Community Building Tips

What if the best networking strategy had nothing to do with “networking” at all? Back in 2014, I started a group called “Delhi Internet Mafia”. To learn from and share insights with founders based out of Delhi. I would cold email founders to show up for the catchup. Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm showed up for one of them. I remember being blown away by his energy, his ambition and his clarity. We stayed in touch. A few years later, Paytm invested in my startup nearbuy. If it weren’t for that group, we may have never raised money from Paytm. 3 ways to build genuine relationships: 1/ Do not try to impress. Be impressed. People can see through your attempts to impress them. But what people can truly be attracted to is your interest in them. Genuine interest. 2/ Engage meaningfully. If engaging offline, ask questions out of pure curiosity. To truly understand. If engaging online, don’t just comment “Great post!” - add insight or ask smart questions. 3/ Give before you ask. That could be sharing feedback on their work, amplifying their content, or connecting them to someone useful. You can never fail with authenticity and trust.

In a world where attention is fleeting and virtual fatigue is real, how can you successfully host online events? Here are 9 essentials to keep in mind: 1. Start with a Compelling Opening Your opening should grab attention, set the tone, build anticipation and give people a reason to stay. 2. Make Eye Contact Look directly into the camera to create a sense of connection. If you're using a teleprompter or script, keep it at eye level to maintain that engagement. 3. Mind Your Facial Expression People are paying close attention to your face. They can see when you’re smiling, or when you appear bored, upset, or frustrated. Be conscious of your expression. 4. Manage Your Energy Your energy drives the entire experience. If you seem disengaged or flat, your audience will tune out. 5. Build Emotional Connections Use personal stories, relatable examples, and analogies. These human elements help your message resonate on a deeper level. 6. Engage the Audience Make your audience part of the experience. Use polls, Q&A, or chat prompts to keep them actively involved. 7. Be Clear and Concise Attention spans online are shorter. Get to the point quickly, and use clear language. 8. Use Visual Aids and Multimedia Use images, short videos, graphics, and animations that support your message. However, don’t overload your slides with text. 9. Check Your Tech Setup Poor lighting, audio, camera quality, or an unstable internet connection can lead to frustration and reduced participation. Test in advance. Hope this helps. I’m Temi Badru, a professional event MC for physical, virtual, and hybrid events. I also train individuals and teams in public speaking and effective communication. #temibadru #voicesandfaces #eventhost #mc #moderator #speaker #events

It’s not about collecting business cards or follower counts. It’s about building bridges with people who get it - who challenge you, inspire you, and open doors you didn’t know existed. The right network doesn’t just grow your career - it expands your mindset, your confidence, and your opportunities. Here are 12 ways to build powerful, authentic connections: 1️⃣ Lead with curiosity. Ask, don’t pitch. People love being seen and heard. 2️⃣ Add value first. Share insights, introductions, or encouragement before asking for anything. 3️⃣ Show up consistently. Comment, engage, and participate where your industry hangs out. 4️⃣ Find your communities. Join professional groups, Slack channels, or niche forums. 5️⃣ Attend events strategically. Go where your next mentor, collaborator, or client might actually be. 6️⃣ Follow up. A short, thoughtful message can turn a conversation into a relationship. 7️⃣ Be generous with your expertise. Give more than you take - it builds reputation fast. 8️⃣ Don’t chase status. The best opportunities often come from peers, not big titles. 9️⃣ Stay authentic. Pretending to be someone you’re not is the fastest way to disconnect. 1️⃣0️⃣ Keep it human. Share stories, not sales pitches. 1️⃣1️⃣ Support others publicly. Celebrate others’ wins - it builds goodwill that lasts. 1️⃣2️⃣ Play the long game. Relationships compound like interest; nurture them with time. The truth? You’re one conversation away from a completely different path. Image credit: Tim Stoddart

Being "the new girl" is genuinely one of the sh*ttiest feelings ever. Too many female founder communities get this SO wrong ↴ Most female founders I know who've joined online or IRL communities experienced this: Ya know that feeling when you walk into a room and everyone's already mid-conversation? They're hugging to say hello, already have their little groups, have inside jokes you don’t understand And you're just… standing there 🫠 👉🏼 In those moments, that feeling of founder loneliness you're trying to solve is actually the MOST amplified it's EVER been It's genuinely SO sh*t. Even in online communities this happens. No wonder people are hesitant!!! When I see rooms photos of rooms filled with people and group calls with 100s of faces it takes me straight back to that feeling of being the outsider again 🥲 Lots of communities optimise for more members (= more revenue ofc) but they forget that every new member is someone standing in a room full of strangers. 👉🏼 That can be lowkey traumatising if they're not looked after with the care they deserve 🥺 As a digital nomad moving countries all the time, I've been "the new girl" in more rooms than I can count. So in Journee Girls Club, me and ALL the girls make sure nobody EVER has to experience that feeling 🫶🏻 I always describe the difference in feeling like this: ❌ Joining some communities = YOUR first day of school Everyone knows each other & has their little group, you wish you could disappear into a hole lol vs. Joining Journee Girls Club = EVERYONE'S first day of school ✅ It’s exciting, you’re meeting lots of different people, everyone’s in the same boat and WANTS to make friends as well Ofc LOTS of community leaders do "welcome/ onboarding" for new members, bit of a spiel, bit of orientation! But the BIGGEST indicator to me of whether you’ve formed a REAL community: ↳ How CURRENT members show up to welcome new people 💜🥹 In Journee Girls Club, we have set times where new girls can join for this EXACT reason: 🥳 We throw a proper welcome PARTY and our current girlies join too - coz they're SO excited and make a real effort to meet their new friends!! So there’s no clique-y vibes and no awkward silences. & I’m always SO proud to hear that so many OG girls have already arranged one-to-one calls with the new girls and started real friendships from day one 🥹 (I don’t ask them to do this - it’s just the kinda girls they are!!!) 👉🏼 Within 2 weeks, "the new girls" are just "the girls" like everyone else THAT really is Journee Girl coded 🥹 the overlap of girlhood x business ✨ … and it’s the best business friendship group in the world!! 💜 So, if you're currently building a community, ask yourself: - Are you optimising for members or connections? - How does joining feel to someone who knows nobody? - How invested are your existing members in welcoming new ones? Because that's the REAL measure of community culture imo!!! 💜

You don’t need to attend awkward networking events to build connections. Here are 10 ways to network online (from your couch) to land your dream job, mentorship or just to stay in touch: 1. Start with warm calls, not cold DMs Reaching out to strangers is intimidating. So, begin with people you already admire or respect: past colleagues, old classmates, mentors, or anyone you’ve gotten value from. Reach out, share your goals, ask for advice, or simply reconnect. — 2. Build (or join) a 3-6 person mastermind Invite people you admire to check in monthly or quarterly. Ask 3 simple questions in each meeting: • What’s your biggest win? • What’s your biggest challenge? • How can we help each other? This becomes your personal board of advisors, and their networks become yours, too. — 3. Make intros within your own network Instead of always trying to add new people, try connecting two people you already know. It builds goodwill, and often sparks reciprocity. Some of my best opportunities came from introductions I made first. — 4. Be the tortoise, not the hare Strong networks aren’t built in a week. They come from consistency, trust, and staying top of mind. Check in. Celebrate small wins. Be helpful, even without asking for anything.  — 5. Send snail mail Want to stand out in a sea of LinkedIn messages? Send a handwritten card or even a fun comic with a note. The person will always remember your “extra” effort. — 6. Elevate the interaction • Only chatted with someone online? Try a call. • Had a few calls? Try a Zoom meeting. • Know them over Zoom? Meet up in person. Each upgrade strengthens the connection. — 7. Pick one platform to dominate Instead of being everywhere, go deep somewhere. For example, if it’s LinkedIn: • Endorse people • Write thoughtful comments • Share niche insights your network actually values   This depth pays off more than shallow visibility. — 8. Curate, don’t just connect Curate the best insights, tools, or articles in your niche, and share them regularly. You’ll become a trusted source people keep coming back or referring to. — 9. Do something fun together Shared activities build bonds. This could be as simple as playing a game, joining a sweepstakes, or co-hosting a webinar.  People remember who made them feel something. — 10. Swipe right (yes, really) Apps like Shapr or Invitly are designed for warm outreach — you match with people who want to meet others. It’s cold networking without the awkwardness. Networking isn’t about pitching. It’s about planting seeds. Start with one person. Reach out. Reconnect.  Then keep showing up, helping others, and making connections that count.

The legendary Ali Abdaal asked me to coach him on creating a high-value community membership. Here's what I told him: 1️⃣ Emphasize the initial experience The initial experience after a new member swipes their credit card is crucial for creating a positive perception. 2️⃣ Slow Growth is GOOD in community Slow growth actually helps with integrating and retaining community members because you can offer more personalized support. 3️⃣ The power of a No-Sell Selling Approach I like to take a no-sell selling approach because the power of honest testimonials and compelling case studies can do the selling for you. 4️⃣ Recurring revenue requires recurring value If you want recurring revenue from memberships, you need to offer recurring value that aligns with your members' incentives and expectations. If you stop providing new value, there's no reason to renew. 5️⃣ Invest in onboarding When someone buys something, their first question is, "Now what do I do to get the value out of this?" An effective onboarding experience addresses the 'now what' question by introducing members to the community through personalized interactions and training. 6️⃣ Niche communities are easier to sell Standing out is just as hard with communities as it is with content. The more specific you can be in what you promise to deliver in your membership, the easier it will be to get buy in. 7️⃣ Transformation is the key Transformation is a key value proposition in a community. But it's the connection and a sense of identity that makes people stick around. – If you liked this, follow me (Jay Clouse) for more! If you REALLY want to get good at membership building, listen to our full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/ecTNgrxJ

People ask me all the time how to network. Here’s a short, tactical guide on how to actually do it - grounded in real data, real results, and 3,500+ jobs found through relationships. 🎯 The #1 misconception Networking is not: “Let me ask you for a job.” It is: “Let me have a real, human moment with someone in this industry.” ✅ What actually works This is how you build meaningful professional relationships - the kind that lead to real opportunities: 1️⃣ Be around. Events, Discords, social posts, games projects, ticket giveaways, community coaching - just show up. Start by being visible. Over time, become memorable for the right reasons. 2️⃣ Don’t pitch. Connect. Ask questions. Be genuinely curious. You’re planting seeds, not harvesting. This takes months and years. There are not shortcuts to building real relationships. 3️⃣ Look sideways, not up. A junior colleague can often help you more than a C-level exec. Build trust, first, with people at your level or just above it. 4️⃣ Follow up like a human. Send messages that matter: “Just played [X] - loved the level design.” “Your GDC talk really stuck with me - thank you.” “Noticed you moved from QA to design - would love to hear how.” 5️⃣ Give before you get. Share insights, leave helpful comments, support others’ work - anything that builds trust and makes you recognizable. 6️⃣ Say hi when there’s nothing to gain. That’s the best time. No stakes, no pressure - it’s when real relationships start. 7️⃣ Don’t just “shoot your shot.” ❌❌❌❌❌ Never reach out with “Can you get me a job?” That closes doors, fast. Lead with curiosity and conversation, not a transactional, cold ask. 🔥 If I wanted to be provocative… I’d say this: Applying to jobs without connective tissue is very inefficient. Particularly for early career and more senior folks. Instead of asking, “What should I apply to?” - ask, “Where can I build a relationship?” Posting about hundreds of applications is understandable, but it misses the point. Focus on how many real connections you’ve made - then work backward to the right applications. 🧠 Avoid the Dream Company Trap Too many people focus only on the one studio they love - and end up pinging the same five people as everyone else. I always ask: Where do I already have network strength? Where can I go that everybody else isn’t going? We track 3,000+ game studios. 1,000+ of them hire. Go outside the top 50. 🪜 Think in ladders and sidesteps Instead of aiming straight at your target studio, look at who owns that studio. Think conglomerates. Think sister teams. Adjacent verticals. 📊 The data backs it up. Across our community: Cold apps: ~1–2% yield Apps with any warm connection: 10–20x+ better odds 🧭 The shift is simple Spend more time building bridges than sending résumés. Relationships are the infrastructure of hiring. Build that first. The first thing I ask anyone who's stuck is: Are you spending 80%+ of your effort building relationships? If not, do that.

We're living through a striking moment: for the first time, businesses are not only seen as more competent than NGOs - they're now viewed as more ethical. Translation: mission no longer earns you automatic trust. For development practitioners, this means rethinking everything from first principles: how you enter communities, structure partnerships, and communicate impact. What's driving this: As I discussed with Justin Blake from Edelman, we're seeing coordinated campaigns - anti-vax, anti-DEI, ESG backlash, climate skepticism - systematically reshaping public perception of NGOs. These aren't random. They're strategic, connected, and effective. The operational shift: - In today’s world, people are retreating into "insular" trust circles - they only trust those who think/look/believe like them - This means: trust brokering (facilitating connections across difference) matters more than trust inheritance (i.e. assuming your logo carries weight) - Communities increasingly trust programs that deliver on outcomes they've identified - not ones predetermined by strategies developed elsewhere What this might look like in practice: - Investing in long-term local relationships over short-term programmatic visibility - Letting communities see you working across difference - not just showing up to serve them - Building coalitions with unlikely partners to demonstrate you can navigate competing interests and perspectives - Showing up consistently in ways that matter to communities, not just donors The question isn't whether NGOs reclaim moral authority. It's whether they’re willing to build legitimacy the hard way: through sustained local presence and measurable outcomes. #NGOs #GlobalDevelopment #Trust

Community-led growth is emerging as perhaps the most powerful, flexible and accessible growth lever right now. The CLG flywheel helps you turn customers into champions, and champions into growth. My next guest, mallory contois (Mercury, Cameo, Pinterest) harnessed this flywheel to turn a passion project -- a community called The Old Girls Club -- into a $300k ARR side hustle with a $0 CAC. Here's how she did it & how you can, too. Don't miss the full story in today's Growth Unhinged newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e3zhVdDm 1️⃣ Hone your unique POV Your community needs to be interesting in format, function or fashion. Nobody needs yet another Slack or WhatsApp group that they immediately mute. At The Old Girls Club, Mallory's insight was that as you become more senior, you have fewer peers, and even fewer of those peers are women. That's the problem she set out to address. 2️⃣ Attract early champions Don't focus on scale, focus on alignment. You need your first believers. There are future collaborators and super users. At The Old Girls Club, Mallory started with ~75 women who'd expressed interest in the space. This quickly ballooned to ~1,000 members in 60 days. The tactics: Private beta invites, 1:1 outreach, thought leader meetups, landing pages & waitlists 3️⃣ Enable contribution Once you've built trust and rapport, open the door to participation. Invite early champions to co-create the product, the culture and the behaviors. Mallory curated her Slack space with 6 specific threads, all with a purpose. The most unconventional: yell-in-caps-here (😂). This was a last minute follow-her-gut add, but would turn out to become one of OGC’s pillars of success. The tactics: Creator tools, content prompts & templates, feature voting, focus groups 4️⃣ Repeat to create the new wave The visible and in-public momentum pulls in the next wave of superusers. Each cycle gets easier as your champion base grows & self-sustains. Mallory was nervous about being the only one with eyes on potential joiners, so she spun up member-referrals, adding a public element and additional accountability to referrals that were made. The tactics: Product-led shareables, social loops, invite & onboarding rituals, referral processes & programs 5️⃣ Reward & amplify Shine a light on those who contribute, adopt, advocate and amplify. Social recognition fuels retention, loyalty, sharing and viral growth. At The Old Girls Club, Mallory uses Memberful for subscription management, Disco for new member onboarding, MeetWaves to archive chats, Trova to create rich member profiles, and Curated Connections to help members match with others. The tactics: Community badges or titles, leaderboards & streaks, shoutouts and rewards & loyalty programs --- Hope y'all enjoy this framework (& story) as much as I did 🙏

A BIG follower count looks impressive. But followers don’t pay the bills 🤷🏻♀️ High numbers ≠ revenue. Why? Because followers don’t always translate to trust. That’s the difference between having an audience or a community. An AUDIENCE listens. But they’re passive. They consume your content and move on. A COMMUNITY? They engage. They connect. They show up for you. Audiences might watch from the sidelines. Communities take action. They invest. They stick around. And here’s the key difference: Communities are built on shared values, not just content. If you’re struggling to monetise, it might not be about growing your follower count. It’s about deepening your relationships. So, how do you build a community on LinkedIn? 1. Start conversations, not monologues. Ask questions. Invite opinions. Respond to comments with thought and care. 2. Be authentic. Share your wins and your challenges. Vulnerability creates connection. 3. Engage outside your posts. Comment on other people’s content. Join relevant discussions. Be present where your audience is. 4. Create shared value. Offer insights, solve problems, and share ideas that help your network grow. 5. Highlight others. Celebrate their wins. Share their content. Show that you care about their journey. 6. Be consistent. Communities thrive on trust, and trust is built by showing up regularly over time. 7. Take it offline. Meetups, coffee chats, or webinars. Bring your LinkedIn network into real-life connections. A handshake or face-to-face conversation builds bonds no algorithm can replicate. Communities aren’t built overnight. They grow when you focus on connection over attention. Because people don’t just buy products or services. They buy trust. They buy relationships. When you build a community, you don’t just have followers. You have advocates. Supporters. Friends. That’s the real game-changer. PS: Do you have an audience or a community?