Start with why: what is your community for?

Welcome to Community Management 101. Before we talk about guidelines, welcome posts or moderation, we start with the question most new hosts skip: what is this community actually for?

It sounds obvious. But when I ask new hosts, I usually get a topic ("it's for gardeners") rather than a purpose. A topic tells people what you talk about. A purpose tells them why they should come back.

Topic vs purpose

• Topic: a group for people with diabetes.
• Purpose: a place where people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can ask the questions they feel silly asking their doctor.

The second version tells you who belongs, what they'll get and what kind of posts fit. It will also help with decisions later, from which features to switch on to which posts to remove.

A simple template

Try finishing this sentence: "This is a place where (who) can (do what) so that (what changes for them)." Keep it to one sentence. If it needs two, you probably have two communities.

Your task this week

Write your purpose sentence and put it where members will see it: your group description, your welcome post, or both. Then ask three members whether it matches why they joined. Their answers are often the most useful thing you'll hear all month.