Pitfalls to Creating an Online Community

Are you struggling to create an online community? Here are some common pitfalls to success...

1. You don't really care about people. This is really the kicker in creating communities... you have to care about the people who are coming in. If you are just looking at the community building process as an ego boost or way to make money you'll fail miserably. By caring whether people have a good experience, learn new things, make new friends and improve their lives you breath life into an otherwise impersonal initiative.
2. You try to make money first. The cardinal sin in community building... trying to cash in from day one is the quickest way to doom your efforts. People don't gravitate toward the idea of being sold to - they gravitate toward true communities. I'm talking about the formation phase here. You can make money off of a strong community once you have it, but you'll never get it if the whole community concept is monetized from the outset. People only come together because they see something of value in the platform you've created, not because they want to help you buy a Porsche.
3. You don't understand the importance of value creation. Ask this question, "Why am I trying to build this community?" If the answer is anything other than "I want to create value for the people in the community" you have a problem. Successful community building always comes from a sincere interest in people and a genuine concern for the value they receive from participating.
4. You are waiting for the community to come to you. Get real! There are over 150 million website out there. Just because you create something doesn't mean that folks can find it, use it or even care. One of the biggest myths about online community building is that you can create content and sit back and watch as a community forms. The required combo is to create real value AND communicate with others by reaching outside of your community. Don't wait for people to find you... go get them!
5. You don't empower members to refer and promote. Once you have some members in your online community, you have to make it as easy as possible for them to promote you. Create built-in mechanisms that encourage sharing, referrals and rewards. As your community begins to gain momentum, your existing membership is the best channel to communicate with others. And, when people do champion your cause, don't forget to acknowledge their contributions and say 'thank you!'