What motivates an online community? It’s a question that was born along with the creation of new media communication, and today I have some preliminary data to identify factors that appear in successful online communities. Please note that the results below are preliminary, and analysis will not yet be provided until atleast Dunbar’s Number (150) has been achieved for completed surveys. A brief analysis will then be presented to highlight what motivates an online community, and a full report will be developed for my communication graduate thesis.
The Community’s Motivation Structure (Figure 1) incorporates three communication theories to explain the phases and changes that a new member goes through when first introduced to an online community, and also shows Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs running parallel to these steps. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in coloration to community motivation will be defined later as well. Please note that the demographic information on the first page of the survey will be incorporated after achieving Dunbar’s number.
Basic definition of an online community: An online community is a long-lasting Web based portal for communication based on a general theme. Online communities consist of several different types of users including, but not limited to: Active Lurkers, Passive Lurkers, Free Members, Paid Members, Contributors, Power Users, Community Managers, and Community Architects.
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Questions? Email me or tweet me @TheJournalizer
More information: What is an online community
Community’s Motivation Structure
What Motivates an Online Community (Figure 1)
Preliminary Survey Data
Only the top three percentages will be listed for this preliminary milestone report. These items will be placed in graph form once Dunbar’s number has been achieved.
Q: Do the tools the community is built on influence how you participate in the community?
Results: Yes 90.9% – No: 9.1%
Q: Do you study or observe the way users communicate before contributing?
Results: Yes 57.4% – It depends on the community: 39.7% – No: 2.9%
Q: Do you prefer a well-structured community with enforced rules, or a community that relies on its members to enforce social rules?
Results: Members enforce the rules: 61.5% – Enforced Rules: 27.7% – *Other: 12.1%
*Other results: A middle ground, where there are basic rules and members enforce those and communally created ones, or a healthy mix between the two is preferred (majority choice).
Q: Does the integration of other popular social media sites into the community increase your potential to join or register to participate in the community?
Results: Yes: 49.2% – No: 50.8%
Further Results explained: Simple registration is sufficient, or easier to share content between sites (majority choice).
Q: When asking a question how much insight must you receive in order to continue asking the community?
Results: Just pointed in the right direction: 36.9% – Close to expert answers: 24.6% – Must be expert answers: 20%
Q: Do you prefer solid conversation or quick and easy answers?
Results: Ongoing discussions: 62.9% – Easy answers: 47.7%
Q: In the event of an earthquake or other act of nature what is the first social media site you would post to?
Results: Facebook: 53.8% -32.3% – None 4.6%
Q: What Community or Social Media Site brought participants to the survey?
Results: Twitter: 29.2% - Facebook: 26.1% – Reddit: 6.2%
Q: How many online communities are you a member of?
Results: 5 communities: 16.9% – 3 communities: 16.9% – 6 communities: 15.4%
Q: If you are note involved in an online community now, have you ever?
Results: Yes: 93.8% – No 6.3%
Q: Does the user interface of a community influence whether or not you contribute to it?
Results: Yes 92.3% – No: 7.7%
Q: Is it important that the community allows you to remain anonymous?
Results: It depends on the community: 47.7% – No: 33.3% – Yes: 19.7%
Q: Will you be more reluctant to participate in an online community if you must state your real name?
Results: It depends on the community: 63.1% – More reluctant: 24.6%
Q: If your friends are already contributing to a community does that make you more or less likely to get involved?
Results: More likely 87.7% – Less likely: 6.2% – My 30 cats can’t use the internet: 6.2%
Q: How important is it for members to dictate how the community is formed around them?
Results: It’s mostly up to the community: 35.4% – Combination: 30.8% – Completely up to the community: 24.6%
Q: When joining an online community how important is it to you that there are already active or ongoing discussions occurring?
Results: There should be active discussions: 33.8% – Neutral: 32.3% – There definitely has to be active discussions: 18.5%
Q: If you do share content, do you also contribute to the community discussions?
Results: Yes: 85.9% – No: 14.1%
Q: Have you ever created your own online community?
Results: No: 69.2% – 30.8%
Other notes – There is a split between people being apathetic about community achievements (majority choice), and those who would like to get them (10 percent different).
I am a Communications Marketing Specialist for GovWin, a social media addict, the founder of a communications consulting firm that offers free assistance to the world, and dedicated to empowering everyone. 
