I am looking to start a new community with my friends. Our plan is to onboarding new members in batches. However, no one likes an empty community.
I wish to know what’s the best way to seed a new online community? What should our new members see after they join the community? The last thing we want is present them with an empty space. Thank you in advance.
@kaustubh-katdare • 3h
The best way to seed a new online community is with painkiller content. It's the content aimed at solving a pain-point or desire of the community members.
You are right - no one likes an empty community. Also, no one likes to be the first to start a new discussion. When a community is new, the onus of creating content is on the community owners.
Content seeding in a new community should be aimed at creating instant value for new members. They should find the content useful and something they can engage with.
Seed Community with Painkiller Content
Following is the step-by-step approach to seed a community.
Research : Content seeding starts with research on the topics relevant to your community's niche. The narrower you focus, the easier it is to find relevant topics. Start by identifying the long-tail keywords typically used by potential members. Make a list of primary keywords and secondary (LSI) keywords.
Existing Communities : You can find topics, pain-points in existing communities where your target audience hangs out. Reddit, Quora are excellent sources where people hang out and discuss topics. Make a list of all relevant topics you can find.
Google Recommendations and Trends : Google search recommendations are an excellent indicators of keywords people type. Simply type your primary keyword and make a note of suggestions Google throws. You can also find a lot of interesting trending topics in your niche via Google Trends.
People Also Ask : Google throws a bunch of suggestions under the heading "People Also Ask" on the front page. Simply search your primary keywords and make a list of questions Google suggests.
You now have ample list of topics to seed your community. You may create content in QnA format or Discussions. You may even create long-form articles and build internal links strategically to form topical clusters.
A topical cluster is a bunch of articles and QnA interlinked - that cater to a specific query in depth.
Keep in mind that a community needs to create value for its members. Let me know if you have further questions.
