We recently moved our 13,000+ member-strong community from Facebook to Circle. 

We're not looking back. 

Here are some of my findings. 

Own Your Community

By “owning” your community, I mean that you're not on a platform that you don't control. In other words, not on one of the big platforms where you are renting a space and they can pull the plug or take away the key or shut the doors pretty much anytime they like for any reason they wish.

The Keys to the Kingdom

The power of your own community is that you have the keys to the kingdom. You decide the rules you are the gatekeeper and no one from the outside will shut you down.

I love real life, examples, and especially real estate examples work well. In this case, it would be the difference between renting an apartment in a big building versus owning the entire apartment building. Before you start thinking about the big difference in costs, which, of course, in real life, would be huge, think more about the ownership differences of renting versus owning. Please don't get me wrong and think that I mean, in any way that the owner of a community owns the people. Of course not. It's more in this case just that we're taking the tickets at the door and we own the building. Of course, we don't own anyone inside.

1. People want a dedicated "no-cat-memes" space

If your group is on a platform where there are many other communities--and distractions--your community will just be one of many places to keep the attention of your members. 

As much as we all like cat memes, when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, and focusing on our businesses, we need just that: focus.

The vast majority of our members who moved from the big platform were happy that we did. Of course, there will be some people who say that they're in our group because of the convenience of the big platform. We could argue here that if they're interested in big enough to follow you to your own community, is there interest big enough to be a part of your community?

I have to say that, as an administrator, this also helps me. I too, of course, only have a limited attention span, I need to focus on our community. Because this is a dedicated space where all we're doing is working on our community, it makes it easier to focus and I'm more efficient and effective with my time.
That means I'm a better administrator and I'm not sidetracked with my 42 other communities I'm involved in on the big platforms on social media.

2. More and more communities will move away from the big platforms and go to the dedicated community-only platforms

Just because you're there doesn't mean it's the only community in Circle. 

Circle is a website, but it's also an app. When your community members go to the website or use the app, they also have access to other communities they may be involved in. If, of course, those communities are also on Circle. But as more and more communities move away from the big "renting" platforms and move to their own, like Circle, the easier it will be to help your members move.

Of course, it's in our interest to have our members have more and more communities using the same app. Then there is less resistance to moving over to an app they don't know. So the more people who are on circle, the easier it will be to move communities over.

Then, once they see the advantages of the focused app, they will also be more likely to stay.

3. Events and live streaming within Circle!

Host live streams and live rooms right in the community! 

Yep, I get it. The advantage of having your social media and your events only one place has the advantages of being all in one place. But let's get back to focus.

If your community is battling for time on the calendar with their 17 other communities that they're a part of it, how are they gonna focus on yours?

Live streams and live rooms, YouTube lives and zoom calls can all be held right in the community itself.

4. Paid premium content areas

Honestly, I don't even know if this is available in the rented platforms because I couldn't be bothered to get in the complexity of how it all might work.

But in circle, you can have exclusive groups and paid membership areas at the click of a button where you can charge for VIP access.

When software is built to be focused on one thing, or a small group of elements related to that one thing, that is, community, then it all just works more seamlessly.

5. OK, the big thing: Cancelled!

All was seemingly OK, then this happened: 

I won't get into the nasty details but a popular figure in our space was cancelled by the big platform. Account just deleted, closed, ka-blam, ka-blooey, gonzo, goodbye, don't let the door hit you on the way out. 

Everything he has posted, even photos and personal posts, wiped out. 

Ouch. 

It's scary and I suppose it could happen to any of us. 

We're back to renting or owning. If you're renting, who knows when the owner is going to raise the rent or kick you out or sell the building or ... who knows what. 

It's just that unknown. 

We can limit that kind of damage when we "own" our own space--like Circle. 

Summary

There are pros and cons to every decision. The biggest one for me was actually about the ideas of focus (and cat memes). Our community was focused only on our topic. When people come and interact, they're only talking about our industry. 

That's it. It's kind of that simple. 

If you'd like your community to get more focused on just your community, give Circle a look. 

We're happy with Circle and not turning back.

Here's Circle pricing:

Pricing Updates:

1. Basic Plan: $49

2. Professional Plan: $99

3. Business Plan: $249 (Early bird pricing is $199)

4. Enterprise: $399

   Find out more about how to get your community more engaged with Circle.