The seven myths about creating a brand community are:

1. It is a marketing strategy.
2. It exists to serve the business
3. Build it and they will come
4. Communities “should be love-fests for faithful brand advocates.”
5. “Opinion leaders build strong communities.”
6. “Online social networks are the key to a community strategy”
7. The best communities are restricted and overseen

The seven realities about creating a brand community are:

1. It is a business strategy
2. It exist to serve the people in it
3. If you build it and the brand will be solid
4. Communities have disputes among users..deal with it
5. The best communities encourages everyone to participate
6. They are only part of the pie not the whole pie
7. Communities are inherently hard to control

If you are considering creating a community for your website consider the above realities carefully before you proceed. Once a community is released it’s an organic creation that you can’t take back.

Don’t create a community just because everyone else seems to be doing it.

Shelley-Ann West, Guest Blogger
Download the mindmap of myths and realities: Does Your Website Really Need A Community?