So, you want to start a group mailing list community? Good choice!
Group mailing lists (or listserves) might seem bare bones when it comes to communities, but they are simple and easy to use. Listserves are just email and almost everyone knows how to use email. Not having to deal with lots of technical stuff gives you more time to focus on establishing what’s REALLY important…..community.
How to Start a New Community
1. Establish Guidelines and Goals for your Group
You must establish guidelines. You must establish guidelines. You must establish guidelines. There! Have I said it enough times? (Get started with these sample Group Guidelines.)
It might be annoying. It might take time. But before you start your community, sit down and write the rules. It may be tempting to just say you’ll trust in the kindness of human nature and then add rules if you need them. That’s a bit like saying you’ll trust that the cows won’t wander out through the open fence gate, but then close it if they do.
People resent guidelines made reactively. They feel like they’re being punished, told what to do, or having their choices limited. Most people understand and respect guidelines put in place proactively.
Guidelines don’t have to be complicated. They can be as simple as Be Kind. And since they’re written down, you have a guideline to point to if you need to moderate something.
It’s also a great time to figure out goals for your community. Is this a learning community? Or a networking community? Is this a support community? Your goals will help to figure out what the guidelines should be. They will also help as you moderate and work with your community in the future.
2. Welcome People Privately
When you invite people to join your new group, do it privately. Have a nice chat with them. Ask for their input into your community. Remember, you’re not starting a free-for-all forum or Twitter community here. You want people to feel like they’re joining something special. (4 Tips to Building a Positive Community)
Similarly, when someone joins your community, send a private message to welcome them. Think of it as a virtual handshake, just like you’d shake the hand of a new person in real life.
3. Make Sure Messages are Replied to Promptly
You need to reply to new emails in a timely manner. This is especially important at the beginning of the community when few people will be ready to participate. (You know…..everyone acting shy and not wanting to be “the first response”.) They’re not participating, so you need to lead by example.
Say someone posts a question. They’re new. Everyone else is new. This person might be brave, but no one else is. Step in and answer! Even if your reply is just that you’ll need to find someone else to answer. That brave person will feel heard and keep participating.
4. Jump Start the List with Recent News
Another of my tips for starting a new group mailing list is to get people talking with some recent news. At the start, your listserve community may be pretty empty. Empty is bad. Empty begets emptiness, making people feel intimidated about being the first to send an email. If YOU are first (and it’s interesting news), then you’ve taken away that intimidation factor.
TIP: Send recent articles from your community’s industry. Or use something like Google alerts to find something new and noteworthy. Set up key phrases, and Google will send you articles based on them.
5. Pay Attention to the Data
As your community grows, make sure you keep track of your metrics and monitor your group mailing list’s discussion. Praise good answers. Prompt people to answer others’ questions. If you’re getting questions no one can answer, you may need to invite new members who CAN provide answers.
Look for certain members who aren’t participating as much anymore. Send them a private email asking if they’re OK. If the entire group is going stagnant, start some new discussions yourself.
A community is like a garden.
You need to tend it and water it to help it grow.
Have tips for starting a new listserve? Leave them in the comments below!
