LinkedIn's groups provide the potential for informal communities that can pose a challenge to membership organisations.
What is the best way to respond to this challenge and how can membership organisations give their members the experience they expect?
For many membership organisations, there are very good reasons for wanting forums on their own websites rather than using LinkedIn.
Some membership organisations have very successful vibrant online forums. Some other organisations I come across have spent a significant amount of money without any meaningful take up.
A big thank you to the presenters at last night's event Your Organisation in their Hands. It was an excellent evening which I really enjoyed. I was particularly interested in the presentation by Steve Dale and his practical advice regarding the development of online Communities of Practice (CoP).
This seminar looked at the challenges and opportunities of user generated content.
The level of engagement with user generated content across the third sector is highly varied. Some organisations have thriving online communities, others have made costly investments which have failed to live up to expectations, and some have yet to dip their toes into this area.