Building a Community on Squarespace in 2024
The term "communities" has buzzed around the business and branding world for a good reason. Despite its buzzword status, communities remain a potent force that any business or brand can leverage to build a competitive edge. However, the real question isn't about the significance of communities but about how accessible and manageable it is to create one, especially using a platform as robust as Squarespace.
The Difference Between Having an Audience vs. Community
The first step to building a community starts with recognizing where you currently stand. It's a common misconception among many businesses and personalities that they have a thriving online community, whereas, in reality, what they have is an audience. This distinction becomes painfully clear when a new product launch meets with underwhelming sales—a surefire sign of having an audience, not a community.
Quick look at the differences:
Audiences are often cultivated on social media platforms, offering benefits such as shareability and high engagement. However, the downsides include direct competition and vulnerability to ever-changing algorithms, pushing you towards trendy content over authenticity.
Communities, conversely, allow for more fluid interactions among members on dedicated platforms like forums, course sites, or your own website. This setup grants you the freedom to dictate the aesthetics and mood without algorithmic pressures. The trade-off? Lower shareability and the need for members to leave their preferred platforms to engage with your content.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom - we’re entering a new era of the internet, one where the creator economy is fading away, due to algorithm shifts, the need for virality and (quite frankly) smarter audiences…
This shift is making space for authentic online spaces and connections with your audience, away from noisy trends and overconsumption. I’m not saying that Social Media is out and websites are in, what I’m emphasizing here is the unique opportunity to lean into the shift, and utilize the strengths of both ‘audience building platforms’ and ‘community building platforms’.
The Community Building Funnel: Where we utilize the strengths of both Audiences and Communities
To navigate the challenges of reach and sharability when building a community on platforms like Squarespace, consider incorporating a community-building funnel. This strategy leverages the strengths of both audiences and communities. By creating authentic content on social media, you attract an engaged audience. The most involved members are then directed to your community platform, where deeper connections can be fostered through shops, events, or affiliated programs, all while maintaining an authentic vibe free from the ‘salesy’ approach often seen on social media.
Squarespace is an all-in-one solution to cultivating, nurturing and growing communities
Squarespace is renowned not just for its website-building capabilities but for its comprehensive ecosystem designed to support business growth. When building a community on Squarespace, four key areas need focus:
Inbound Leads: Utilize Squarespace’s built-in SEO, social media integrations, and lead management tools to attract genuine leads to your business.
Community Building: Squarespace boasts an array of tools for community building, including courses, digital products, membership sites, email campaigns, and even podcast hosting through Squarespace blogs.
Automation: Time is a precious asset. Squarespace aids in streamlining processes with tools for project management, invoicing, scheduling, and automated emails, ensuring your workflow remains effective and manageable.
Passive Income: Finally, Squarespace’s e-commerce capabilities allow you to monetize your community through a variety of channels, from physical products and services to digital content and memberships, enhancing the potential for passive income.
Content Strategy and Authenticity: The Heart of Community Building
The essence of community building lies in content strategy and authenticity. By utilizing the community funnel, you can produce content that truly resonates with you and your audience on social media platforms, subsequently guiding the most engaged followers to your community platform. Here, you offer even more value, insights, and opportunities for engagement and sales.
This strategy fosters a cycle of growth, where audience-building efforts lead to community engagement, which in turn supports scaling and income generation. It's a testament to the power of relationship building at the core of community creation.
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As we enter a new phase of online spaces towards building communities in 2024, the tools and strategies shared above showcase the accessibility and potential of working with Expert Squarespace Website Designers and using platforms like Squarespace, to not just create but scale and enrich our communities. It's about moving beyond the buzzword to establish genuine connections and leveraging those relationships for mutual growth and success. Let us know how you're planning to build and enhance your community using Squarespace, we’d love to help you create meaningful online spaces.
