Podcast Summary

The Digital Marketing Podcast

Episode: How to Build Online Communities
Hosts: Ciaran Rogers (A)
Guest: Arjun Jolly, COO and Co-founder, Ad Quadrant (B)
Date: February 26, 2018

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the art and science of building thriving online communities for brands and businesses. Host Ciaran Rogers is joined by seasoned community builder Arjun Jolly, who shares his experiences, strategies, and candid insights on creating, nurturing, and measuring value in digital communities—from niche forums to global brand ecosystems.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Arjun Jolly's Community-Building Background

• Arjun’s journey began as a passionate participant in online automotive forums as a teenager. Over time, he gained expertise building large, engaged communities in sectors like online gambling and eco-friendly products—some evolving into offline conference businesses.
  (01:15)

Is It Too Late to Start an Online Community?

• Despite the abundance of existing communities, there is still opportunity—success depends on having a clear, unique selling proposition (USP) or vision.
• “I don't think that starting another forum or another social network is the best place to start... unless you're very very clear on what that niche you're going after is going to be.” – Arjun (03:26)

Where to Begin: Finding Your Topic & Initial Steps

• Passion for the subject is crucial; it powers the hard work required to seed, grow, and sustain engagement.
• Merging clear vision with controversy or "stickiness" helps attract users and fuel discussions.
• "Combining those two is really a great point—how you kind of converge the passion... with the stickiness that can be created..." – Arjun (04:19)

The Role of Offline Elements in Community-Building

• Offline experiences can catalyze online engagement.
• Example: Orange Theory Fitness leverages digital (heart rate monitor sharing) to enhance their "cult-like" gym following, blending physical and virtual communities.
  (05:51)

Sparking and Sustaining Engagement

• Culture is central: “Every community has a culture. I look at online communities just like one would look at their local neighborhood...” – Arjun (07:37)
• Tactics:
  • Run contests or promotions.
  • Create valuable, relevant content.
  • Tap into controversy within niche.
  • Focus on ongoing value creation, not just acquisition.

Where Companies Go Wrong

• Placing monetization first is a pivotal mistake.
• "Many companies make the mistake of launching a community, putting their AdSense placements... and thinking they're basically just going to arbitrage traffic [...] That's not necessarily how it works. And I've seen many communities fail by taking that approach." – Arjun (09:10)
• Community success comes from prioritizing value, education, and member benefit over short-term revenue.

Challenges of Scale & Community Implosion

• Over-monetization (e.g., MySpace) kills communities.
• As communities scale, engagement can drop—size alone doesn't guarantee “community feel.”
• Platform migration in social networks (Friendster > MySpace > Facebook) illustrates how communities can be replaced if they lose their core value.
• "If communities do get too large and they're not creating that value, or they don't have the appropriate moderation or tactics in place [...] they very well can implode, in my opinion." – Arjun (13:15)

Metrics That Matter

• Engagement is king:
  • Time spent onsite
  • Content contributions (posts, replies)
  • Number of “lurkers” vs. active participants
  • Unique offers and value only accessible within the community (e.g., Internet Brands' forum sponsors)
    (15:05)

Case Studies of Success

• Internet Brands:
  • Hosts 100+ million monthly forum users.
  • Sustainable, non-intrusive monetization through integrated sponsorships.
• Quora:
  • Prioritizes quality, moderated discussion over "viral" or snarky content (cf. Yahoo Answers).
  • Reputation built on depth and warmth of conversation, not just information exchange.
    (17:17–20:41)

Choosing or Building Your Platform

• No one-size-fits-all—choice depends on community type and goals.
• VBulletin is highlighted as a robust, customizable forum platform.
• WordPress/BuddyPress also options for content-driven communities.
• Off-the-shelf software usually requires customization as the community grows.
• Look for platforms with strong plugin/modular support and active developer communities. (21:09–22:37)

Piggybacking on Existing Social Networks

• Pro: Low barrier to start, easy to launch groups.
• Con: High competition, only the most committed and/or first-movers thrive.
• Not as easy to replicate success as it might look from the outside. (23:37)

Paid vs. Organic Growth

• Paid promotion can seed early growth but must be weighed and tracked carefully.
• “Paying to advertise your community is not a bad thing at the start... but it could have a negative feel to it.” – Arjun (25:17)
• Track ROI and avoid harming engagement or authenticity.

Managing Rapid Growth

• Moderation is key: Rely on strong core members as volunteer moderators.
• Balance between guidance and allowing organic evolution.
• “Your idea of what the community should be when it's 5,000 users could be vastly different than when it's 100,000 users, because ultimately the community builds itself at one point...” – Arjun (27:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It’s not about you, it’s about them." – Ciaran (26:46)
• "The hardest part about an online community is really getting the ball rolling... Once the snowball gets rolling, those users start helping each other along the way." – Arjun (11:18)
• "Even by using WordPress or regular CMS platforms, you can still build a community which is really around users who are commenting on articles... you'd be surprised to see how many discussions start from simple commenting plugins on articles as well." – Arjun (22:37)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:15 — Arjun's community-building story
• 02:43 — Why it’s not too late to build a community—but unique niche is key
• 04:19 — How to choose the right topic and make it sticky
• 05:51 — Offline community elements (Orange Theory Fitness example)
• 07:37 — Strategies for boosting engagement & defining culture
• 09:10 — Where companies go wrong (monetization focus)
• 13:15 — How/why large communities implode—interchangeability of platforms
• 15:05 — Metrics for healthy communities
• 17:17 — Case Study: Internet Brands
• 19:43 — Case Study: Quora vs. Yahoo Answers
• 21:09 — Choosing/building platforms (VBulletin, BuddyPress, WordPress)
• 23:46 — Piggybacking on existing social networks—pros and cons
• 25:17 — Paid promotion: When and how to use it
• 27:10 — Managing rapid growth: moderation and organic evolution

Conclusion

Arjun Jolly distills more than a decade of community-building wisdom into practical advice: start with passion and a clear niche, deliver authentic value, encourage engagement through culture and moderation, and don’t rush to monetize. Platform choice matters, but long-term success lies in ongoing commitment to user benefit and the organic evolution of the community.

For further reading or to contact the guest, visit:
adquadrant.com or email arjun@adquadrant.com