So, you are “in” when it comes to building community? You’ve got the tools.

Now, the strategy (Note: I’m splitting “strategy into two posts – setup & ongoing communication & engagement. So, now it’ll be a 4 part series)…

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First things first: define your lifestyle community.

That could be equestrian, dirt biking, classic cars, your local sports team (#Seahawks), extreme sports, yoga, surfing, Harly-Davidson’s, wine, modern, or any other lifestyle a large percentage of your clients care deeply about.

If your client base isn’t centered around a particular “lifestyle”, then it goes without saying building a lifestyle community is likely not a strategy you should focus on.

Setting it All Up

1. Write a Manifesto about what it MEANS to be in your private lifestyle community, and upload it as a “document” within your Facebook group.

Ensure all members who join the group read it.

[Update: Here is a sample manifesto]

2. Add your past clients into a private Facebook community, geared around the lifestyle preference you defined above. You could create multiple communities, depending on how many different distinct lifestyles you serve – but I’d strongly caution against this until you really nail one.

Do NOT add/invite every one you know to the group (the invite will likely be ignored). Talk to each person, explain the vision for the group, get their by-in, and THEN invite them. Focus on ensuring that being in your private community actually means something. You want active participants, not lifeless bodies who never show up.

3. Get everyone to join your mailing list, with the expectation & explanation that you will NOT waste their time with marketing or promotions.

For larger brokerages or franchises that take the added step of building a private member showcase (beyond just the Facebook group’s member page) to segment people by geography, your email system should be connected to it. You shouldn’t require your community members join two separate systems. The right member showcase platform/offering, should let you easily email your members by geography (ie send message X to everyone within 20 miles of Carlsbad, CA).

4. Interview, or “catch up”, with everyone in the group. In person, if at all possible. Figure out what they need/want, and what they are well positioned to help others with.

Take tedious notes, and put each person’s respective needs and haves in a spreadsheet.

That’s all you need to do to lay the ground work for your lifestyle community.

Next up? The ongoing communication strategy that will lead to an engaged community.

Note: This is part of a 4 part series on the topic of “Turning Clients into Lifestyle Communities”