Manage Marketing | Monday, October 24, 2022
Setting a shortlist of the key features your community platform must-have is essential when choosing a platform for your online community.
FREMONT, CA: When selecting a community platform, it's critical to have a list of the main characteristics your online community requires to be successful. You will decide this based on various factors, such as your audience's preferences and requirements, your corporation's and community's goals, and the mission and vision of the community. It is intended for application, and a customer support-focused community will prioritize different features than a knowledge-driven group.
Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.
The features that every community software platform should include should vary based on the community's use case, but there are several that all should include.
Communication and notifications: For your community to thrive, your platform must perform a few essential functions. Members must be able to communicate with one another, whether through message boards, groups, or open discussion threads. This is supplemented by notifications and nudges like gamification or regular newsletters that maintain member engagement high in an ideal platform. This makes your community a weekly or even daily habit for your members, which is critical in the early phases of your community.
Security: Security includes defining different access levels based on a member's or employee's job. Admins will have the most access, whereas VIP members may have exclusive access to certain regions, and so on. The platform must be capable of establishing a flexible access structure with various categories and groups.
Spam filters will also help keep content relevant and the community safe. Basic spam identification for certain keywords and sentiments is a solid start, but advanced spam detection by employing machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) is better. Moderation tools will also assist you in keeping discussions topical, beneficial, and of high quality.
Vendors must adhere to important requirements and certifications and undergo frequent audits. Employees must be trained regularly to avoid data breaches, particularly social engineering assaults.
Customizable branding: Your community should mirror your brand so members instinctively link it with your company. Custom color schemes, font, and page layouts provided by software platforms will assist you in creating a consistent brand experience in your community. Even better, a vendor that allows you to insert your code snippets will provide you with maximum customization choices, which will be especially useful if you want to employ advertising as an income generator.
More in News