![\"choosing](\"https:\/\/f.hubspotusercontent40.net\/hubfs\/1619544\/choosing%20a%20community%20platform.png\")
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A crucial step to any community building process is picking the right platform to host your community.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You’ll have many options to choose from, and it can be tricky to know which one to go with: social media, private freemium communities (Slack, Discord\u2026), white-label platforms (TokyWoky, Khoros\u2026) or even something custom made (in house or agency)\u2026<\/p>\n I wrote this article precisely to help you answer these key questions and find the right fit for your community project.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dig in<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve set the initial scope and goals of your community<\/a>, it\u2019s time to figure out:<\/p>\n We’ve talked about the advantages of building your community on social media<\/a> before. Especially if you’re a smaller brand, with fewer resources and a community potential to test, this can be a good option for you. But there are certain clear limits to this option:<\/p>\n Social media play a crucial role in customer communications, but it\u2019s naturally limited to mostly top-down communications. You are broadcasting – not building relationships or fostering customer to customer interactions (community\u2019s secret sauce).<\/p>\n You also can\u2019t add the loyalty and advocacy features you need to maximize and measure community impact: CRM integrations, UGC and product testing tools\u2026<\/p>\n Finally, the biggest limit to building community on social media is you\u2019re at the mercy of Facebook & co with declining organic reach and increased ad spend. It\u2019s risky to trust them with your top customers and brand fans.<\/p>\n Your decision will mainly depend on your level of maturity, resources, and goals:<\/p>\n Read more: the benefits of an owned community platform (vs social media).<\/p>\n TokyWoky is a product team at heart so when we have the option to build something, it\u2019s usually what we do.<\/p>\n When starting their community building process, many brands consider building something completely custom or working with a web agency, so they get a community hub that\u2019s tailor-made for their brand.<\/p>\n The other option is working with a community platform provider (like us ) and get an annual subscription.<\/p>\n You can build your community in-house if:<\/p>\n If you have both internally it can be a good way to go, as you know your company, team and customers better than anyone.<\/p>\n To be frank, it’s rare when a brand can check both boxes<\/span>, and do so long-term. If this isn’t the case for you, it\u2019s safer to work with community-building specialists who have both the platform and the strategic resources.<\/p>\n If your community project is too mature for social media and you can\u2019t be sure to secure the necessary resources for an in-house build, there are 3 key elements you need to keep in mind when buying a community platform:<\/p>\n Make a list of the features you\u2019ll need to reach the community goals you set out at the start of your community-building process:<\/p>\n Depending on your community goal, this should give you a list of must-have and nice-to-have features that will help you prioritize as you talk to community building platform providers.<\/p>\n A platform rarely works on its own, when it\u2019s not linked as much as possible to your ecomm site and key tools.<\/p>\n Some great questions here to ask yourself \u2013 and then potential platform partners – are the following:<\/p>\n \n Trust is crucial when picking a platform provider: do they understand your market, internal organization and clients? Communities are super tricky to build \u2013 find the team with a proven track record of growing communities in your industry.<\/p>\n And finally, do they have an iterative approach to community? If 90% of what works with your community is something you\u2019ll find out post-launch<\/a>, you need to make sure you\u2019re partnering with someone who\u2019s setting realistic expectations for the first year and has a build, test & learn mindset.<\/p>\n Ask how they\u2019re setting growth plans and community objectives with other clients today, and how much visibility and influence you can expect to have on their roadmap.<\/p>\n As you start the process of building your community, you\u2019ll see you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing the right platform. I hope this article will help you make a more informed decision.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to learn more about the TokyWoky platform and community building process, talk to our team<\/u><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
1. Building a community on social media or an owned community platform?<\/h2>\n
The limits of building your community on social media<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How to decide<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. Building your own hub or buying a community platform?<\/h2>\n
The resources you need for an in-house community<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Buying the right community platform<\/h2>\n
Prioritize the features you\u2019ll need<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Identify the integrations you\u2019ll need your platform to have<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Pick the partner with the relevant expertise and community-building approach<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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