Eight Steps to Creating a Successful Online Community

Online social communities are all the rage these days. Sites such as MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook have grabbed headlines over the past year or so as examples of how to create successful online communities.

As a result, many have tried to emulate these sites and create vibrant online communities... with mixed results.

Those who wish to create a successful online community should follow some key steps to ensure their project's success.

This article will walk you through the most common steps in the evolution of your online-community project from an idea to a group of users to a passionate community.

1. Consider why you want to create an online community

The great temptation is to view an online community as a revenue source. But to have a successful community you must first give something of value to your visitors. Users come together and coalesce into a community because they enjoy each other's company and share a sense of ownership in something larger than themselves. Communities do not form around the idea of being monetized.

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Mack Collier is a social-media consultant and writes for The Viral Garden and MarketingProfs Daily Fix. Reach him via mack.collier@theviralgarden.com and follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mackcollier.