8 reasons why you should focus on building a community that you truly own! Building their own communities can offer publishers numerous advantages over relying solely on third-party social media platforms. Here are 8 great reasons why this is key: 1. Control Over Content and Data Ownership: Having their own community allows you to have full control and ownership over the content and data generated. Data Privacy: You can ensure the privacy and security of their user data without being dependent on the policies of external platforms. Customization: You can customize the user experience, content, and interactions based on their audience’s needs and preferences. 2. Direct Relationship with Audience Engagement: Direct engagement with the audience allows for building stronger relationships and understanding their needs and preferences better. Loyalty: A dedicated community can enhance brand loyalty and create advocates who can further promote the brand, your main subscription or membership program Feedback: Direct feedback from the community can be invaluable for improving products, services, and content. 3. Monetization Opportunities Diversification: You can explore various monetization strategies like subscriptions, memberships, or selling merchandise directly. A community is a great add on. Ad Revenue: If its your own community, you can control ad placements and keep all ad revenue, instead of sharing it with social media platforms. Sponsored Content: You can work directly with sponsors for content partnerships without restrictions from third-party platforms. 4. Algorithm Independence Visibility: Content visibility is not subject to the changing algorithms of social media platforms. Reach: Publishers can ensure that their content reaches all members without being filtered or limited by external algorithms. Consistency: The user experience and content delivery remain consistent and are not influenced by external platform updates. 5. Branding Identity: Having a dedicated community platform allows you to establish and maintain you own brand identity, your own look&feel. Consistency: You can maintain consistency in branding, messaging, and user experience across all interactions. Reputation Management: You can manage and control the narrative around their brand and address issues directly. 6. Reduced Risk Platform Risk: Relying on third-party platforms exposes you to the risk of policy changes, algorithm updates, or even platform shutdowns. Community Stability: Having your own platform ensures that the community remains stable and accessible even if external platforms face issues. Policy Control: You can establish and enforce your own community guidelines and policies without being constrained by external rules. 7. Niche Communities Specialized Content: You can create content that is highly specialized and tailored to the interests of their community. Focus on what really matters to your users. Targeted Interaction: You can facilitate interactions and discussions that are highly relevant to their niche. Expertise: You can establish your team as experts in their niche by providing specialized content and discussions. 8. Innovation and Adaptability Feature Development: You can innovate and introduce new features based on the specific needs and feedback of their community. Adaptability: You can quickly adapt to changes in the market or user behavior without being constrained by external platforms. Experimentation: You have the freedom to experiment with different content formats, engagement strategies, and monetization models. Conclusion While social platforms can still play a vital role in content distribution and audience engagement, having a dedicated community platform provides publishers with control, stability, and direct access to their audience. This enables them to build stronger relationships,‘explore various monetization strategies and own 100% of data.

Generative AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for community managers to help scale and accelerate some of the rote work being done. But there are multiple things to be considered before you dive in.. great post from the @TheCR buff.ly/3OwAvok

We could not agree more: “Writers cannot build sustainable businesses if their connection to their audience depends on unreliable platforms that have proven they are willing to make changes that are hostile to the people who use them.” buff.ly/3DXZ2xF

Slack has been hugely successful as a #messaging platform for the enterprise - and we are happy using it within our team and also with clients. But is #Slack really a tool to run a growing consumer community? We have strong doubts.. let us explain why! A thread 🧵 1/15

How to easily translate content in your app and edit translations - with a few clicks, based on the leading translation API buff.ly/3t2gYSs #mobileapps #mobileapp #mobile

Fun take from @jenny_community - The Ted Lasso Approach To Building Community (note: please only read if you have seen the tv show.. 😂) jennydotcommunity.substack.c…

" The future of the social internet will be about writers and creators owning direct relationships with their audiences, and getting paid for their work. We need to move away from the era of the aggregator, where users are the products and not the customers." @hamishmckenzie 💯

The secret sauce of new media ventures is not only the content but the community around it. Turning your audience into a community becomes the accelerator of conversion, paid models and sustainable growth. Especially in niche media this becomes a key driver of new brands! 📲🚀

News, journalism and Facebook has never been a trustful, sustainable relationship in fact: "Facebook doesn’t need news. It’s a tiny fraction of what people see on its platform, and many more of its users would rather see less of it than more." buff.ly/3U64ZPJ

How to succeed with a new media venture 2023 1. Study a tiny yet underserved niche 2. Grow a thriving audience/community 3. Create something you wish existed 4. Validate with saas, no/low code 5. Make it useful/fun 6. Stand out with content 7. Iterate with community 8. Grow

Great to see @substack copying our combination of editorial content and a live chat powered by a mobile app.. 😁