How to Integrate Community in Searchie
Being an entrepreneur can be a little lonely sometimes, especially if you’re not actively seeking connection and community. We are wired for community!
When you offer a program in Searchie—whether it’s a course, membership, or coaching program—you’ll have more satisfied clients and better retention if you facilitate community.
You may be thinking, I’ve got that covered; I’m offering a private Facebook group. There’s so much more to fostering a sense of community in your program!
Start Creating Community from Day One
Those first few days or weeks after a client joins your programs are a critical make-or-break time period. The client’s experience during this time will determine whether they ditch the program before ever really getting started. Perhaps they’ll cancel their membership during the trial period or they’ll simply fall off track and never complete your program. What a shame!
Create a plan that will welcome the new member and help them to feel connected to you and your community. Depending on the size of your program, it may be feasible for you to send them an authentic welcome message and get to know them better.
Get Your Community Involved!
The current members of your community are a valuable resource for making new members feel at home. Here are ways they can participate:
Using VideoAsk, solicit testimonial and/or welcome videos from members. When the new member watches warm welcome videos from their fellow members, they’ll get a sense for who is “in this with them” and feel greater trust. If you’re interested in VideoAsk, save 10% with my affiliate link and the code 5PNcCLPk.
Create an ambassador program involving current members. These ambassadors can reach out to new members, offering support and a warm welcome. Just like that, your new client feels a sense of safety and connection.
Create regular welcome Zoom calls for new and existing members. Be sure to make use of breakout rooms, offering topics to get breakout rooms talking. Great friendships can begin in a breakout room!
Create Connection Tools and Events
A directory that provides detailed information about your members (photo, location, skills, interests) may seem static, but it’s actually a great resource for community building. These bits of information are launching points for connection: people who live near each other, who have similar interests, or people seeking collaboration with other members can all discover other members to get in touch with.
You can also create a private directory by having an intake questionnaire that flows into a spreadsheet. This way, you can learn a great deal of information about your clients and make connections on their behalf. When you see a client posting about a challenge they’re facing, you can introduce them to another member who may be just the expert they need.
Peer groups or interest groups within your community can create powerful connections within those smaller groups. Consider what interest groups are relevant to your program and find enthusiastic volunteers to lead a group.
Consider doing a live event, either in person or virtual. You can also host regular connection calls on Zoom that allow time for questions, sharing of success stories, and breakout room discussions.
Make Use of Integration Tools
Some community forums such as Circle don’t have a direct integration with Searchie, but it’s easy to connect them using Google Tag Manager.
To do this, use Google Tag Manager to install a “widget.” For example, Circle offers a community widget “code.” You simply copy that code and put that into Google Tag Manager. Then you place the Google Tag Manager information into Searchie.
This creates a Circle “pop-up” that shows up inside your Searchie Hub. Your users can click on the Circle icon and get direct access into the Circle community.
See how the Circle community pops up? The Searchie Hub is still “sitting behind” the pop-up.
Community Begins with You
As you can see, creating community in a program is so much more than creating a Facebook group or a community forum in Circle, Mighty Networks, and the like—although those are key components in a community-building strategy.
Consider these platforms as a forum for discussions that are sparked by all of the community-building ideas I just shared. Be sure that fostering community and connection remains top of your task list, right next to content delivery.
A vibrant community that offers a sense of safety and trust takes time and a lot of effort, but without it, your program will not flourish.
Think of the virtual communities you’re part of. I’d love to hear what community-building activities or features you like the best. Please drop me a comment below!
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