Choosing where to build your online community can turn into one of those decisions you spend far too much time thinking about.Facebook Group?Slack?A dedicated community platform?They can all work.But the better question isn’t “Which platform is best?”It’s “What experience do I want people to have?”<h2 id="7f92c7ec-605e-4585-b9b6-f6b1865bf2fb" data-toc-id="7f92c7ec-605e-4585-b9b6-f6b1865bf2fb" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">🎥 Watch the Video</h2><div data-youtube-video="" style="display: flex; justify-content: flex-start;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W-9iZa8HbLo" start="0" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" style="max-width: 100%; text-align: left;"></iframe></div><h2 id="7102a809-cec3-4acd-b8fc-d1a4fdd9465e" data-toc-id="7102a809-cec3-4acd-b8fc-d1a4fdd9465e" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Facebook Groups: Easy, Familiar and Free</h2>Facebook Groups are hard to argue with when it comes to price.They’re free.Most people already know how Facebook works.And there’s virtually no learning curve for getting people through the door.But there’s a catch.Your community lives inside somebody else’s social network.Your members arrive alongside adverts, notifications, family updates and God knows what else fighting for their attention. 😵‍💫It’s convenient.But it doesn’t necessarily feel like your space.<h2 id="066ef9dc-7ffa-4bba-b7d2-49e81807bec0" data-toc-id="066ef9dc-7ffa-4bba-b7d2-49e81807bec0" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Slack: Brilliant for Conversation, But...</h2>Slack solves some of those problems.You can organise conversations into channels, separate different topics and make things much easier to navigate.For teams, it’s brilliant.But that’s also what Slack was primarily designed for:Workplace communication.If you’re building a learning community, membership or somewhere you want people to develop longer-term relationships, it can start to feel like exactly what it is...A messaging platform.There are also limitations on the free version, and the costs can increase as you grow.<h2 id="215e73e9-2fcb-44a1-b34e-5a5cb2970b47" data-toc-id="215e73e9-2fcb-44a1-b34e-5a5cb2970b47" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">🏠 A Dedicated Community Platform Gives You a Home</h2>A proper community platform is different because the community is the point.You can have separate spaces for conversations.Training can sit alongside discussions.Events, resources and live sessions can all live in the same place.Members can connect privately.You can recognise and reward participation.And, with the right platform, everything can be easily accessible from a phone.It starts feeling less like another group or chat you’ve joined...…and more like somewhere you actually belong.<h2 id="f4460a90-d9b2-49a6-b3e5-70bb8cb4fc51" data-toc-id="f4460a90-d9b2-49a6-b3e5-70bb8cb4fc51" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">But Don’t Make This Just Another Tech Decision</h2>This is the important bit.The platform won’t create the community for you.I’ve spent more than 20 years helping people learn, connect and collaborate, and I’ve built and managed communities ranging from a handful of people to tens of thousands.The technology matters.But it’s only one part of the bloody thing.You still need:🟢 A clear purpose🟢 The right structure🟢 An understanding of who your members are🟢 A reason for people to participate🟢 A plan for keeping people coming backGet those things wrong and you can spend a fortune on the fanciest community platform available...…and still end up hearing crickets. 🦗<h2 id="f38b04ff-0084-486a-9abf-ec58163c4bd5" data-toc-id="f38b04ff-0084-486a-9abf-ec58163c4bd5" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Start With What You Need — Then Choose the Tech</h2>This applies to far more than community platforms.It’s really easy to start with the software.Which platform?Which app?Which automation tool?Which website builder?But that’s often backwards.Start with what you’re actually trying to achieve.Then work out what technology will make that easier.You might discover that a Facebook Group is absolutely fine.You might decide Slack gives you everything you need.Or you might realise that what you’re building needs a dedicated home of its own.There’s no universally “best” platform.There’s just the one that makes the most sense for what you’re trying to do.<h2 id="9668fbe2-67d2-4552-be29-becfb2328b55" data-toc-id="9668fbe2-67d2-4552-be29-becfb2328b55" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">👋 Need Help With the Digital Stuff?</h2>If you’re trying to work out what technology you actually need — or you’ve already got a pile of tech that needs making simpler — that’s what Help With Digital is all about.Practical help with digital skills, websites, online communities, tech and getting stuff working without making everything more complicated than it needs to be.Head over to:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.helpwithdigital.com">https://www.helpwithdigital.com</a>

Facebook Group, Slack or a dedicated community platform? Here’s how to choose the right home for your community without getting distracted by the tech.


Slack, Facebook, or a Community Platform? Here's How I'd Choose

Slack: Brilliant for Conversation, But...

🏠 A Dedicated Community Platform Gives You a Home

But Don’t Make This Just Another Tech Decision

Start With What You Need — Then Choose the Tech

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Slack, Facebook, or a Community Platform? Here's How I'd Choose

Slack, Facebook, or a Community Platform? Here's How I'd Choose

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