3 Important Foundations To Leverage Online Communities For Business Growth Globoversity's founder, Olumide Gbenro, shares focus areas that entrepreneurs should direct their energy to create a thriving community remotely or in person
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Online community building for remote work companies has emerged in recent times and has become a standard practice for business owners worldwide. One such example is Olumide Gbenro, founder of Globoversity, a platform that brings premium education to the population affectionately known as 'digital nomads'. Gbenro describes his vision for the platform as "a real community, a place where you can log in from any time zone and be able to find your global tribe instantly".
As a community builder and remote work influencer based in Bali, Indonesia, Gbenro's platforms, such as the Digital Nomad Summit, have educated thousands and established a flourishing container for learning during the pandemic.
Gbenro shares three areas that can be leveraged by entrepreneurs or business leaders to build thriving communities remotely or in person. As per Gbenro, these areas lead to increased engagement, retention, and profitability.
Remember your roots
As communities grow, they evolve and become a living thing. The daily activities, interactions, and platforms may change, but it's important to stay aligned with the original values with which the community was founded. It's crucial for leaders to write down their core values and never stray from the start.
Gbenro explains, "On day 1, even before you start that Facebook group or Telegram or build a platform for your business, you must write down what your values are. This becomes the north star that will guide you no matter what challenge, turmoil, or controversy comes your way."
Reward members often
Your members are the lifeblood of your online community. Without them, you have nothing. Giving away valuable self-development tools and prizes to members on a regular basis and tools that help them grow intellectually is key to fostering engagement and ultimate growth.
"Reward your people because they won't forget. Give away free swag, merch, give away free educational tools and resources, a free mentor session from one of the leaders, something that feels premium and is actually valuable. Now do it again and again. They may not say anything, but they feel it, and they will never leave you," shares Gbenro.
Build a legacy
Most community leaders want to create impact, but one important objective they may lack foresight is building a legacy that lasts forever. Legacy and a vision for the long term are essential for any community-based business that wants to stand the test of time.
"You have to think long term from day 1. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? Because if you don't know, then you aren't thinking big enough. Powerful communities have their vision and north star set up early, and this tends to make them build massive impact in their proximal ecosystems," concludes Gbenro.
