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When building a digital community platform, you’re connecting your customers or users in order to create more value for them. Your users / customers join a community space based on their shared identity and the value you/the community is creating. Value in a community is generated by the network of the community itself, instead of only directly generated by you.
To prototype, build, or iterate a community platform for members, it’s easy to source existing tools. The combination of tools, your “community stack” should serve your business and do three things:
- 👭 Draw a Circle: Create a shared space
- 🎁 Make it Valuable: Provide simple access to all value props for members
- 💰 Build a Paywall: Make space exclusive / payments
👭 Shared Space
Many all-in-one digital community platforms exist that are built on the idea of a shared digital space. Exclusive digital spaces can also be built within existing digital spaces / social networks:
All-in-One Digital Community Platforms
- Circle.so (recommended)
- Disco.co (recommended)
- Networked (recommended)
- MightyNetworks
- HiveBrite
- Slack
- Discord Server
Existing Digital Spaces w/ Exclusive Spaces
- Facebook Groups
- WhatsApp Groups / Messaging Apps
🎁 Simple Access to all Value Props
A digital community is often one value prop, among many, for a user you serve. A digital community should be a space that enables easy access to everything you offer your users. This can be as simple as announcements in a digital community or more sophisticated like access to websites, digital libraries, live events, etc.
💰 Exclusivity / Payments
A digital community is usually served best as an exclusive space. Users join based on their expectation that they’re becoming a part of a community of their peers. Making a community exclusive (authentication, paywalls, etc.) allow you to maintain the space.
There are many different tools that facilitate authentication, payment, and other digital community access. Some robust tools are:
- All-in-One Digital Community Platforms (see above)
- MemberSpace
- MemberStack