Day 14 of 30: Conversion and Balance in Freemium Communities [#3 of 3]

Day 14 of 30: Conversion and Balance in Freemium Communities [#3 of 3] In the final installment on freemium communities, I want to talk about managing both free and paid versions within a freemium community (yes, that happens). I'll also cover strategies for converting freemium members into paid

Day 13 of 30: Cultivation and Top of Funnel Optimization in Freemium Communities [#2 of 3]

The real power of cultivating a freemium community is using it as a lead generation tool.  Top-of-funnel optimization is key, and it all starts with delivering value to your users and encouraging them to take action together. The goal is not to find the one perfect activity. The

Day 12 of 30: Intro to Freemium Communities [1/3]

Are you looking to build a strong, engaged community around a specific topic or activity? Look no further than the concept of a freemium community. In this three-part series, I want to delve into what exactly a freemium community is and why it's such a powerful concept.

Day 11 of 30: Guiding Principles for Scaling Your Community Effectively

As community builders, it’s vital to understand that effective scaling is not about increasing numbers or revenue.  It's not Community Go Up...it's Community Doubles Down.  It’s about deepening the impact and maintaining the core values that define your community. Here's how

Day 10 of 30: The Critical Art of Setting Boundaries in Community Building

One of the most challenging and important things you will do is determine what will not happen inside your community. Our digital lives are often overshadowed by the negative aspects of the world around us. This is evident in our news feeds and the content that grabs our instinctual attention.

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

Day 9 of 30: The Important Role of Small Actions in Community Building

When I first embarked on the journey of building communities, I made a critical mistake. I thought that having a clear and strong vision was all it took to set my community apart. I quickly learned that this was only part of the equation. What truly sets a community apart

Day 7 of 30: Minimum Effective Dose for Community Building

When building a community, it's not just about bringing people together, but also about solving a problem for them. This problem could be a connection issue, an educational need, or a behavioral challenge. It's important to consider how much work the members of your community need

Day 6 of 30: Specifics Matter When You Launch Your Community

When you're trying to attract new members, it's crucial to make promises that you can actually deliver on, without overwhelming people or making unrealistic claims. One common mistake that community builders make is focusing too much on the end goal, without considering the practical steps that

Day 5 of 30: Three Unscalable Things to Start a Community

Today I am sharing some thoughts on building a community from the ground up.  Think of it like launching a rocket - it takes a lot of effort to break through the initial resistance, but once you do, the momentum will carry you forward. I've found that the first

Day 4 of 30: Value Alignment at Sign Up

Getting people to sign up for your online community can be a real challenge, whether it's a paid or free community.  One way to make it easier is to ensure that they are getting value from the moment they join. This could be in the form of a

Day 3 of 30: Community Monetization

Running a community platform involves certain costs. Whether it's for necessary upgrades or basic operations, investment is often inevitable. This leads to a crucial decision: should you charge for membership? The answer largely depends on the value proposition of your community. The Free Community Model No Initial Cost: