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People care (yes, they really do), and they care enough to connect with other people who care. That caring can translate into communities of people with the same interests or concerns, both in person and online.
Those online communities can be huge and influential. But just having a community does not guarantee positive results, or any results at all. It is essential to have a topic that will draw and continue to hold the interest of prospective members of the community.
In their book “The Online Community Blueprint” Katie Bapple, Joshua Paul and Katie Oakes reminded readers that it is important to select the right topic, and they offer several questions to ask to help choose the perfect topic for an online community. For example:
* Is there already a community for this topic online? Even if the answer is yes, that doesn’t necessarily mean your community is a no-go.
* If there isn’t a topic for this community already, why not? Has nobody taken the time, or is there just no need?
* What is unique about this topic? This is especially helpful if there is already is a community related to the interest area.
* What makes this topic a community? The authors offer a rule of thumb: Topic = Person who does X in Y. X represents the common interest and Y represents a geographical location, company, industry or cultural affiliation.
