listserv

53. Keeping members Engaged: Surveys & Polls

54. Keeping Members Engaged: Gamification

55. Keep Members Engaged: Engagement Analytics

56. Keep Members Engaged: Mobile App

57. SECRET #7
Make Sure You Have Enough of
2 Kinds of Features in Your
Online Community – Those
That Create Value & Those That
Keep Members Engaged

58. What You Need to Know About
Implementing a Private Online
Community Platform

59. 9
What to Expect Secrets of Successful
Private Online
During Implementation Communities
1. Initial design session. 6. Mid Review of Site.
2. Initial Site Build / Data 7. Update Conversion / Site.
Gathering. 8. Repeat steps 7 and 8 as
3. Integrate gathered data needed until client feels site is
into site. in a finalized state.
4. Initial Review of Site. 9. Prepare for Launch based on
5. Data Conversion. document prepared in step 6.
10.Launch site.
Secret #8:
Implementation

60. 9
Who Needs to Be Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Involved from Your Communities
Organization?
• Project Lead
• Functional Area Leads
• Technical Leads
• Domain Contact
• Testers
Secret #8:
Implementation

61. SECRET #8
To Avoid Online Community
Implementation Delays, Share
Your Vision, Make Time to
Make Decisions, and Know
Your Data

62. 9
You Have Many Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Integration Options Communities
Socious as Stand-Alone
Socious
Socious Linked to Client
Database and CMS
Client Systems Socious
Socious Events Linked to
Client Database
Client Systems Socious
Secret #9:
Integration

63. SECRET #9
An All-In-One Online
Community Platform Helps You
Fill In The Gaps In Your Member
Experience

64. 9
Strategy Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Takeaways Communities
Your Private Member Community Can Be
Your Most Valuable Member Benefit
Organizational And Departmental Goals Drive
Your Online Community Goals
Place Your Online Community at the Center
of Your Member Communication Universe

65. 9
Community Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Management Communities
Takeaways
Private Online Communities Need
Community Managers
Community Engagement is Directly Tied to
the Frequency of Quality Content
Measure the Right Things

66. 9
How It All Works Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Takeaways Communities
There are Two Kinds of Features in Your
Online Community – Those That Create
Value & Those That Keep Members Engaged
Implementation: Share Your Vision, Make
Time to Make Decisions, and Know Your Data
Use Your Online Community Software to Fill
In The Gaps In Your Member Experience

67. 9
Special Offer for Secrets of Successful
Private Online
Webinar Participants Communities
Free Online Community Consultation
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member community?
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