Gaming can be fun and also draining at the same time. You may find yourself in front of the gaming screen for hours as you tackle various challenges. How would it sound if you have a group of online friends who will follow your every move? That is what a community is all about.
It is simply an online family, made up of people with the same gaming passion and dreams. How do you attract such people and create a family out of them? Let us explore the different steps towards creating a gaming community that you can rely on:
Host a gaming server
Are you tired of some gaming rules on other servers? That is a clear indication that you need to rent a server and gain control of your gaming activities. A game like Minecraft is best played when you have opponents. However, your friends might be scattered around the world, making it hard to play with them. Hosting your own server makes it easy to include such friends in your community and play against them irrespective of the distance.
There are thousands of hosts out there, but ensure that you go through the list of best Minecraft server hosting, analyze your needs, and select the best. The ideal host should be reliable and also knowledgeable about gaming and hosting needs. You can even monetize your server and recoup some of the fees you incur through hosting. Your family members and friends can be the basis of the community you want to build.
Select your games carefully
There are thousands of experts and commentators in the gaming field. You may find that some of your favorite games have hundreds of sites dedicated to them. You are likely to find wikis, forums, blogs, and websites covering some of the popular games in detail. It thus makes it hard to develop a community around such games as others will swallow your information.
The best approach is when you choose something unique or an angle that others have not used. For instance, you can explore an angle such as server hosting instead of dedicating your site to Minecraft. You can as well be on the lookout for new games and be among the first people to create a blog or forum on them. However, you need to check the potential of the new games, or else you end up with a site that does not attract masses.
Set your vision, goals, and rules
Building a community can be an overwhelming task if you do not have some goals. Estimating the number of followers, you hope to acquire by the end of the year steers you in the right direction. Do not be overambitious, but at the same time, set goals that will challenge you to work harder.
The potential community members need to understand your vision even before they join. You may create a platform where people can discuss the latest gaming trends, a platform for coders, or even somewhere that people can learn how to play certain games. The vision is what makes you an authority in a certain niche.
It would be best if you also came up with some rules that will govern your community. What type of interaction or language do you expect your community to uphold? Is it okay to spam your community, and what course of action will you take when this happens? Managing people can be hectic, and that is why you need some house rules. You can also have a session to engage the community members and come with the rules and regulations.
Offer value
There are hundreds of gaming communities all over the web. What is different from what you want to create from the rest of the families? The value you offer is what will keep people close to your community. For instance, you can ensure that you are among the first forums to update people of upcoming games. You can as well post information about upcoming contests or even offers. Analyze some of your competitors and identify the gaps that they might be missing. Engage potential community members to learn about some of the things that they value and design your platform around such needs.
Reach out
The world has about 4.57 billion active internet users. A good number of these people are gamers, but the biggest challenge is how to attract them to your community. Knowing where your potential community members hang out and spend most of their time is the first step in this journey.
Is your target group on YouTube or Twitch? You may also spend most of your time on Instagram, while most potential followers are on Facebook. If the games you cover target corporates, then LinkedIn is the best platform where you can find your target market. Analyze market data as it is the only way to get some of these crucial insights. Create a blog and request people to subscribe to your email updates. Create various social media platforms and engage in cross-promotion.
Network
The gaming world is ever-evolving. You may have a community of about 1000 people and feel as if you are sorted. However, the gaming world is diverse. It would be best if you thus interacted with developers, thought-leaders, marketers, and gamers to grow your community. Join groups that involve community leaders and learn how they manage their families. Be on the lookout for events in this space, as you are likely to learn a lot from them. Engage experts and even invite them on your platform where they can cover different topics. You can as well engage your community members and get insights on what they would love to be included on your platform.
Creating a solid community is not an overnight activity but something that requires hard work and commitment. Make the rules flexible but also lead by example. You can even get help from some of your community members as your family grows. Keep updating the community’s rules and be on the lookout for the latest trends in this space.
