Nowadays, communities have become a cornerstone of user engagement, being the core for generating trends and interactions. This tutorial will focus on the world of online communities, mainly on when should we apply a particular type of community.
We will explore how these powerful tools can be used to create vibrant spaces for users to connect, share, and engage. We will also discuss the different types of communities — public and private, and how they can be tailored to fit various use case scenarios.
Furthermore, we will delve into the Community Post Settings, providing a comprehensive guide on how to manage and moderate content within your communities. Whether you’re looking to foster a more engaged user base or simply want to enhance your app’s user experience, this guide will provide you with the knowledge and tools to successfully implement and manage online communities.
Pre-requisites
Before we dive into the details, let’s go over the pre-requisites for this tutorial:
- An Amity Social Cloud Portal account
- An ASC Console Account
- A UI or access to Amity Social Cloud UI Kits
Note: If you haven’t already registered for an Amity account, we recommend following our comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to create your new network.
Step 1: Understanding the Power of Communities
Communities provide users with a dedicated space to discuss specific topics or interests, enabling them to connect with like-minded individuals and build deeper relationships within the community. By providing a structured and organized approach to community engagement, communities can help to foster a more engaged and supportive community, promoting greater participation and collaboration among users.
Step 2: Choosing the Right Community Type
Amity Social Cloud provides two types of communities: public and private. A public community is visible to anyone, promoting open discussion and wide participation. On the other hand, a private community offers a more controlled environment, where content and membership are strictly moderated. Depending on your use case, you can choose the type of community that best fits your needs and preferences.
Step 3: Managing Community Post Settings
Community Post Settings is a powerful tool that allows community creators and moderators to control who can create posts within a community and how those posts are moderated. There are three possible options: <span id="greylight" class="greylight">anyoneCanPost</span>, <span id="greylight" class="greylight">adminReviewPostRequired</span>, and <span id="greylight" class="greylight">onlyAdminCanPost</span>.
By default, the <span id="greylight" class="greylight">postSettings</span> value is set to <span id="greylight" class="greylight">anyoneCanPost</span>, allowing all members to contribute to the community feed without any review from the admin. All of these settings are part of Amity Social Cloud's features.
Step 4: Customizing Your Community
Amity Social Cloud allows you to customize your community to fit your specific needs. You can set the community name, avatar, description, and tags. You can also specify whether the community is official, public, and whether only admins can post. Additionally, you can add custom fields using the <span id="greylight" class="greylight">metadata</span> property.
Step 5: Monitoring Your Community
Amity Social Cloud provides several properties to help you monitor your community. You can check the number of posts and members, whether the community is joined, and whether it has been deleted. You can also check the date/time when the community was created or updated, and whether any post within the community has been reported.
Use Case Scenarios
Let’s delve into two specific scenarios where public and private communities can be utilized effectively.
Public Community Scenario: A Community for Gamers
Imagine you’re developing a mobile game and you want to create a space where all players can share their experiences, tips, and tricks. A public community would be the perfect fit for this scenario. It allows any player to join, fostering a sense of inclusivity and wide participation. Players can freely share their game strategies, ask for advice, and even organize in-game events. The <span id="greylight" class="greylight">anyoneCanPost</span> setting can be used to encourage all members to contribute to the community feed.
Private Community Scenario: A Community for Beta Testers
On the other hand, suppose you’re about to release a new feature and you want to gather feedback from a select group of beta testers. A private community would be ideal for this purpose. Only invited members can see and interact with the content, ensuring that discussions and feedback are kept confidential. The <span id="greylight" class="greylight">adminReviewPostRequired</span> setting can be used to moderate the posts, ensuring that only relevant and constructive feedback is included in the community feed.
Final Thoughts
Online communities are a powerful tool for fostering user engagement and enhancing the user experience. With Amity Social Cloud’s Community feature, you can create vibrant communities where users can connect, share, and engage.
By choosing the right community type, managing post settings, customizing your community, and monitoring its progress, you can harness the power of communities to create a more dynamic and engaging app. If you are ready to discuss further social experiences and explore having a customised social environment feel free to contact Amity!