????開過博客的人肯定都知道，最多只需一個小時就可以建好個人空間，然后便可以開始和全世界分享我們的高見。但談到打造一個能吸引人們定期訪問并有所貢獻的空間，我們中的大多數人可能都做不到，這也情有可原。因為它實在太困難了。

????很多優秀的公司和組織都已建起了自己的網絡社區。有些效果很好，有些則不怎么樣。

????以美國退休人員協會（AARP）為例，這個組織的網站的確提供了會員權益、組織倡議等方面大量的免費信息，但它同時也為會員提供了參與這個網絡社區的機會，與志同道合的人建立起聯系。起初，參與者們只是互相交流看法和信息。任何人，無論是否是會員，都可以注冊并加入到“退休規劃”、“老年創業”等具體的話題小組，也可以新建一個群組。

????隨著參與者之間的關系進一步深化，他們開始從對話轉為線下活動。比方說，美國退休人員協會某個群組內的單身旅行者已從互相交流旅行經驗發展到共同規劃行程。在這個階段，他們已不是隨機組合，而是互相協作。

????如今，“網絡社區”這個詞往往用得比較寬泛，可以包括任何匯聚客戶或受眾的網站，即使參與者對社區并沒有貢獻，參與者之間也沒什么互動。我們這里所說的“網絡社區”指的是那些擁有強大生態系統的網站，公司能組織、培養這些生態系統。這些網絡社區的良好運行離不開參與人數的不斷增加以及參與者之間廣泛而持續的互動。

????公司為什么要重視這些網絡社區呢？一個原因是這些社區可以提升公司客戶關系產生的價值，并能幫助延長客戶關系的壽命。但是，從更廣泛的層面上來講，網絡社區可以成為很有價值的工具，幫助了解客戶使用公司產品和服務的情況，以及需要做什么樣的改進或調整才有意義。很多公司為了取得重點人群的意見反饋都不惜重金，但虛擬社區不正是全天候活躍的重點人群嗎？

????打造一個有效的虛擬社區絕非易事。最重要的是要深入了解潛在社區成員尚未得到滿足的需要，而不是僅僅把它當作一個營銷的機會。因此，無怪乎雖然有那么多人嘗試打造這樣的社區，但成功者寥寥無幾。

????很多公司聘請像LiveWorld這樣的咨詢公司來建立和管理它們的網絡社區。例如，十年前EBay把網絡供應商們聚到一起建了一個群組，鼓勵它們交流組織拍賣、打造網絡業務的成功之道。如今，它已發展成為一個成熟的社區，人們可以在這里討論家庭、工作和其他興趣愛好等等。

????As anyone who has started their own blog certainly knows, it takes all of an hour (if that) to create your very own space to share your most brilliant ponderings for the entire world to see. But when it comes to building a space online that people want to visit regularly and contribute to, well, most of us never get there, and for good reason. It's really hard.

????Plenty of smart companies and organizations have put together their own online communities. Some are pulling this off brilliantly; others, not so much.

????Take AARP, for example. True, the organization's website has a sizable amount of free information on member benefits and its advocacy work. But AARP also offers members the opportunity to participate in an online community where they can connect with others who have common interests. At first, participants share ideas and information with each other. Anyone, member or not, can register to join topic-specific groups such as "retirement planning" and "seniors as entrepreneurs" or start a new group.

????As participants' relationships deepen, they begin to move from a conversation to actually working together. For example, single travelers in one AARP group have moved from exchanging tips to planning trips together. At this stage, they are not randomly connecting but collaborating.

????The term "online community" is often used loosely and includes any sites that aggregate customers or an audience even though there is very little contribution by the participants or interaction among them. We use the term in a much more specific way, to highlight a potentially very powerful form of ecosystem that businesses can organize and nurture. These communities require extensive and sustained interaction among a growing number of participants to function well.

????Why should companies care about these online communities? For one, they can increase the value derived from, and the lifespan of, a company's customer relationships. But more broadly, online communities can become valuable tools to understand how customers use a company's products or services and what kinds of improvements or changes might make sense. Companies pay a lot for focus groups and yet virtual communities represent a kind of 24-7 focus group.

????Building an effective virtual community is no simple task. Most importantly, it requires a deep understanding of the unmet needs of potential community members rather than simply approaching it as a marketing opportunity for the company. It is no wonder that so many have tried to create these communities and yet so few have succeeded.

????Many companies hire consultants like LiveWorld to build and moderate their communities. EBay (EBAY), for example, started a group a decade ago by bringing together online vendors and encouraging them to exchange tips on running auctions and how to build successful online businesses. It has since grown into a full-blown community where people talk personally about their families, work, and other interests.