“If you want to go quickly, go alone if you want to go far, go tother”- African Proverb

In an age where technology remains dominant and is taking over, it is a must for a person to dwell in a well-built community that he can rely upon without a hinge of doubt. The size of a community is a weighing factor in determining the potential community. Still, it is far from behind in being the ultimate factor that decides the fate of a community.

 The size of the community is the make-or-break factor that is quite the debate, particularly in today's situation. The rise of communities has also increased the size, structure, and intent of the communities.

Though small communities come with the benefit of providing transparency and clarity in the division of work, big-sized communities have the privilege of being sophisticated and more professional. There are pros and cons on both sides. Let us walk you through a brief analysis of these communities and draw a clear picture of the same.

 Small-sized Communities 

A community that ideally consists of up to ten people comes under the 'small-sized community' category.

So, what would be the main advantages and back draws of working as a small community? 

Small communities are easy to manage as the number is less and the work structure is clear. Their culture is ideal, with the right shaping and more attention to detail. So, the relationship between the community and its core members is quite strong.

But, on the other side of it, 

The growth in small communities is slow as the number of working people in a community is less, and there are lesser resources. There is always a downside if the right people are not chosen

Large-sized communities 

Usually consists of a herd of members with more than 500 contributing monthly. The main kickstart of holding large communities is the high engagement, with a huge number weighing in and a high participation rate because of established content management.

 But, at times because of the bigger number, the community can become a crowd and lead to a 'Too many cooks spoil the broth situation.  The management can also be risky, and finding the right people for community-led events can also be a hassle.

Now that we know about the varying sizes of a community, we need to understand that communities are so much more than just numbers and estimations. Size doesn't matter in a society as long as the members have great potential.

Drawing a line of comparison between the Audience and the Community

If you have 500+ members in your community and still not reaching the growing aspects, it is time to rethink the size.

Bigger size ≠ Strong community.

There is a difference between building community members and building an audience. If your community is filled with the latter, it is high time to restructure it and convert the audience into community members.

So, what are an audience and community?

 The audience provides direct one-way communication, unlike the community members defined by their interaction with the community. There is no P2P interaction in the audience; they are just present to consume the content in a community. 

 A community, on the contrary, is defined by a P2P interaction, and there is strong two-way communication.

 So, as a no-brainer, building a community> building an audience if you are someone looking for long-term development.

But, the bigger question here is how you convert the audience into a community.

 First, don't focus on the size or any other number estimations to define a community. Focus on the quality of the organizational development a community offers. Size automatically results if the actual parameters are given importance. 

If a community can be measured in terms of layers, content can hold the topmost layer without providing a benefit of the doubt. So, transitioning from an audience to a successful community relies on the content churned out from the community. You also need to understand that there is no black-or-white situation here. Building a community also means that you are creating content on the roadblock. There is a close line of relationship between creating content and communities.

There is no perfect community or any one factor that can decide the fate of a community. Running a community is more along the lines of running a business, if not more. And business is tricky, as there are a lot of fluctuations and moving parts that are constantly evolving. What truly matters is the quality of connections and the network that is included inside the community.

Conclusion 

Yes, the community's size matters only until the defined 'size' brings value to the community.

 We understand that you are probably worried about the difficulty of establishing a solid community. Though it may sound like a ‘hassle’ to you, we at Nblik are here to help you. Reach out to us without any delay, and we will hope to be of your best assistance and guide you through the roadmap of building strong communities.