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Tools For Building A Community
A number of tools exist that can assist MicroISVs
in building a community around their software
products. The software should be the common theme
that unites community participants.
1. Forums
Forums can be very effective tools for building
a community, and there are a number of web-based
forum solutions available for managing forum posts
and permissions. When a forum is first created,
limit the number of forum categories -- you can
always add additional categories later, when the
forum participation increases and can support
additional segmentation. It should be as easy
as possible for forum participants to follow the
posts. Make new forum posts available via both
email subscriptions and RSS feeds. Keep in mind
that forum participation may sparse in the beginning,
and you may have to "seed" the forum with questions
and comments in an effort to generate discussions.
Seeding a forum with thought-provoking questions
will often result in increased participation and
dialogue.
For more information refer to: Tips
for Building a Software Community
2. Blogging
Blog commenting creates a community and an interactive
dialogue with potential customers. Blogs can be
a great source for application feedback. Company
blogs can also act as a channel for announcing
new features or beta testing opportunities. Before
you launch your blog, determine what you want
to accomplish with it, and what your goals for
are for the blog.
3. Micro-Blogging
Twitter and similar micro-blogging tools will
help community members follow company news and
press releases. It helps build brand loyalty,
and micro-blogging can help personalize a company
to some extent.
4. Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking can help draw attention to
new products or services. Utilize social bookmarking
tools to increase exposure for new products and
services.
5. Social Communities
Establish a profile in the various social communities
like LinkedIn, FaceBook, and MySpace, which will
further enhance your ability to participate in
a community. Having a presence in the various
social communities can also help reinforce your
company brand.
6. User Groups
User Groups may be considered "old-fashioned"
communities for MicroISVs, but they are still
very relevant and shouldn't be dismissed. A gathering
of like-minded technical individuals can be a
great community for certain types of software.
If you find one that fits well with your products,
offer door prizes and presentations for their
local meetings. User group participants will often
evangelize applications they like.
Communication helps stabilize and solidify a
community. If you communicate with community members,
they are more likely to participate and become
active in the community. The communication should
be opt-in and relevant.
Related Articles:
Before
You Begin a Software Community
Tips
for Building a Software Community
Why
Build a Software Community
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Developer
101
Tools for Building a Software Community?