The days of knowing everyone in
your neighborhood, patronizing local businesses and participating local events
seem to be slowly melting away, due to the rapid growth of technology.
Everyone now has the instant
ability to shop anywhere in the world, talk to complete strangers in another
country and be entertained by national Facebook or YouTube videos.
These conveniences are
delightful, but have we forgotten about our local communities and the
importance of them?
It's only in your local community that you can share
stories about similar people, places and events that are unique to that
community. It's the people in your community who will understand and relate
with you best. The businesses of your community can give you the personalized
service that makes purchasing all the better. And by having a friendly
relationship with your neighbors you can create a mutually beneficial
partnership that allows for magnificent bartering opportunities.
Building a community online is
one way of using the Internet to rebuild your local community, but how can you
do it effectively? Here are a few tips:
1. Involve everyone -
A community is just that, a community. In order to have an active and thriving
online community you'll need to make it available to everyone. Residents, local
business and other organizations should have good reason to visit your online
community regularly. You'll need to create content that keeps them interested
and coming back, which leads to the second tip...
2. Encourage Participation - Don't just have a website where people come to see
what your thoughts are for the day or read local news, allow them to contribute
stories, videos and other content. This will make your online community
interactive for residents. Plus people love to share their own accomplishments
with family & friends. The more you can get visitors to contribute, the
more views you'll have on your website.
3. Keep it exciting -
Creativity goes a long way. Never let your site conform to the norm. Keep your
visitors on their toes trying to figure out what you're planning next. You can
have special events, promotions and campaigns to build fresh excitement amongst
your visitors.
4. Stay focused on community - It's easy sometimes to get trapped behind a computer and
forget the main reason you started your online community, don't let this
happen. Get out in the community, visit events, businesses and listen to the
people. By remaining present within your local community, your online community
will be a success.
Worldwide connection using the Internet is great. Building an online community in
your community can be a gratifying and profitable experience. As your online
community grows you'll set a new foundation for your local community to remain
connected with.
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