#Commbuild – Why your community needs to go offline

  1. Join our Community of Practice group on NTEN.org
  2. There’s a tweetchat every Tuesday at 1:00pm EST using the hashtag #CommBuild
  3. Today’s participants

  4. ClaireSale
    #commbuild: I’m a community building consultant and organizer of commbuild group. Also *really* pregnant and about to go MIA for a bit!

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:03:45

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  5. Peeking in to #commbuild

    David DeWald@Historian

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:18:35

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  6. Hi everyone! Name’s Christina. Active Job Seeker. Passionate about communities and user experience. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:01:33

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  7. @CommBuild Glad to be here with @lijah @LNorvig @ClaireSale @ChristinaFBrown. Nice to see new and old faces. #CommBuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:05:51

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  8. elijah
    I’m @elijah I like to support communities to do fun things together. My title is often “volunteer manager” #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:06:11

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  9. Hi #commbuild people!!

    Michael Hahn@mbhahn

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:15:34

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  10. Q1. What offline communities are you a part of? Which ones do you value the most?

  11. @CommBuild Easy! It’s the #501TechBOS – Boston’s 501 Tech Club, sponsored by @ntenorg. Also my pottery community, Mudflat ? #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:11:22

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  12. elijah
    A.1. The offline community I’ve loved the most is the 2,000 volunteer crew of the @edmfolkfest #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:10:58

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  13. Q1 @CommBuild Oh yes, our minyan (Jewish) community, like a synagogue, and the kids’ school #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:13:50

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  14. A1: @NYTM and @NYTechWomen when I can. I value the connections I make when I meet people face 2 face. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:11:44

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  15. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild I’m part of #geekfestjed and my local compound in Saudi. Trying to help with online/offline organizing with both. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:13:29

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  16. Q1 Value for both is the personal collusion of friendships (new/old), knowledge-sharing, professional growth (2/2) #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:12:24

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  17. Q2. WHY did you join your offline community? Why do you think others joined?

  18. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild I think ppl join offline comms for belonging, sharing interests/learnings, and to move forward on particular projects. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:17:51

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  19. elijah
    A2. I am attracted to joining offline communities because of THE PEOPLE. The purpose of the group quickly becomes secondary. #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:18:24

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  20. Q2. I’m a bit on the cynical side: they join for personal gain. Larger time commitment to offline events = tough decisions #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:19:23

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  21. A2: Hi @mbhahn! I think I joined my offline comms b/c I wanted (& still do) to get my foot in the NY tech scene. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:21:50

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  22. Q3. Do you lead an offline community right now? What is the group?

  23. elijah
    A3. I’ve been leading Vancouver’s Net Tuesday @NetSquared group for 3.5 years. The most fun volunteer gig I’ve ever had. #Commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:25:52

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  24. @askdebra What’s your role in the Minyan group? #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:29:45

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  25. @CommBuild Just as a member, but I feel part of the community, since it is lay-lead, and we all take on roles each quarter #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:30:29

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  26. ClaireSale
    @elijah You’ve been such a rockstar leading Vancouver @Netsquared. When I lived in #Cambridge I had a great time leading Net2. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:27:32

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  27. Q4. Are your offline and online communities connected? How?

  28. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild It’s funny… there often seems to be a disconnect. Offline people don’t always transfer online and vice versa. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:33:30

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  29. A4: They are connected. Their social media pages post the latest monthly meetups and ways people can get involved. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:33:48

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  30. ClaireSale
    @ChristinaFBrown Yes! This is an awesome way to connect the two. ^discoverability and ^information sharing #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:35:06

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  31. ClaireSale
    @ChristinaFBrown are there other ways you’re connecting the two (online/offline)? #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:35:52

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  32. @ClaireSale Every month, there is pre @NYTechWomen meetup and then we head across the street to the @NYTM. Instant connections. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:37:48

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  33. Here at @Gravy for #NYtechwomen meetup

    Sun, May 20 2012 09:29:09

  34. elijah
    A4. @NetTuesday ‘s online and offline presences are largely connected one-way. Online recruits for offline meetings. #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:34:18

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  35. Q5. What online tools do you use to manage and support your offline community?

  36. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild I’ve used tons! meetup, eventbrite, trello, facebook groups/pages/events, linkedin events, twitter….. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:38:18

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  37. Claire’s favorite online tools for community building
  38. Email is still a go-to tool
  39. Q5b. What tools are most effective in building community? Personally I still find an email listserv or google group to work best. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:40:05

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  40. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild 1 to google groups and listserves, I’m also finding closed facebook groups to be amazingly active. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:41:28

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  41. Meetup vs Eventbrite
  42. elijah
    A5. @meetup is an amazingly powerful recruitment tool to find people who are interested in face-to-face gatherings. #Commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:37:52

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  43. ClaireSale
    @elijah I like meetup too, but I wish it had functionality for online-only events (like tweetchats!) #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:40:21

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  44. @ClaireSale I’ve found @Eventbrite to be a fabulous replacement for @meetup for virtual events. But less good at recruiting. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:43:57

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  45. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild Truth. Problem with eventbrite is it serves the event not so much building the community #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:45:01

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  46. @CommBuild @Eventbrite is great to find offline events in ur niche but there isn’t a “community building” component like @meetup. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:45:36

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  47. @ChristinaFBrown @ClaireSale – so right… I’m a “meetup member” but not an “eventbrite member”. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:47:06

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  48. Q6. Who is doing online -> offline community building right? What’s a model organization?

  49. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild US-based politicians! They’ve got the online->offline organizing down pretty well. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:50:07

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  50. @ClaireSale – SMART! The Obama get-out-the-vote team are masters at engaging online and getting to offline action. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:51:45

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  51. @ClaireSale Agreed. I think the Obama for America (biased lol) was an excellent online & offline political grassroots network. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:52:03

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  52. @ClaireSale If you think about it, @barackobama is continuing the @OFA framework by bringing his ideas to real Americans now. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:58:37

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  53. elijah
    A6. @350 and @engagejoe are doing the online to offline transition beautifully. A vibrant online community that SHOWS UP #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:50:20

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  54. Other groups holding regular offline meetings
  55. Q6b. But the politicians are doing a one-off transaction (vote). Who is getting people to move online to offline consistently? #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:53:28

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  56. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild 1 on 350. Also: NTEN 501 tech clubs, NetSquared groups, WiserEarth, Yes!, and Social Media Surgery… #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:53:55

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  57. Churches get people to show up on a weekly basis! Who can top that? #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:53:58

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  58. A6. Other non-#nptech examples are weekly running/jogging groups, book clubs and knitting circles. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:57:45

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  59. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild oh the knitters. Always the knitters! #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:58:46

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  60. I’m a little late for #tbt but I’ll post these anyways @sabrinaserani #knittingcircle
    Danni Siminerio

    Thu, Sep 27 2012 22:12:39

  61. @ClaireSale and our knitter friends also create soft snuggly things to wear. Not just ideas. THEY ARE THE BEST! #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:00:14

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  62. Q7. What’s your #1 tip for a community organizer that wants to organize a lasting online?

  63. elijah
    PERSISTENCE! “Q7. What’s your #1 tip for a community organizer that wants to organize a lasting online gathering?” #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:02:29

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  64. @stevieflow talks about “zero expectations organizing” as the key to success. bit.ly/IVITdq #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:04:48

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  65. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild My tip: keep the barrier to entry low and the quality of content high #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:05:03

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  66. UP NEXT: Tuesday, December 18.

  67. Next week: join @askdebra for “The benefit of Twitter chats, & how they build community.” bit.ly/Uxy53S #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:09:14

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  68. A topic idea for the future….

  69. ClaireSale
    @ChristinaFBrown ah… totally a topic for another day! “Cross-pollination across local or related groups” #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:46:16

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  70. Get involved

  71. Want to lead a #CommBuild chat? Want to help manage the community? Reach out to @ClaireSale
  72. ClaireSale
    #commbuild: Just want to quickly announce we’re looking for vols to take leadership roles with the #commbuild group. bit.ly/S5fjqg

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:02:11

    ReplyRetweetFavorite
  73. ClaireSale
    #commbuild: I’m a community building consultant and organizer of commbuild group. Also *really* pregnant and about to go MIA for a bit!

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:03:45

    ReplyRetweetFavorite

Leave a Reply