The 365 Community Experience: What Does a 365 Community Feel Like?

The idea of community is not new, but communities are constantly evolving to fit the needs of the whole.

‍

With the adoption of virtual communities and Single Destination Platforms, people are connecting with each other every day, year-round. That’s exciting! But the 365 community mindset is unfamiliar territory for a lot of associations and may leave many asking… What does a 365 community feel like? What is the user experience in a Single Destination Platform? How can I communicate our value proposition and connect other members? Let’s break it down.

‍

The Feel: What does the community feel like?

‍

Take a seat on the JUNO express because it's time to go virtual. What makes year-round connection work is having that consistent virtual presence where 24/7 connection lives and thrives. It’s meeting your members in their day-to-day lives.

‍

Having a single place to send messages, ask questions and converse through forums creates that community feeling. It's that one URL that allows everyone in the community to stay connected and up-to-date on the latest member or industry news. Your users will start leaning in to one another for support and problem-solving, and you’ll see the community turn into a living ecosystem of valuable content and connection.

‍

A Single Destination experience feels like people connecting with people.

‍

The Content: What can you do?

‍

Events:

‍

‍Virtual event experiences have opened the door to new audiences and your event will need a space to make that happen. Your Single Destination Platform will host all of your virtual event needs to expand upon the critical face-to-face connection, as well as the virtual-to-virtual attendee experience.

‍

With the expansion of event companion apps, you can expand hybrid intersections of connectivity to drive more engagement and interaction at your events by including both audiences.

‍

Learning and Credentialing:

‍

‍Another critical feature for any association is learning and creditaling. For members and businesses, they are looking to gain knowledge in their fields and even earn important credentials to further their career. With crafty design and course material, learning courses can become valuable opportunities for 365 community growth.

‍

Networking:

‍

‍People want to connect and network, period. With virtual connection tools like 1-to-1 networking, small roundtable discussions or breakout sessions, your SDP will be available for members to curate those events whenever there is a need.

Although leaders of the community will cultivate a good amount of experiences, in a virtual 365 community, members will also actively interact with other members to problem-solve, network and learn on their own.

‍

The Connection: How can people connect?

‍

Streaming:

‍

‍Streaming live content is a great way for leaders to connect with members, announce important updates or milestones and to foster an engaging environment that makes users want to keep logging in. Streaming can also be a quick and easy tool where members can tune in, engage with the community and absorb those important updates.

‍

1-to-1 and Group Networking:

‍

‍For connection to happen, networking is vital. Through roundtables to breakouts, there are many ways to create networking events in your 365 community platform.

‍

Forums:

‍

Forums are your active live-feed conversations. Forums, created through chat-based communication, are used to connect, ask questions and problem-solve. With enough activity and engagement, your forums will also serve as another valuable resource on your platform.

‍

When people are learning and connecting, everyone wins. Create one space where your members can receive the valuable experiences they need to thrive beyond tomorrow.

‍