Building Successful Online Communities
The advent of the Internet has helped people with similar values, beliefs and goals participate in nonprofit online community organizations and associations without regard to geographic limits. With this growth in the number of Web sites catering to and competing for an increasingly sophisticated online public, there is greater expectation regarding the value provided by your organization's Web site. This value, in the form of convenience, timeliness and usefulness, must be the overriding goal of your online presence. The web now significantly contributes to the perception and belief about your organization. In developing your organization's online community, several factors are critical to its success and hence your organization in general.
Online Communities: A Definition
To begin, a definition of an online community is valuable. An online community is the organization's presence on the web that should consist of many of the following:
A communications and information exchange forum containing:
- Newsletters
- Programs details
- Membership feedback mechanisms, such as emails and surveys
- Relevant online links
- Events calendars
- Bulletin boards
- Special topic mailing lists
- Online chat/Instant messaging
A self-service resource center that has searchable access to:
- Training material, procedures, forms and other documents
- Maps, photos and videos
- Organization merchandise
Organizational tools for managing both "front & back" office activities such as:
- Recruitment, fundraising and dues collection, event registration and financial analysis
- Membership profiles updates, including contribution, participation and leadership attributes
- Group email notifications
- Summary data on programs and events for Leadership
The Six Things You Need to Know to Be Successful
There are many issues to consider when planning and building your online community. These differ by organization mission, available budget and objectives. However, no matter the size of the organization, the following are key to the success of your online presence.
Keep all content on the site up-to-date.
Be sure it has the latest events and communications, so that the membership will depend on it as being their source of information about the organization. Also, outdated content on the web conveys that there is nothing new to share with your membership, hence they will not likely return to the site. For example, seeing information posted on the home page describing an upcoming event that has passed.
Know your audience.
Identify and prioritize your audience. You cannot meet all the needs of everyone that will visit your site. Define whom you want to reach up front before creating online messages or new functionality. Focus on categories of volunteers (heavy participants, leadership, youth, etc.), not necessarily individual members. Once identified, be sure your content addresses those members' needs. That may mean that more than one rendition of the content has to be created and published to the right group. Remember, sometimes it may not actually be the member that uses your site, it may be someone else in the member's household, for instance the family member that manages the social calendar or a parent. Be sure to have a privacy policy stating how collected information is used and, if applicable, youth protection policies.
Keep it easy, convenient and non-intrusive. Have it save time for the member. The site should provide value for the volunteer and not be just a communications vehicle for the organization. It should save them time and be a consolidated place to do ALL things with the organization. For instance, if the site allows them to register, pay and print details about an organization event, they will save time and perceive the site to have value for them.
Archive and keep important data in order to better transition leadership.
The organization's history should be captured by the technology. New volunteers, especially those in leadership positions can use history to help them plan for the future. Prior membership rosters, event attendance, donation lists, and meeting minutes should be easily accessible by new leadership.
Use the site to assist in recruiting volunteers/members.
Regular email updates on important organizational events and volunteer activities can help in volunteer retention. Volunteer manuals, guidelines and other useful information can be posted online to make them available anytime. Online calendars can help volunteers remember important assignments and deadlines. These days, some members may choose to participate solely over the internet. These "virtual volunteers" should be remembered when planning and communicating the organizations' activities.
Integrate online and offline fundraising efforts.
Treat online fundraising as part of the overall fundraising efforts. Online fundraising is easy and convenient; however it should not be used in place of other forms of communications to reach all members and outside donors during a campaign. Be sure that the online and offline messages and details are always in sync. You do not want a recipient of information to receive the same message twice nor to have messages conflict each other.
Your web presence is as important as any other function of your nonprofit organization. More often than not, it is the first exposure someone has to your organization and first impressions are difficult to change. With sound planning, timely updates and routine maintenance, your site can be a key driver to the success of your organization's mission.
For information on creating a great online community for your organization contact:
David Mimeles
Doubleknot, Inc.
408-971-9120
Via email: dmimeles@doubleknot.com
Web site: www.doubleknot.com
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