“A community is a set of interwoven relationships built upon shared interests, which satisfies members’ needs otherwise unattainable individually.”
The criteria that define a successful community are:
• Membership is a conscious choice.
• Member base has achieved critical mass and sustainability.
• Members feel a great sense of trust.
• Members achieve benefits in scale.
• Roles are not hierarchical or imposed.
• Effective facilitation and site structure keeps community activities on track.
• A spirit of participation and feedback is clearly cultivated.
• A sense of affiliation is achieved through ownership of equity in the community.
• Efficiency in interaction is maximized.
• The community is easily navigable
The different types of interests that form the foundations of community are information-driven, activity-driven, and commonality-driven communities.
Communities function in the following ways:
• Real-time systems
– Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
– Web-based chat
– Virtual worlds and MUDs (Multiuser Dimensions)/ MOOs (MUDs Object Oriented)
• Asynchronous systems
– Mailing lists
– Newsgroups (Usenet groups)
– Web-based message boards (bulletin board systems [BBS])
Value is created within a community by user to user, administrator to user, and user to administrator interactions.
The benefits that community can generate for a parent firm are as follows:
• Cost Benefits
– Reduced Customer Service Costs
– Reduced Customer Acquisition Costs
– Reduced Costs from Decreased Product Flaws and Marketing Mistakes
– Reduced Marketing Costs
• Revenue Benefits
– Increased Customer Segmentation and Customization
– Increased Branding
– Deepened Customer Relationships
The different levels of community are:
According to Amy Jo Kim in Community Building on the Web: Visitors, Novices, Regulars, Leaders, Elders
According to Randall Farmer: Passives, Actives, Motivators, Caretakers