Day 8 of 30: The Role of Curation in Building Lasting Communities
While community is often seen as an act of discovery, it's important to recognize that discovery alone is not the element that will scale a community.
The true differentiator between a community that merely starts and one that endures is curation.
Curation Beyond Basic Needs
Curation in a community goes beyond just helping members find basic information or preventing veteran members from repetitively answering the same questions. It serves a much more significant purpose.
Curation acts as a mechanism to showcase the history, value, and longevity of your community. Think of it this way: nobody wants to join a gym if it might not be around tomorrow, or start a course on a subject that could become irrelevant overnight.
👉 Curation provides a sense of permanence and context.
Curation as Contextual Framework
In essence, curation is not just about organization or information management; it's about creating a contextual framework for your community. This framework helps members understand the evolution, culture, and core values of the community. It assures them that they are part of something enduring and meaningful.
3 Actionable Curation Strategies
1️⃣ Archive Popular Posts
Identify and save the most popular posts within your community. Convert these posts into PDFs and make them accessible via a resource page. This not only preserves valuable discussions but also showcases the highlights and evolution of your community over time.
2️⃣ Record Events
Make it a practice to record your community events. These recordings can serve as valuable resources for members who couldn’t attend and also act as historical artifacts that capture the community's journey.
3️⃣ Create Memes from Popular Sayings or Experiences
Turn popular sayings or memorable experiences within your community into memes. This not only adds a fun element but also ensures that these moments live on beyond their immediate context and can be appreciated by future members.
The Final Word
Through curation, you can build a community that not only starts strong but also has the resilience and depth to last. Curation is about building a legacy and ensuring that your community is perceived as a valuable, stable, and enduring entity.
This post was part of my 30-day community series I ran on Twitter/X. Follow me for instant updates. Explore this site to learn more about community. You can work with me to accelerate your community growth.