5 Successful Online Community Examples (+What is it that makes them great?)

Brands and entrepreneurs alike Online communities can be a brilliant way to level your company. The creation of an online community offers you the chance to connect with your target audience, improve engagement, and build better trust with your customers.

Go ahead and check out the most popular online communities example.

• Community of brands: Nia Technique
• A Learning Community example: Layla Martin
• Example of a Interest Community the Balanced Runner
• Fan community example Example of a community for Bachelor Data
• Community of Action example Earth Activist Training

Here are five types of online communities which could work well, depending on your category of brand and audience.

5 types of popular online communities that you have to be aware of

Online communities can come in a variety of shapes and dimensions. You can shape your community according to your goals or goals, your industry, and the amount of involvement you would like to receive daily. Check out these five kinds of communities online for some ideas on all the different forms that online communities can take.

  1. Brand communities

One of the most important aspects of a successful community is relationships. Brand communities are the ideal location to establish a deeper relationship with your clients and establishing your credibility in your industry. Use a brand community to encourage more engagement with your brand, including themed posts, competitions, and giveaways.

Brand communities put your brand at the forefront of attention. That means that they're the best space for fostering brand loyalty among your customers as well as creating buzz.

  2. Communities of learning

Within a learning community you can share tips, resources, and research linked to your particular field. Successful learning communities help to boost the number of courses completed and customer retention rates. They also connect learners to others in your institution, helping make the learning process more dynamic, interactive, and fun.

  3. Interest communities

Communities that are based on the basis of a particular interest or passion are referred to as interest communities. This type of online community is ideal for entrepreneurs who have a unique brand that is tied to a subject that members are truly passionate about. (Even when that passion is similar to chewing ice. )

Interest communities are all about engaging content that encourages people to share their passions. Posing open-ended questions, organizing live events, or running polls are all great forms of interaction for these kinds of communities.

  4. Fan communities

A type of community that's more effective in promoting engagement is fan communities. These communities are centered around a central theme, and bring people together into one space. The majority of fan communities are built around TV shows, celebrities or books, musicians, or other types of entertainment. If someone is passionate about something for something, you could create the fandom around it.

For companies fans, communities of supporters can be tremendously beneficial in broadening the scope of the parent company and providing new avenues to extend the brand. Think spin-off shows, fan items, events themed, and many more.

  5. Communities that take actions

Unlike other types of online communities, those of action are characterized by a clear mission statement that centers on being a changemaker. They are a platform for experts and activists to exchange ideas, information and organize events on a certain topic or cause. If your business has a social, political or environmental perspective -- a community of action might be the best option for your needs.

5 online communities with success examples and suggestions for how you can build your own

Are you ready to witness some of the most successful online communities in action? These are five online communities that can encourage you, including what they did well as well as tips for building your own online community.

1. Brand community example: Nia Technique

Christina Wolf, founder and COO of Nia Technique, realized the value of building a community around her brand from the beginning in her entrepreneurial journey with . Communities provided the ideal opportunity to drive student engagement among students at Nia Technique's Nia Technique body-mind fitness school.

Here's what Christina tells us:

Communities allow our students to stay connected with each other and with their instructors in real time and build friendships with fellow students around the world. Personal connections enable our students to get the most from their online learning experience, and also connect more with our company.

I'm happy with's constant commitment to listening to its course creators , and to making the experience of Community even more enjoyable with new features and benefits.     CHRISTINA MAE WOLF, COO, NIA TECHNIQUE

Nia Technique utilizes community forums to help keep the conversation ongoing outside of the course academy. By introducing the community to prospective students when they sign up for a class, Christina has successfully put the brand community at the center of learning process.

  What was the process by which Nia Technique built their successful online community  

Nia Technique uses a range of community engagement techniques to increase participation in their online community. Nia Technique is enlisting the assistance from their Nia Trainers in order to help the community, and also act as moderators of the community.

The brand's highly efficient community engagement tactics include:

• including a "go to your local community" call to action (CTA) within their student email to welcome them
• Encourage new members to introduce themselves in the community
• hosting live sessions for members of the community
• The creation of a training guide that includes suggestions on posting in communities.

  Selecting the appropriate platform  

To create their effective community online, Nia Technique started out by using Facebook. They've now moved their community to the Communities platform to bring course creation as well as course management and their community all together into all one location.

Selecting the best platform has been key for Nia Technique, helping them to:

• simplifies administration to make it easier for communities
• Make it easier to connect trainers and students
• Aid students who don't have a Facebook account connect to the Facebook community.

Having transitioned their strong community off Facebook and on to Communities, Christina and her team have now simplified their community management, bringing everything together onto one integrated platform.

  The most important takeaways from this community online example  

• Publicize your community: Encourage engagement in your online community starting from day one when students sign up to the course.
• Set clear guidelines for community members: Help students and instructors know what they should write and how with a community guide.
• Communities makes it simple bring your content as well as your entire community for easier managing and administration of the community.

2. Example of a learning community: Layla Martin

Layla Martin is an example of a brand which uses their communities in an innovative way. This brand of sexual health believes that their courses focus on personal growth and that a solid community can be crucial students navigate through their content and to enhance their learning experience.

Layla Marin's Layla Marin learning community is an environment that encourages transparency and reflective thinking, providing students an additional level of insight into their learning experiences that they might not have otherwise. A learning community allows Layla Martin to offer students a holistic learning experience that promotes individual development.

  What was the process by which Layla Martin built their successful online community  

Everyone enrolled in the Layla Martin course is auto-enrolled as part of a community. That means every pupil feels like they are part of something bigger once they are enrolled in the brand's academy. Students are encouraged to engage with their community on a regular basis and use it as part of their learning.

The community of Layla Martin's manager are able to encourage participation through methods such as:

• Inviting students to talk about their personal process as they progress through the course
• Encouraging feedback on the course content
• Students are asked to explain the course material using their own language
• Generating feedback and community learning potential

This means that La Martin's community of learners is in the middle of their academy, improving the learning experience of students as well as encouraging customers to return.

  Using creative community engagement techniques  

Layla Martin used a range of community engagement techniques to build their online community in the early days. Below are a few factors that made it the community it is today

• Always open-ended and asking questions
• Engaging in discussions about controversial subjects in order to encourage involvement
• Responding to all and every comment
• Producing clear community guidelines
• Do not use the space to advertise self-promotion
• Students with material which goes above and beyond the scope of the class

  The creation of a positive environment  

One aspect that makes this online community example effective is the assistance students get within the community. Layla Martin's community is built upon the idea that human beings don't like to be alone We naturally seek out others who have similar desires and goals.

This is evident as part of their community strategy including:

• Making the community on the front of the process of learning
• Encourage learners to invest into each other's personal transformative processes
• Utilizing community discussion to guide and form course information

The conversations in the community can affect your content strategy. Conversations within your community reveal the topics that interest learners and what they want to find out more about. Take note of this feedback and use it to shape your course content and the engagement of your community.

  What are the key takeaways of this community online example  

• Include community in the learning process: Inspire students to share their experiences, use the lessons they've learned and seek comments from their peers.
• Concentrate on your community ethics: Prioritize making your community a supportive and nurturing environment that increases the student's engagement in your curriculum.
• Take note of feedback: Pay attention to what your students are saying regarding your content, and the topics they're discussing within your group to help determine your strategy for content.

3. Interest community example The A well-balanced Runner

The running expert Jae Gruenke is the entrepreneur behind Balanced Runner, a brand that helps runners relieve the pain they experience and increase their performance. Balanced Running's social media community is very active due to Jae's personal method of working. The community of interest brings all runners all in one location that is led by an experienced Jae on the frontline as the principal thought leader.

  What was the process by which Balanced Runner built their online community that is successful  

If you're just beginning out in an online community it's difficult to keep track of how to remain active in the online community. Jae credits engagement routines with helping her grow her community and establish a strong community.

Engagement routines may include:

• The idea of creating a schedule for posting every day
• Set aside at minimum 20 minutes a day to engagement
• Questions for your audience to be answered
• Sharing and reposting members' content

It's vital to make community engagement a habit as you begin to build your online community. This is particularly important for entrepreneurs who are solo, and might not have a staff of moderators to assist.

  Active inputs from the front of the brand  

Active engagement from your brand's founder can also help maintain the health and vitality of your community. Though some brands are focused on a specific issue or cause, some companies are focused on a single person. When this happens the members of your brand want to talk to you.

The Balanced Runner is one example that shows this kind of online community. Brand loyalty of students is built on their love of the company's founder Jae.

If this matches your business's model, then follow these suggestions:

• Create personalized email introductions that are thoughtful to students
• Post consistently to encourage participation
• Make monthly challenges available to your members
• Share your experience, expertise, and stories within the community
• Offer one-to-one mentorship calls

  The most important takeaways from this online community example  

• Create routines that will ensure your frequent engagement When you're starting in your community online create a plan of checking in with the users and responding to comments to make sure you're active regularly.
• Give students what they want: Community moderators can be really helpful for day-to-day tasks, but when your students want to hear from the brand the founder of, be sure to integrate this into your overall strategies for engaging with your community.
• Encouragement: Keep in mind that your members are real people. You must ensure that your interactions are inspiring, constructive, and useful to your students.

4. Community of fans example: Bachelor Data

Suzana Somers built her wildly successful online community around one specific theme: the TV program The Bachelor. This niche allowed her to create a fan community that brought together people who love The Bachelor and people with a strong desire to understand data. After establishing a successful online fan community, she was then able to monetize her brand and create The Bachelor Data Bachelor Data course academy with .

  What was the process by which Bachelor Data built their successful online community  

If you're launching the fan-based community that compliments your brand, you need focus on your customers first. Keep track of what they're discussing, what they're sharing, and also the topics which are causing a buzz in order to grow your own community.

Here are a few of the ways that Bachelor Data used this method to grow:

• Using visually-interesting, shareable content to increase engagement
• Asking audiences what they want to learn more about
• Receiving direct student feedback regarding course content

The key to any online community's it's all about your ability to offer your clients and members what they want in terms of themes, types of content as well as challenges or else. For community-based fan groups, this is especially important.

  Involving in current events and current issues  

One of the key aspects that was a key component of Bachelor Data business model that allowed them to grow is their involvement with the current issues and events. Bachelor Data used their platform to discuss diversity, inclusion, and representation on The Bachelor and across wider popular culture.

Making use of the latest events as a basis for your community engagement can include:

• Community members can ask questions on trending topics in the news
• Interacting with publishers Podcasters, brands, and publications with regard to the most pressing issues
• Invite guests to speak on deliberations

In encouraging thoughtful discussions and dialogue around current issues, you can boost engagement in your local neighborhood and increase your visibility by making your business more pertinent. Be flexible and keep an ears open so you are aware of important discussions in your field.

  What are the key takeaways of this online community example  

• Create content that is visually appealing: Photos videos, images, and graphics have a tendency to garner more attention on social media than different types of content. Use this to your advantage in creating material for your audience.
• Create a flexible engagement strategy: Respond to the interests of your community members and current events when shaping your community strategy to increase participation.
• Don't overthink it. Building a successful online community need not be difficult if you can ensure that your members are prominent in all you do, you'll be able to expand your online community naturally.

5. Community of Action example: Earth Activist Training

A community-focused brand, Earth Activist Training built its community online around activism and environmentalism. It was founded by business partners Starhawk and Penny Livingston Stark in the year 2000, the school teaches design for permaculture that is rooted in the spiritual world. Today, they have over 1,500 enrollees and a hugely active and dedicated online community.

  What is HTML0? Earth Activist Training built their highly successful online community  

Based on the industry you work in, a community of action can be a great opportunity to connect customers around a common cause. Earth Activist Training grew their online community with a particular focus on organising around the climate crisis, anti-racism and social justice and environmental concerns.

Here are a few examples ways in which they created their communities of action:

• Making a distinct goal statement
• Promoting their values as a community and aims
• Collaboration with experts in their niche

These methods help Earth Activist Training create a community built on collective goals, helping members to learn more about topics, ask questions, and participate in activism opportunities.

  Using community for the opportunity to live-learn  

What Earth Activist Training have really achieved their success in creating an online community is through their application of live learning. Since their school is centered upon a practical area that is permaculture design- it is really suited to live learning.

The brand uses live learning to encourage more engagement in the community, entice young learners and offer information and new opportunities to current residents. This adds genuine value for their community and gives people an incentive to remain.

Earth Activist training employs different live learning techniques that include:

• Hosting live events with special guests
• Free how-to classes and live demonstrations
• Setting regular Zoom meetings for community members

Live learning is an integral part to the Earth Activist Training online community and provides the brand with the opportunity to bring course content as well as live training as well as live rituals for spirituality closer to the community of members.

  The most important takeaways from this community online example  

• Make a mission statement: To help bring your members together around an agreed-upon goal, you should write a mission statement to clarify your goals and expectations regarding your community online.
• Provide live learning opportunities: If your specialization or business is suitable for live learning think about the possibility of hosting live events as an method to engage community members.
• Work together with professionals: Bring more value into your communities by inviting your guests to contribute to your community, including Live events, workshops and Ask-Me-Anything-style sessions.

Use these successful online community examples to motivate the community you want to build

If you're building a brand, it's a good idea to start thinking about your online presence right now. An online community is an extremely efficient way to boost the loyalty of your customers and to get people talking about your brand and taking part in the brand.

Utilize these popular online communities examples to motivate you and help you shape your personal community. Although every community is unique These examples will provide the motivation that you require to start.