There has been a lot of buzz lately about how many empty or failed online communities litter the web. As with any hype-cycle, people run out to get or make the latest thing - in this case a social network or community - and often don't think through what having one will be like. 3) Don't "feed" your community once it is open. MORE >>

But in all this excitement it can be easy to forget something that is more important than the tools, platforms and sites that you can make use of – the skills and expertise you need to identify, manage and grow a true online community. To make a success in social media we need to understand online communities. MORE >>

As social is an emerging trend, many have put down their soapboxes to talk about online communities. Consequently, there is some good (and lots of just OK) advice "out there" on building online customer communities -- yielding a great deal of information to sort through and parse. The poet T.S. MORE >>

Online community is like world peace – everyone thinks it is a good idea but it means something different to each person. Companies frequently encounter a core problem when planning an online community; the key stakeholders each hold different views of what the community will be like and what it will accomplish once it is launched. MORE >>

Knowing this, I wonder why so many organizations launch their online communities without the assistance and involvement of a beta group? Beta groups serve a critical function during the initial phases of a new online community. Define a set of activities around the community objectives. Why is this so important? MORE >>