Blog / Guides
Guides
Guides for people who sell what they know, grouped by where you are: starting, deciding, switching or keeping members active. Each section opens with the guide to read first.
All 19 guides, A to Z
- Badges for online communities
- How to build a point-based reward system
- How to build and grow an online community
- How to create a group coaching program
- How to delete a Facebook group
- How to make money from an online community
- How to start a coaching business
- How to start a paid membership community
- How to use gamification in a community
- How to write community guidelines
- 15 ideas for more engaging live events
- 6 member retention strategies
- 5 new member onboarding ideas
- Online community moderation: 8 good habits
- The community flywheel
- TribeCrafter vs BuddyBoss
- 11 types of online communities
- What is a community leaderboard?
- What is an online community?
- How to start a paid membership communityEight steps, from one clear promise and a price to launching with your first founding members.Read →
- How to create a group coaching programSeven steps to turn your 1:1 method into a group: outcome, group size, curriculum, pricing and your first group.
- How to start a coaching businessNine steps from niche to first clients, then how to grow past 1:1 with a group program, a course or a paid community.
- How to make money from an online communityEleven ways to earn from a community, from courses and paid groups to events, coaching and sponsors.
- Running a paid membership?Monthly or yearly plans and premium posts on your own brand. You get paid into your own Stripe account, with 0% platform fees (Stripe's normal fees apply).See paid memberships →
Selling something else? See coaching programs · courses
Community basics
All sectionsThe ideas behind a community, if you are still deciding what kind to run and how to launch it.
- What is an online community?A plain definition, open and closed communities, how they differ from social media groups, and real examples.
- 11 types of online communitiesMembership, learning, support, networking and seven more, and how to pick the one that fits you.
- How to build and grow an online communitySeven steps from purpose and audience to launch day, then how to keep it active as it grows.
- The community flywheelHow new members, activity and word of mouth feed each other, and ten steps to start your own loop.
- TribeCrafter vs BuddyBossWhere BuddyBoss does well, where it breaks, what it costs with the app and plugins, and what changes when you move.
- Moving off BuddyBossWhat moves, how we move your members and the content that matters, and what paying members keep.See the BuddyBoss page →
- How to delete a Facebook groupThe steps on desktop and phone, what to check before you delete, and how to archive the group instead.
Also moving from Kajabi · Circle · Mighty Networks · Skool
Keep members active
All sectionsOnboarding, events, rules and moderation: how to welcome people, keep them talking and keep the place safe.
- 5 new member onboarding ideasFive ways to welcome new members so they find something useful and meet people in their first days.
- 6 member retention strategiesWhy members leave a community, and six fixes that keep them, from fresh content to more flexible plans.
- 15 ideas for more engaging live eventsIcebreakers, polls, breakout rooms, AMAs and follow-ups that keep people talking during and after a live call.
- How to write community guidelinesNine steps to a rules page people read: purpose, tone, privacy, how you enforce it, and keeping it current.
- Online community moderation: 8 good habitsClear rules, trained moderators, quick replies to problems and a light touch, plus the common mistakes.
- Events and moderation in one placeEvents with RSVP and reminders before they start. Members report posts, and your team works through them in one review queue in Studio.See community features →
Points, badges and leaderboards
All sectionsWhat each one does, how to start small, and how to choose the ones your community needs.
- How to use gamification in a communityBadges, points, leaderboards, ranks, challenges and streaks, and how to choose the ones your community needs.
- How to build a point-based reward systemWhich actions should earn points, how much each is worth, and what members can do with them.
- What is a community leaderboard?Types of leaderboards, why they work, examples from Stack Overflow and Duolingo, and how to set one up.
- Badges for online communitiesLoyalty, engagement, achievement and leadership badges, with examples and how to use them well.
Starting a paid community, or moving one?
I answer support myself, and a small team builds the product with me. Courses, groups, events and payments sit in one place, with 0% platform fees (Stripe's normal fees apply). Try it free for 14 days, no card, or book 30 minutes with me to plan it.
Faizan, founder and technical lead