The Four Layers
of Community
The broadness of community is both a blessing and a curse. As a term and concept, it can often be hard to explain. The Community-Led Model aims to be a holistic definition, and defines four primary ‘layers’ of community at a company.
Market
People who are talking about you
The broader market in which a company exists, made up of other communities as well as every person in the company’s target market. While this may not be a 'community' that is directly owned and operated by a company, it's still important for a company to be aware of the sentiment, trends, and ongoing happenings within the broader market.
Common Locations
Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Stackoverflow, Hacker News
METRICS TO CARE ABOUT
# social mentions, sentiment
WAYS TO ENGAGE
Thought leadership, targeted workshops, building relationships on social channels
Audience
People who are consuming your content, interacting with you on secondary channels
The lines between audience and customer community are often blurred. An audience tends to be something that marketing is directly involved in, centers around one-directional communication, and is made up of the entire 'network of engagement' around an organization. This might include things like social media, webinars, newsletters, and other programs that can be Community-Led, while reaching both customers and potential customers alike.
Common Locations
Newsletters, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other forms of social media
METRICS TO CARE ABOUT
Social engagement, content shares
WAYS TO ENGAGE
Thought leadership, targeted workshops, newsletters
Member
People who engage with you and other members on primary channels
This is what is traditionally considered 'community' at companies and what is most often the responsibility of a Community Manager or Community team. These communities are typically made up of customers, though this is changing as more and more companies adopt communities of practice, rather than communities of product. The Community Club is a great example of this shift!
Common Locations
Slack, Discord, forums, and other community platforms
METRICS TO CARE ABOUT
% engaged members, event attendance,
retention
WAYS TO ENGAGE
Wide range of events, routine prompts/discussions, 1:1 or small group connections
Internal
People who work at your organization
Culture, relationships, and the overall strength of the bonds between team members are vital to building a successful company. What better way to achieve this than to apply the principles of community management to internal teams? The explosion of remote work globally is driving an even greater need for this role. Remote teams need to be vastly more intentional about fostering relationships, culture, and trust — there's no better way to do that than treating teams as internal communities.
Common Locations
Slack, Microsoft Teams, email, the office
METRICS TO CARE ABOUT
Employee satisfaction, employee retention
WAYS TO ENGAGE
Internal events, discussions/prompts, social gatherings