[Webinar] Fostering authentic connections to drive community engagement

Discover how to elevate your community’s impact with meaningful member connections and AI innovation.

Meet our expert panel:

Carly Pallis

Carly Pallis

Chief of Staff, Pavilion

Bilyana Freye

Bilyana Freye

VP of Growth, Orbiit by Hivebrite

Watch now!

Key discussion points include:

  • Defining quality connections:
    Understand what constitutes a quality connection in community building and why these relationships are critical for fostering a thriving community.
  • Impact on engagement and retention:
    Discover how the quality of connections directly affects member engagement and retention, leading to a more active and loyal community base.
  • Overcoming obstacles:
    Identify the common challenges in building deep, authentic relationships online and discover effective strategies to overcome these barriers.
  • Facilitating and measuring success:
    Gain insights into practical methods for facilitating member connections and learn how to measure the success of these efforts, focusing on the quality of interactions.
  • Plus an Orbiit demo:
    Discover how Pavilion’s community uses Orbiit to drive member connections!

How to build a strong online community through authentic connections

Building a strong online community requires more than just gathering people in a digital space. The secret ingredient? Authentic connections. Online communities need genuine relationships, active participation, and a sense of belonging to flourish.

Why building a strong community matters: The real value of online connections

When learning how to build a community, it’s tempting to focus on numbers rather than depth of engagement. However, communities lacking authentic connections often face:

  • Low member retention
  • Minimal participation
  • Failed community initiatives
  • Difficulty achieving core objectives

In contrast, strong online communities built on genuine relationships deliver lasting value through:

  • Knowledge sharing: Members actively exchange expertise and real-world experiences
  • Career advancement: Authentic relationships create natural mentorship and job opportunities
  • Problem solving: True connections inspire collaboration and innovative solutions
  • Emotional support: Connected members both seek and offer meaningful support
  • Sustainable growth: Communities founded on real relationships show higher engagement rates

Five strategies for growing an online community with authentic connections

1. Create welcoming spaces that encourage openness

To build a strong community, establish clear community guidelines that promote respectful dialogue and psychological safety. When community leaders demonstrate vulnerability, it encourages authentic sharing among all members.

2. Guide meaningful discussions

Growing an online community requires moving beyond surface-level chat.

Facilitate deeper connections through:

  • Thought-provoking discussion prompts
  • Regular expert Q&A sessions
  • Focused small-group conversations
  • Theme-based community challenges

3. Design personalized member experiences

Successful online community connection starts with treating members as individuals:

  • Personally welcome newcomers
  • Track and reference previous interactions
  • Match members with similar interests
  • Recognize individual achievements

4. Foster member-to-member relationships

While community managers are important, authentic communities thrive on peer connections:

  • Launch mentorship programs
  • Support interest-based groups
  • Encourage member-led initiatives
  • Spotlight community success stories

5. Balance structure with organic growth

Strong communities need both organized activities and space for natural interaction:

  • Schedule consistent community events
  • Provide casual networking opportunities
  • Adapt based on member feedback
  • Maintain core values while remaining flexible

While these strategies form the foundation of strong community building, tools like Orbiit.ai can help scale authentic connections effectively. By automating the intricate process of member matching through sophisticated algorithms, Orbiit.ai enables community managers to facilitate meaningful connections at scale while maintaining the human touch. Discover more! 

Key takeaways for building a strong community

Success in growing an online community depends on:

  • Prioritizing authentic connections over mere numbers
  • Creating safe spaces for genuine interaction
  • Facilitating meaningful member-to-member relationships
  • Maintaining consistent engagement opportunities
  • Allowing natural community evolution

Remember: while you can’t force authentic connections, you can create the perfect environment for them to develop. By implementing these strategies and maintaining focus on genuine relationships, you’ll build a community that members actively engage with and champion to others.

Explore our webinar hub for upcoming and on-demand sessions to elevate your community-building skills.

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