In the current era, almost every organization has an online community that fosters engagement, conversations, and innovation. However, to ensure that these conversations continue and your business reaps the benefits, you need to have a well-planned strategy. This is where online community management plays a crucial role.

Online community management is the practice of developing effective strategies that encourage member engagement and generate a positive ROI. But what changes can we expect in this field in the coming year? Let's explore the future of community management and examine the predictions for 2023.

What are the upcoming trends?

To effectively serve their businesses and communities, community managers must anticipate the future of the digital landscape. While new technologies are constantly emerging, community management is ultimately about fostering communities, not just relying on the latest tools or trends.

Increasingly, organizations are recognizing themselves as communities, and effective community management involves both internal and external strategies. As conversations between users and customers become more immediate and intimate, community managers must relinquish some control and empower users to participate in decision-making. In this way, digital communities will become more collaborative.

Some businesses are already leveraging social platforms to involve their consumers in key decisions. For example, LEGO has established an online community called LEGO Ideas, where customers can contribute set ideas and improve the product development cycle. This approach values user opinions builds highly engaged communities, and humanizes businesses. As community managers innovate and build their audiences. A focus on immediacy and intimacy will continue to be important.

Trends of 2023

1.Augmented Reality (AR) & Location for Community Management

In order to create online communities that are prepared for the future, incorporating augmented reality (AR) and location-based features can be a valuable strategy. By using AR, community managers can create a more immersive experience that connects members regardless of their location.

This approach will allow brands to engage with their loyal members on a global scale, providing opportunities to gamify their experiences and attract new members. Overall, the integration of AR and location-based features has the potential to revolutionize community management and enhance member engagement.

2.Automation for Community Management

To maintain a positive and user-friendly environment in an online community, content, and conversation moderation are crucial. One effective way to achieve this is by leveraging automation tools.

By utilizing tools like Google Analytics, Bitly, and Buffer, community managers can set up automated replies and responses to community posts, allowing them to focus on other tasks while keeping the engagement in the community ongoing.

As communities continue to evolve and establish stronger connections with their members, automation is becoming an essential aspect of community management. It enables community managers to analyze data and develop strategies that cater to the needs of their audience.

3.AI-Enabled Communities for Real-Time Assistance

As an emerging technology, AI has impressive capabilities and its market value is predicted to reach $190.61 billion by 2025. With the evolution of customer interaction and their increasing need for instant and personalized support, the implementation of conversational AI in online communities can prove to be beneficial. It is estimated that AI will power 95% of customer interactions by 2025. Therefore, incorporating AI into community management strategies for 2023 is a wise choice.

4.Gamification for Community Engagement

Incorporating gamification in your online community can have a positive impact on engagement as it makes members feel appreciated for their contributions. By recognizing their efforts, community managers can incentivize participation and keep their community lively. Building a strong connection with active community members is crucial for community managers, as meeting their needs and expectations can help foster trust and credibility while reducing marketing costs.

The key takeaway from trends

Community managers must maintain their successful strategies for highly engaged communities while also adapting to new trends in order to succeed with their online communities.

• Data is important, but value metrics are priority
• Technology alone isn’t the answer
• Provide consistent resources to meet the goals of your community 

In Summary

Do you have any other key takeaway from trends that you’d like to share? Or have any of these ideas worked well for you? If so, let me know! Meanwhile, you can visit our NbliK community and become a member of that free of cost.