Building community flywheels

Let's take a dive into learning what flywheels are and how to make them, eventually using them to build better communities.

https://orbit.love/blog/let-s-build-some-community-flywheelsorbit.love

Blog

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Summary:

• Every community builder out there has felt like this at some point -- finding that initial traction with ongoing discussions can be hard.

  • Start with easy discussions, like introduction posts.

  • Experiment with writing posts

  • Creating a regular or ritual post

• The point with all of these mini flywheels is you can’t write stuff and expect magic to happen, you need to find actions to elevate your content.

• Great communities are built on great ethics, kindness, and human behavior.

• Build all that ⬆️ into your community, one small flywheel at a time.

• Community guidelines do not make a great culture, actions do.

Having a flywheel that encourages great community culture not only encourages others to copy your ‘good actions, but featuring selected community activities also indicates things you want to see within the community.

• Giving and helping are at the heart of great communities.

• Community culture does not happen overnight.

• Flywheels take practice, lots and lots of practice. Failing is a part of the process.

• Flywheels are the things you do, the process, the daily tasks.

Scribble:

• The main challenge faced by a community builder -- trying to achieve a constant flow of activity.

• A thriving community is one that feels like there is the right balance of activity.

Ways to increase the quantity/quality of activity

• more discussions

• more members

• creating more value

• events that matter

• more connection

Community funnel of hope

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• Consider funnels in terms of flywheels.

  • Effective flywheel creates energy

  • Energy leads to growth 📈

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Flywheel

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• Instead of funnels, we are using flywheels

• An effective flywheel creates energy or traction, which then naturally leads to growth.

• The key is to figure out a set of actions that support each other and keep doing them

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Build on Flywheel

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• bring energy and traction, usually in the form of more or higher quality activity

• add value to the community

• align with your goals and vision

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Life of Flywheel

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• A flywheel or multiple connected flywheels have grown and evolved there will be a time it comes to a natural end.

• What worked 5 or 10 years ago most certainly won’t work today.

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Takeaways

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• flywheel actions like this will help you get where you want to be

• people will naturally gravitate towards you when you come to launch a blog, a newsletter, podcast or a community.

• when you have that gravity = people join your community!

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The things are great to know people, but how does it translate to building community?

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You can’t build community without:

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• Knowing your people

• Conversing with them

• Creating something of value

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Example of a Flywheel

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“I want more members” flywheels

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• Think about what it is members need

• How you can align that to your community vision

• Start by getting to know your people.

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On Twitter (Example)

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• Instead of subscribing to their newsletter, you follow them. Bonus points for building trust by participating in the conversation.

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• The above are a few examples of creating flywheels and how it evolves further using Twitter as a real-life example can be seen below.

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There are more examples of flywheels on the blog, make sure you check them out! 👋🏼😊