This question was asked in a webinar I attended about building community for startups. Say you’ve built a community and now want to dissolve it; what is the best way to do it?
I thought this question would be interesting to discuss on Jatra. I’ll soon respond with my own thoughts on this topic; but I welcome comments from fellow community builders.
Community Administrator • 3w
Since we do not have any responses, I thought I'd share my thoughts. In the 20 years of professional community building, I've dissolved two communities.
Dissolving a community is not an easy thing to do. Especially - the communities that have a glorious past. Here's a step by step approach I suggest:
Accept that the community no longer serves its purpose. You'll have to accept that your efforts to revive it have not produced expected results. Acceptance is the first step of dissolving the community.
About 2-3 months before you close your community, make an announcement about the decision.
Make sure that all the stakeholders are informed about the decision. Be 100% transparent about your decision.
Provide a reasonable timeline to your community members to backup their data. Make sure that you have the tools in place that will let your members backup their posts, articles and personal messages.
I recommend organizing a final gathering and send invitation to all the members who were active in the past. They'll appreciate it. Reflect on your wins, express gratitude and allow members to connect one last time.
If you are planning for future collaboration, make sure that doors aren't closed. Encourage members to stay in touch through social media, email or instant messengers.
It's not an easy thing to do. However, do it thoughtfully when you must. It can leave a lasting positive impact.