All communities start small

"Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start."

Maybe you know this quote by Simon Sinek. 

When it comes to building thriving communities, I could not agree more.

If you are thinking about building a community, start small. 

Focus on creating real connections first, and scale will follow.

After over 30 years of spending hours at professional network events, building stakeholder coalitions and growing my own communities, I've learned a few things on what actually works. Below, discover 5 hands on tips to get started.

If you need more tips to grow your community, let's talk soon.

Just book your free 1t1 call in my calendar here.

Here's a few steps to consider for building or growing your community.

👉 Decide what the common interest of your group could be. For example, I started www.thirdquarter.be a blog offering tips and real stories for people that want to navigate midlife in a positive way. Relevant content leads to a growing number of followers. No idea what will be next, and that's ok.

👉 Begin with small, intimate gatherings with space for initial connections between human beings. To get people moving, offer them something that makes their eyes come alive. For example, I started the Fierce Ladies (Straffe Madammen) network 14 years ago with a simple comment on Twitter, that led to a movement of thousands of women and over 150 live events.

👉 Keep it simple. Have some conversation starters at hand. It might be an inspiring speaker, a common challenge or just a shared life phase. For example, we started the stakeholder coalition www.dasgeniaal.be 6 years ago by gathering companies around the common goal of inspiring more children for science and technology. The first meeting of partner companies was just about sharing what they had already tried and learned. Our program now includes online influencer challenges & campaigns, experience days for children and a STEM ambassador network on tour in schools.

👉 Get togethers can be virtual or in-person, as long as you offer real value and connection. For example, at www.expertendatabank.be, we revamped the project moving from an individual to a community approach, launching starting 2-monthly webinars 3 years ago to learn how to become an expert in the media. The focus is on practical tips combined with sharing real experiences between experts. The database has grown from 400 to 1500 expert-members in 4 years.

👉 Learn from those get togethers before you scale. What formats work best? What do people like most? What would they do differently? Just observe, listen and ask those early fans. For example, at www.72HoursReload.com, across 20 editions and 10 years, we moved from business oriented speakers and networking to a program focused on broader societal impact and personal leadership. And learned to include enough free time for spontaneous connections between participants.

Elke Jeurissen

Community Builder

welcome@elkejeurissen.com