What is Digital Engagement?

Community drives everything. People need it. As a businessperson or thought leader, it should come as no surprise, then: when you give people community, they become more than just customers/members/students – they become believers.

Most of us understand that, whether it’s a clear-as-day truth or just an intangible feeling we get from our favorite brands. But knowing how to build a community? That’s not something you’re born with.

Are you ready to sprout that initial group from a seedling of an idea? Grow it into a real community. And then monetize it in ways that benefit both users, and entrepreneurs. Find out how. 

Obviously, there’s much more to it than one blog post can cover (get in touch here to see what I mean), but we can at least get you started … right now, in fact.

How to Build a Community in 7 Steps.

1. Form an identity 

Think about any community you belong to, whether it’s digital or out in the real world. They all exist with the phrase “this is who we are” at the core. Sports fandom, professional associations, and student bodies – they’re all built around identity, and that’s what your community needs, too.

• Start by ask yourself the question, “who are we?”
• Then, find a clear way to fully express the “why” of your mission. 

2. Connect with a few early members 

The next thing on our “how to build a community” checklist – well we need to put the "community" in community. Time to get some members. That sounds daunting, but don’t overthink it. We’re not talking about numbers in the thousands … or even dozens. Start with people you know, or friends of friends, but make sure they fit that “who are we” question.

• Find a few people who feel like you do, invite them to take part 
• These members will help set the tone for your community, so choose carefully

3. Earn the Community's Trust 

You’ve got to give your community a purpose, a reason to join and stay – and that is best done through involvement. Interact with your early members, get comfortable with each other and invite them to speak into the mission. 

• Start slow, with regular content posting
• Schedule a real life meet up, if possible, or get to know one another online 
• Hear your members' thoughts on the mission

4. Encourage Connections 

Now you’ve got something going, and it’s time to expand. Once your small community has identity and trust, you can give members ownership in driving growth. Empower them to find new likely members from their own lives, and get those “recruits” involved, too. 

• Empower members to spread the word
• Personal connections are the strongest 

5. Rewards

I like to think of this as the “gold star phase” of how to build a community. Just like in elementary school, positive reinforcement works wonders in a group environment. Find ways to celebrate your most dedicated and effective members, and that will encourage others to follow suit.

• Give perks to those helping accomplish community goals 
• It could be as simple as a newsletter shout out, or actual prizes 

6. Never Lose the ‘Why’ 

As things progress, your community may start to get sidetracked away from the original mission. This is natural, but it’s important to always steer the group back toward its overall goal. 

• Remember, communities are built on identity and trust

7. Continuous Growth 

If you make it this far, your community should now be nearly self-sufficient. You’ve got a clearly defined mission and an active group of members, who all feel empowered by each other and want to see it succeed. 

• Produce content to keep your members involved. 
• Look for membership sites that put the control in your hands

Sounds simple enough, yet learning how to build a community is something entire careers are devoted to – like they are here at Cause Machine. This guide can help, but there’s nothing like having a team of experts on your side, each step of the way. Set up a free demo and get your community on the right track today.

Cause Machine Solutions

One of the most significant pieces of what sets Cause Machine apart from other technology platforms is where we start—with a community engagement strategy. We begin all of our work on the foundation of engaging a community well and then begin mapping out the technology to help support that strategy. We’re certain that you’ll find some great resources and powerful tools in Cause Machine to better engage your community as well. Learn how it can work for you here. 

Over the years, many have relied on Facebook Groups to launch or grow an online community – and it used to be for a good reason. They were easy to start up and got you connected to millions around the globe, with a clean look and a place-to-be atmosphere. But that was then. Now, alternatives to Facebook groups are on the rise.

These days, more and more are turning away from Facebook Groups, with everything from the lack of monetization tools to scandals in the news driving the shift. If you run an online community, it may be time to consider some alternatives to Facebook Groups – and luckily, there are many options to choose from. 

From customizable branding and greater control over what your members see, to positive associations with the platform and the ability to launch courses, there are many reasons to switch. Learn how you can manage groups on a platform you control.

Here are 5 powerful alternatives to Facebook Groups that will help your community thrive.

1. Slack

If you work in an office setting, you might already be familiar with Slack. It’s a business productivity tool best known for its chat function, helping team members stay in touch whether they work in person or remotely. But, its group-building tools are top notch, too.

Key attributes:

• Popular system, easy to learn
• Private communication channels
• Scale with your needs

Drawbacks: 

• No monetization
• Not great for project management natively

2. Discord

Likewise, Discord is another growing alternative to Facebook Groups with a great messaging system. You can set up groups and separate conversations into text and voice chat channels, and it’s also available on both mobile devices and web browsers. Plus, it’s pretty user friendly.

Key attributes:

• Easy to set up and great interface
• Free to use
• Live chat rooms

Drawbacks: 

• Text and voice chat only, no custom branding
• Limited free features

3. Telegram

If you already have a Facebook Group, but are looking for alternatives to Facebook Groups, Telegram might be a fairly smooth transition. It’s a social media platform that can be used on almost any kind of device, can be monetized, and has a built-in user base. But it has been described as confusing to use.

Key attributes:

• Social-media based – easy transition from Facebook Groups
• Can be monetized
• Large groups

Drawbacks:

• Confusing to use and requires frequent optimization
• Security

4. Kajabi

Kajabi is a community builder well suited to hosting online courses, if that’s your thing. You can also create custom branding, making it one of the standout alternatives to Facebook Groups – but all that power comes with a literal price. Plus, it’s more difficult to set up.

Key attributes:

• Ideal for online courses
• Customized branding
• Professional website

Drawbacks:

• Can be costly to run, and tough to learn
• Not great for physical product sales

5. LinkedIn

Most people know and trust LinkedIn as a social network tool for professionals and job seekers, but few realize it also features a Group function similar to Facebook Groups. It’s fairly basic but easy to set up, and comes with big time community-growth potential.  

Key attributes:

• Trusted by more than 800 million users in 200 countries
• Good ease of use and sharing functions
• Large groups, easy to manage and communicate with members

Drawbacks:

• No monetization
• Can be costly to access full feature sets

All of these alternatives to Facebook Groups offer ways to create a unique experience on an alternative platform, and each one has its own area of strength. But if you’re looking for the total package – ease of use, custom branding, the ability to monetize or host online courses, and control over what’s allowed and what’s not in your own group, look no further than Cause Machine. Our platform is purpose-built to grow impact-making online communities; schedule your free demo today.

 

Cause Machine Solutions

One of the most significant pieces of what sets Cause Machine apart from other technology platforms is where we start… with a community engagement strategy.  We begin all of our work on the foundation of engaging a community well and then begin mapping out the technology to help support that strategy.  We’re certain that you’ll find some great resources and powerful tools in Cause Machine to better engage your community as well. Learn how it can work for you here. 

Whether you’re just starting out or already a crafty veteran, the proper CRM software for small business is essential. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, and when implemented correctly, it can supercharge sales, drive exponential growth and let you provide incredible customer experiences.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, not necessarily.

With the right CRM software for small business, you can create a central hub of customer information that allows your team’s different departments to optimize their effort. CRMs can track sales, quickly organize analysis and encourage collaboration, getting everyone on the same page and putting all the elements of a successful business in one place.

In an increasingly data-driven world, this is a critical piece of the small-business puzzle, with the best options aiming for clarity – letting you spend less time cobbling insights together and more time engaging your community. But, the CRM landscape is large, and with so many options, getting started can feel daunting. Even deciding which type of CRM software is right for you may not be easy.

There are 3 types of CRM software for small business:

Collaborative – To help teams within your company work together more seamlessly.

Operational – Automated, tactical solutions that make your customer experience better.

Analytical – Providing insight into customer behavior, helping you steer toward greater results.

With those in mind, we’ve broken down the top 10 CRM software solutions for small businesses.
 

1. Salesforce

Salesforce is an all-in-one CRM with a sales focus, helping manage contacts, leads and more into an interactive dashboard. The result is a big-picture view of your business, and you can add features as you grow.

Key Features:

• Cloud-based platform with mobile app
• Scales with your business
• Lead management

2. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a popular choice for small startups looking to keep expenses down, because its free plan allows up to three users. You can create sales workflows and keep track of customers, and switch to a paid version for more features.

Key Features:

• Free option for three users (Good for those just starting out)
• Add-on apps to integrate marketing, inventory and accounting (paid version only)
• Workflow automation

 
3. Zendesk Sell

For small businesses relying heavily on customer support, Zendesk Sell funnels all customer interactions into a single interface, tracking leads and keeping your team informed. It even allows calls to be recorded, helping your help desk be its best.

Key Features:

• High performance help desk features
• Call recording 
• Sales triggers

4. Insightly

Insightly works best for small businesses with project-management needs. If you need to track a project from inception through implementation, delivery and review, this CRM can help keep things running efficiently.

Key Features:

• Chart-view tracking of project workflow
• Easily import date from other apps
• Mass Email Contacts with MailChimp Integration

5. Agile CRM

Like its name suggests, Agile is a CRM for small business which excels at being versatile – namely by adding top-notch marketing features. It’s ideal for shops where sales and marketing team members work closely together.

Key Features:

• Streamlined sales and contact tools
• Drag and drop marketing campaign builder
• Project management tools

6. Keap

Keap is another CRM which combines sales and marketing prowess, where leads can be organized, tracked and turned into sales. Plus, it offers expert instruction to get the most of the platform.

Key Features:

• Automated lead capture and organization
• Expert coaching and support 
• Great email marketing features

7. Less Annoying CRM

Knowing that complexity is a small-business turn off, Less Annoying CRM is exactly what it claims to be. It lets you manage your contacts, calendar, and more without getting lost in the tech-feature weeds. 

Key Features:

• Built for ease of use, less complexity.
• Straight forward, to-the-point feature set. 
• Relationship management

8. monday.com

If you’ve got a fast-moving team who need to be in lockstep, monday.com could be your ideal CRM for small business. Those familiar with Kanban will find its visual organizer especially easy to use.

Key Features:

• Kanban-style organizer boards 
• Free option with robust features
• Dynamic sales pipelines

9. Freshsales

For many small businesses, finding and developing leads is a key concern, and Freshsales is built to make that easier. Automatically capturing and tracking potential customers is the beginning of rising revenues.

Key Features:

• Built-in lead generation
• Advanced analytics 
• Make calls & send emails
   

10. Creatio

Creatio can take a complicated, multi-step process and make it (relatively) simple, by automating the sales cycle, marketing approvals and more. And best of all, you don’t need to be a code wizard.

Key Features:

• “Process library” of pre-built workflows
• Intuitive customer record keeping 
• Automated marketing campaigns

Remember, with the right CRM software for small business; you can take your customer experience to the next level – along with your sales, revenue, and more. As long as you're in a system that WORKS for your business! 

So, which CRM solution is best for you?

Ask these 3 questions about your business needs:

1. What are we trying to achieve? (Manage Customer Relationships, Leads, Audience Segmentation)

2. What features are needed to achieve our goals? (Email sender, automation capabilities, etc.)

3. What is our budget? 

When comparing platforms, look for those with numerous positive reviews and a good track record. If you're on a budget, shoot for the middle of the market. You'll find a reliable platform that may have some feature limitations. But, if you need a CRM as dynamic as a fighter jet, then there's a solution for your organization out there!

Cause Machine Solutions

One of the most significant pieces of what sets Cause Machine apart from other technology platforms is where we start… with a community engagement strategy.  We begin all of our work on the foundation of engaging a community well and then begin mapping out the technology to help support that strategy.  We’re certain that you’ll find some great resources and powerful tools in Cause Machine to better engage your community as well. Learn how it can work for you here. 
 

So you’ve built a thriving community around a bold cause or brilliant product. Great work! But you’re not done yet.

As your project scales up, one of the most powerful tools you can implement is a membership site, turning “users” into members, driving engagement to your cause… and even monetizing your work.

With the creator economy growing, all sorts of businesses use membership sites – which is really just website that features some sort of “gate,” beyond which only members can pass. 

Artists and influencers, nonprofit organizations, social clubs, associations, even retail businesses use these since they all need to present content that only members have access to. That could be special sales and exclusive products, digital classes, or even just a newsletter, and these memberships don’t even have to be paid – they could just involve opting in. But the point is this: Being a member comes with special privileges… and added consumer value.

From your perspective, this added value is the key. It can lead to more revenue for your business, repeat visitors to your site, longer session times, and greater sales numbers – and plus, you could even add a revenue stream if the memberships are paid. But like anything, there are different methods to building a great membership site for your community, and different strengths to each approach. 

3 popular membership site approaches:

1. WPQuickStart

WPQuickStart for Membership Sites is a plug-in service designed especially for WordPress – the website builder used by almost half of all websites worldwide. If you already have a website, and it’s running on WordPress, this offers a way to add membership functionality.

Key Features 

• Fast and easy set-up
• Multi-level subscription packages
• Built-in tools for payment, marketing, and analytics
• WordPress Security

2. CMS Hub from Hubspot

On the other hand, creating a membership site using CMS Hub from Hubspot can help you create a customized experience. More than a plug-in that works with your WordPress website, this standalone content management system is fully hosted by Hubspot (and fully integrated with its marketing, sales, and service tools). The possibilities are endless. You can create multiple membership tiers, with unique perks included in each. But the downside is higher cost – and the fact that one-of-a-kind creations take time and expertise. 

Key Features 

• Hubspot hosting and systems integration
• Full design flexibility
• No plug-ins necessary
• Personalize membership experience

3. WildApricot

Creating a connected membership site usually comes down to whether or not the platform can truly meet your needs. Another solution that has membership capability is WildApricot. WildApricot has a variety of ways to build and run your community. One is a built-in member database that allows you to manage how members interact with one another, share exclusive member-only content and more. You can create multiple tiers of membership and encourage users to join up with membership applications. WildApricot is a solid option for launching a membership site.

Key Features 

• Member database
• Event management
• Mobile app
• Online store

Transitioning from casual users into highly-engaged members is crucial to growth and monetization, and so is using the right platform to do it. Ideally, you’d keep everything from website building to e-learning and membership controls in one place (with a little marketing prowess and analytics thrown in), so you don’t have to piece your digital footprint together. 

Cause Machine Solutions

One of the most significant pieces of what sets Cause Machine apart from other technology platforms is where we start… with a community engagement strategy.  We begin all of our work on the foundation of engaging a community well and then begin mapping out the technology to help support that strategy.  We’re certain that you’ll find some great resources and powerful tools in Cause Machine to better engage your community as well. Learn how it can work for you here. 

When it launched in 2003, Wordpress sparked something close to a digital revolution. Suddenly, almost anyone could make a professional-grade website packed full of high-quality content, and it now dominates the market.

Believe it or not, about 43 percent of all websites currently run on Wordpress1, making it the most popular website builder in the world. But it’s not the only option. And if you’re about to take the plunge, you should ask yourself:
 

What kind of WordPress alternatives are out there?

It’s true that Wordpress is a powerful tool, with things like drag-and-drop block editing, thousands of themes and countless plug-ins to choose from, but it can also get complex pretty quickly. Perhaps the plug-ins you’ve chosen are not compatible with each other… that happens. Or maybe you’re not up for the hassle of managing your own web hosting, with security and updates and all the rest.

Luckily, many WordPress alternatives exist. Some offer a simple approach, while others are extra flexible. Some emphasis e-commerce, while others are great for blogging. You just need to know what's right for you. 

We’ve scoured the internet to compile a list of the 9 best WordPress alternatives for building a website, with hopes of giving you a fuller picture of the options.
 

1. Wix

Wix is probably the best-known Wordpress alternative, and there’s good reason for that. If you’re looking to keep things simple, Wix is great for building basic websites with a similar drag-and-drop model to Wordpress, but a more streamlined list of plug-in options to choose from. 

2. Domain.com

Next up we have Domain.com, which excels in a few areas where Wordpress does not – right out of the box. While WordPress needs some customization before you can start selling goods and services, Domain.com comes ready-to-go with e-commerce capability. Good news if you need to set up shop.

3. Shopify

Then we have Shopify, and just by the name you can tell – it’s built for e-commerce. Shopify is one of the best Wordpress alternatives if you need a digital storefront, and with great-looking templates, payment option tools and 24/7 tech support, you get a professional feel without much heavy lifting.

4. Drupal

As far as rivals to Wordpress, Drupal is most popular with bigger organizations. If you’re looking to create a website with complex, one of a kind content at enterprise scale, Drupal is almost endlessly customizable, and highly adaptive. The drawback is you’ll need some technical know-how to set it up.

5. Squarespace

Squarespace is a great Wordpress alternative with a little something for everyone. Whether you’re building your first site for a new small business, or you’re a creative looking to showcase your work, it has a familiar drag-and-drop feel, and templates that often look better than the competition.

6. Hubspot

Searching for a high-tech solution? Hubspot’s CMS Hub is a powerful content management system – and its main draw is a fully-hosted platform, meaning it can handle all that pesky back-end maintenance on its own. Plus, with automated marketing tools and killer analytics, you get a lot of bang for your buck.

7. Ghost

Not all websites are intended to sell stuff – some are just there to deliver fantastic content – and if you are a writer of any kind, Ghost might be the way to go. With powerful SEO and publishing tools built right in, plus things like an RSS feed builder and full-picture editor, this is a great choice for creatives.
 

8. Web.com

Web.com is a good choice for Wordpress alternatives that don’t break the bank – or take over your life. Relatively inexpensive and easy, users can start by choosing from a list of templates. Or, with the added ability to make your own design, this option can also help you create a truly unique brand experience.
 

9. Medium

Another example in the world of Wordpress alternatives is Medium. Perfect for publishing text, you’ve probably read a column written by a celebrity on Medium in the past – even if you didn’t know it. It’s not as endlessly customizable as some of the others. But it’s clean looking if the written word is your thing.

In the end, this is still just a fraction of the website-building options out there, and it might sound like a lot to think about. Whether you just need a website or if you're looking to give your community a home, it’s a decision you can’t afford to sleepwalk into. Take the time to decide what works for you.
 

Cause Machine Solutions

Here at Cause Machine, we help organizations solve complex community engagement problems/questions.  We use these disciplines of innovation ourselves in our own development process and have helped lead many organizations through their own process of innovation discovery.  Leveraging the Cause Machine platform for engaging your community helps you be confident that the foundations of this platform are built on time-tested best practices of great processes like innovation and design thinking.  Schedule a FREE demo today!