First 3 steps to building a community

Every business, however small or big, needs to build a community of humans. In a world where AI domination is inevitable, I think the importance of communities has gone up 100x. Having built large communities in the past 15+ years, I'd say presence of brand communities will solely determine the success and failure of businesses in the next 5 years. But community building is so hard! Really? What if I told you that it's actually very easy? What if you could build community naturally as a part of building your business or service? Following are the first three steps anyone serious about building a community should take to ensure long-term success of their business. Step #1: Content that solves problems No matter what type of community you are starting - you need to work on building content that solves problems your community members are facing. This is a quick way to create value for your users. Your users will absolutely love it. Even today, any new community that I help kickstart takes this approach. You can't expect users to fill out empty space. Give me something to use or engage with. Step #2: Crowd pulls crowd Create an illusion of engaged community. Create personas who will engage with your existing content and create an illusion of an active community. Yes, you heard that right. No one really wants to be the first one to start a discussion, like a post, add a reply. Over the time, these initial personals will fade away and will be replaced by real, engaged humans. I've used this trick to start several thriving communities and it works every time. Step #3: Build connections with your first 50 active users. A very important step; often missed by most community builders. Make sure that your first users feel welcomed, respected and valued. As a community builder, it's your job to engage with them, help them and make them feel special. These 50 active users will define the long-term success of your community. When they share something, offer meaningful replies, like their content and DM them your thoughts. I hope this helps you start your community. If you need help, feel free to connect with me (Twitter: @thebigk) If you have questions, let me know through comments. I'll be happy to help.