Step-By-Step Guide on How To Start An Engaged Group Online
With the advancements in technology, it has become easier to connect with our family and friends online. Gone are the days when the only form of contact in the digital world was through emails. The social media boom has made it easier to stay connected, even while on the move. Whether it is about reconnecting with school batchmates, old friends, or family, online groups can prove to be very useful. This article will help you in creating an online group, which can be used for a variety of purposes. We will explore alternatives to Facebook groups and look into the ways of creating an engaged group online.

Platforms for Starting Online Groups
There are basically two main categories of platforms for creating online group forums – Free and Owned.
1. Free Platforms: These platforms consist of social media platforms like Facebook, which offer great features for creating an online group. These platforms come with a built-in audience since they are free and the users are already present there. For creating a group, all you have to do is bring the users together using the Facebook group feature. Some Facebook groups alternatives in this category of platforms consist of Slack, Discourse, Quora, LinkedIn, and a few others. The main disadvantage of free platforms is that you are dependent on the algorithm of the platform, which often changes quite frequently.
2. Owned Platforms: These platforms are like online community forums, and they are usually owned by a brand. The owned platforms offer all the benefits of the social media platform, but it gives much more control to the users. You can decide how you want to communicate with the group members. Owned platforms give you more control over the messaging, and you will be able to create a better experience for the group members. If you want a secure, private platform for holding preschool online gatherings or a family group celebration, then this is the best choice.
Now that you are familiar with the types of platforms, we will take you through the process of creating an engaged group online.
How to Create an Engaged Group Online
Step 1: Choosing a platform for the online group
Now that you are familiar with the types of platforms which are available for creating online groups, this part of the process becomes easy. Before choosing the platform, you need to determine the purpose of creating the group. Creating shared-interest groups like post graduate groups, schools groups, Harry Potter groups would allow people to connect and discuss their shared interests. Alternatively, you can consider creating informational groups. In these types of groups, members come and share their knowledge about a topic and give important inputs for completing a particular objective. For instance, you can create a group that discusses ideas about how to organize a wedding.
Step 2: Determine the objectives of the group
In order to create an engaged online community, you need to determine the objective of your online group beforehand. Consider the things you want out of the group. When you have a clear intention of starting a group, you will be able to drive the conversation in the right direction. When you create an online group, you want the group members to be actively engaged in the conversation and work towards achieving the objective. Thus, the purpose of the group should align with the intended goals.
Step 3: Create the core team
The next step is to decide the core team of the online forum or group. The core team will consist of those who will assist you in managing the online group. You can reach out to some chosen people (3 or 4) and inform them about starting a group. You can then ask them to share their bios and photos with you, which can then be added to the group support section later on. This core team will help you in managing the group effectively, and the group members can contact them in case of any issues.
Step 4: Set up the launch of the online group
Before launching the online group and sending out the invites, it is important to ensure that your core team is familiar with the platform you are using to start the group. You can provide a small walkthrough to the core team about the features of the online group and the manner in which you want it to function. This would be a good time to optimize the group page so that the people joining in can participate in the group actively.
Step 5: Launch your online group
Once you are satisfied with the setup and the workings of the group, you can launch the group and start inviting members to join in.
Conclusion
With this comprehensive guide, you will be able to create an engaging and focused online group on a platform of your choosing. The key is to keep the conversation flowing and ensure that every group member gets a chance to contribute to the group.