Top 5 Examples of Utilizing Private Settings in Your Public Social Networking Community
Posted by:
Walter Roark on
May 26, 2009 at
7:20PM AFT
5. Set up Revenue-Driving Study Groups
Associations with an educational focus can intelligently leverage a
socially-enabled community by creating purpose-driven Groups. After
paying a reasonable fee for joining a private group, your members can
have full access to study sessions which help prepare them for examinations and/or credentials certification. Gathering in a virtual
classroom is a significant advantage as it saves enormous amounts of
time and eliminates geographical barriers. Your members will recognize
the value of these high-level community groupings available only to
applicable registrants.
4. Designate Desirable Premium Areas Via Privacy Settings
Both Nonprofits and associations can leverage private options by
creating premium content areas in the community. These highly visible
corners of your website will call out to visitors by offering access to
valuable content that is definitively essential and desirable to your
constituents. Premium content examples might be an area of blue-ribbon
videos that address popular nonprofit causes or best practices for
association professionals. Another might be private
access to rich
content such as white papers or case studies with special appeal to
community members. Still another could be privileges to view archived
webinars or podcasts that highlight high-interest subjects.
3. Use Privacy Settings for Exclusive Communication Between Executives and/or the Officers of Chapters
Facilitate a secure, productive collaboration among your
organization’s key leadership with invitation-only admittance to a
specified group. Make it easy for chapter heads, especially, to conduct
business in your online community. With 24-hour, around-the-clock
access to archives of organizational documents, decision-makers can
keep transactions current, updating important elements as community
needs dictate. This private work output ultimately benefits all members
of the community.
2. Foster Member Advancement with Premium Teaching & Training
Having multiple tiers of educational content makes sense as your
members seek professional growth and/or a richer, deeper relationship
with your organization’s causes or missions. Along with a lineup of
free, publicly-accessible educational topics, community administrators
can furnish higher-level service. Establishing supplemental fees for
private access will help fund the cost of expert tutors and coaches
qualified to help your members achieve their goals. Private courses
linked to conferences and seminars can be offered to bolster engagement
and growth before and after major offline events.
1. Secure the Sharing of Sensitive Information within a Private Group
The security of a privacy option for an executive committee,
corporate task force or board of directors can set the stage for vital
information exchange that is ongoing but completely sheltered. 
Critical
intelligence concerning corporate investments, budgetary projections,
personnel data and proposal requests are the types of information that
demand confidentiality. Individually designated groups can view
documentation and communicate privately within the convenience of the
shared community. Details regarding financials, bi-laws/covenants,
legal inquiries and regulatory-controlled information can be analyzed
and discussed privately, responses shared and recorded.
If you have thoughts about appropriate situations for the use of
privacy options in a social networking community, please share your
ideas by commenting here.
