I’ve read numerous blog posts and explanations of “community.” While some have been very thoughtful, others have created more questions than answers. In considering community, I always return to the same questions and I’m hoping that you can help me out:
What are your thoughts?
Thanks.
Rick Simmons
Rick Simmons is a principal at Dinkum Interactive, a firm specializing in online marketing solutions for small and medium sized businesses around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience in advertising and marketing, Simmons has spent the last four years focused on search engine optimization, and other Internet marketing strategies. Reach him at 267-626-9094 or [email protected]
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February 8, 2012. Posted under: Blog.
In the past two weeks, I attended two conferences that were world’s apart but linked. One was focused on large, profitable companies. The other involved nonprofits. They both discussed social media. The first conference featured CEOs, many of whom are grappling with the use of social media within their organizations. Each CEO had a bit of a different take on
Great questions about the nature (and changing nature) of community, Rick. Of course, we can get hung up on a word. One simple step we can take is to unpack the structures from the “interiors”. A housing development, a Ning site and and gaggle of followers on Twitter are all structures which may or may not develop a ripe community. The interior is the culture, the value system, the sense of “what is good”.
I particularly like your questions about time and membership. Community strength and attributes seem to ramp up and down over time. Every interpersonal interaction has a “halo” effect with some some half-life. If someone retweets, or picks up on the thread, or comments on your blog then the interaction continues on.
Seems that we are co-creating value by participating in a community. If the members don’t find value, the community dies. If the value has run its course, the community shuts down.
Anyway – thanks for the great questions!