Building a good online community is an incredibly rewarding endeavour to undertake, but it isn’t as simple as putting up a Facebook page or building a LinkedIn group. The maxim of Build it and they shall come is limited to Field of Dreams.

Last weekend I presented the following community development plan to the CMI Branch Conference. It outlines four stages of community development.

1. Firstly you have to lay the groundwork by deciding who you will target, what benefits they will gain from the community and what content you will provide them.

2. Then you have to plan the building of your community. Which platform will you use? How will the community be staffed? What guidance will you provide?

3. The third stage involves promoting your community, both to existing users and new users. Can you partner with other relevant bodies? How can you reach both new and old users?

4. The final stage involves maintaining your momentum. How can you keep things interesting? How can you ensure users come back regularly?

Much of the success of your community will have little to do with the technology you use. These four simple steps should put you on the right path. Here’s the plan. Feel free to download and use on your own community.