A Note from the Editor:
If you work and operate within web3, you are likely very familiar with the core tenet of “community,” widely recognized as a key principle to nearly all projects in the space. Since many folks hear this term used so frequently in various contexts, the concept of “community” itself has become somewhat diluted and its meaning is now, frankly, oversaturated.
Some of the most vibrant communities in the world exist completely online. Our goal is to make these bonds even tighter so we can all continue to contribute, write, and build in this space while excelling to the best of our highest abilities.
So we talked to our community and curated 10 great principles of community building in web3. My hope in putting these together is that fellow builders will find this to be a helpful resource and guide, and that together we can foster an environment where everyone can do their best work and collectively shape the future of web3!
10 Principles to Building Great Communities, Pt. 1
1 - Be on the pulse.
Mastering the art of knowing your community is a transformative step, and harder than it sounds. It’s about going deeper into understanding a kind of collective essence of the larger group — embarking on a quest to discover the right community, in the right places, long before it reaches its full potential.
If you seek the brilliance of developers, ground yourself in their spaces to absorb their expertise. If your project thrives on economic intricacies, engage and lean on investors and authorities in the crypto world. Dive deep and really understand who your ideal members are from day one, and you’ll be in a good place. If you want to attract talented content creators, ensure your community is a canvas that allows them to put this creativity to work.
The alchemy of community building lies in unearthing the hidden treasures within your membership and recognizing the unique blend of individuals that aligns with your mission. This deliberate approach will ignite your growth, enabling you to forge stronger connections, amplify your impact, and unlock the boundless potential of your web3 venture.
2 - Pick the right comms channels
When it comes to organizing web3 communities, your choice of social platforms and communication channels is critical.
While it comes as no surprise to those familiar with the space that Telegram, Discord, and Twitter are the primary channels in web3, it’s important not to overlook alternative avenues that can help broaden one’s reach i.e. Reddit and Instagram. Of course, using decentralized social platforms such as Lens and Farcaster could also help yield superior results.
With that being said, Discord, Telegram, and Twitter are still a magnificent trio for cultivating a robust and interconnected web3-centric community, with each offering unique utility.
Are you really in web3 if you’re not in Discord? Discord is generally the primary community management tool for web3 communities, providing versatile text-only and text-voice channels, enabling rich discussions and collaboration, and allowing for specialized server creation to specific themes. At Myosin.xyz we run our entire DAO on Discord, with general and members-only channels, our custom Mylo bot that leverages Chat-GPT to help us generate and edit copy, write initial drafts for proposals, and so much more.
Telegram is an ideal platform to use due to its real-time communication features, enabling instant feedback, knowledge sharing, and collaboration amongst members. Some communities choose to live on Telegram instead of Discord, such as CPG Club, but for most it’s an effective replacement for more intimate communities, networking, and connecting with new contacts.
And of course, Twitter is the rich playground where most of web3 mixes and mingles, allowing community builders to engage in discussions and amplify their reach through tweets that have a powerful ability to go viral. While there are Twitter competitors like Warpcast, Lenster, and Bluesky, distribution is the name of the game, and so Twitter still reigns supreme.
3 - Set strategic goals to shape a purposeful community
Establishing and growing a web3 community necessitates defining a key objective that aligns with your project's vision. It’s important to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, while conducting research to understand your audience and foster alignment between community and business needs.
People don’t want to feel like you are trying to sell them something — particularly in web3. Building brand loyalty and retention means building campaigns that are more emotionally driven than purely transactional. This includes engaging in open and transparent communication channels, conducting surveys and interviews, and actively seeking feedback to gain insights into the desires, expectations, and pain points of community members.
Our Head of DAO Ops at Myosin.xyz, Julie Octaviano, highlighted the approachability of web3 leaders in our most recent blog post, which you can read here.
Through community-driven entities like decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), individuals can participate and engage with brands they’re interested in, even without holding an official title or receiving a salary for it.
Platforms like Discord provide a direct and personalized space for people to ask questions and receive responses from leaders. To initiate community engagement, it’s crucial to proactively initiate discussions and activities, allowing enthusiasts to feel as if they are actively shaping the future of the brand.
4 - Measure & analyze your engagement
A critical aspect of successful community management is determining the essential factors and key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the goals of your community.
Contrary to popular belief, having a smaller community with high engagement yields greater value than having a large, unengaged member base. Some of the most relevant KPIs for community management to keep track of can include participation rate, retention rate, quality of discussions, community reach, and collaboration or partnerships.
Each web3 community has its own goals, whether it be driving adoption, fostering innovation, or promoting education. Consequently, the choice of KPIs should align with these goals. It’s important for there to be ongoing evaluation and iteration, as the vitality of a community doesn’t lie in sheer numbers, but in the level of engagement amongst its members.
Community managers must continually monitor selected KPIs, identify areas for improvement, adapt strategies, and ensure they’re on track. This iterative approach allows for effective course corrections and adjustments made based on emerging trends and community feedback.
Some great tools we’ve leveraged at Myosin.xyz for tracking community engagement and growth include Blaze, Zealy, Kazm, and Orbit. We'll likely have a post on this in the future.
5 - Be active listeners, always.
Actively seeking and valuing feedback from community members is of the utmost importance. While providing support, answering inquiries, and maintaining rule adherence are all vital, so is the act of listening to the community and truly value their input. Feedback serves as a compass, guiding community managers toward understanding what piques the interests and passions of their audience.
By listening to the community’s voice, community managers can gain valuable insights into the topics, features, and initiatives that resonate most strongly.
This knowledge empowers them to make informed decisions and tailor community experiences to align with member interests. By creating an environment that values and acts upon feedback, web3 communities establish trust and credibility. This favorable perception not only strengthens community loyalty and also attracts new members who appreciate the community’s commitment to improvement.
Thanks for making it this far, and we're looking forward to sharing out Part 2 in the coming weeks!
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