Public radio stations are in a unique position when it comes to the opportunity to build communities. For many organizations, there is an obvious choice when it comes to who they should build their community for. For example, a local music school should build a community of aspiring musicians; a local bookstore should build a community of avid readers; and a local comedy club should build a community of aspiring comedians.

But because public radio stations have large audiences with a broad range of diverse interested, they are burdened with the luxury of choice when it comes to picking the community (or communities) they want to build. There are so many possibilities, where should they start?

For our Beyond the Broadcast series, our working definition of community is “a group of people who have a shared mission.” A community is not the same as an audience. In fact, a radio station’s audience has the potential to give rise to many smaller communities. For example, you can imagine a public radio station creating communities of craft beer enthusiasts, first-time parents, or classical music fans.

When we set out to build a community, we are creating a space where those people with a shared mission can gather and connect with one another. This space can be in-person, digital, or both. So which group of people should your station build a space for?

There is no one correct answer, but there may be some answers that are better than others. Here are five questions to ask to help you identify the communities that should be at the top of your station’s list as you start building:

1. Does this group have a shared mission?

It all start with this question, and while it sounds simple, it’s critically important that you give it some serious thought. Why will the members of your community want to connect with one another? How compelling is this desire for connection with others who have the mission?

Keep in mind, a shared interest is not the same thing as a shared mission. Just because I enjoy consuming something, it doesn’t mean that I am trying to do something. For example, as a regular podcast listener, I don’t feel a burning desire to connect with other people who are also podcast listeners. However, as a podcast producer, I have found it incredibly valuable to connect with other podcast producers. While content can be the basis for connection, it isn’t always.

Instead, it’s helpful to identify a group of people who are trying to do something, and would benefit from connecting with other people who are also trying to do the same thing.

2. Does a space for this group already exist?

When we set out to build a community, we are building a space for these people with a shared mission to gather. However, it’s possible that such a space already exists. If this is the case, it may be wiser to engage with an existing community than to try and create a new one. Before launching a new community, set out to see what spaces already exist for your potential members. Is the existing space sufficient, or can you build a space that offers a significant improvement?

3. Are we the right people to build this space?

Just because there’s a need for a particular community, it doesn’t necessarily follow that your station should be the one to provide it. First and foremost, you should have credibility in the space you are building. Would your station (or members of your staff) be members of this community if they weren’t building it?

There can be questions of authenticity when it comes to building community, especially if these communities are built around ethnic, cultural, or political dimensions. Stations should consider these issues carefully.

4. Can we reach people who will want to participate?

In general, public radio stations should begin their community building endeavors by focusing on groups of people that they already reach, not groups of people that they aspire to reach. Yes, ultimately public media wants to engage with younger audiences. But for its first foray into the world of community building, it would be better served by building a space for people that are already part of its audience, instead of trying to create a new audience and a new community at the same time.

5. Can we monetize this space?

Professional community managers are rightfully wary of efforts to monetize communities, in part because they fear that this undermines the authentic connection needed to make communities flourish. While this is an important concern, it doesn’t mean that communities cannot or should not be monetized. If one of public media’s goals is to generate new streams of revenue through community building, they should incorporate that into its thinking from the outset.

While there are many different ways to monetize communities, these methods ultimately fall into two categories: You’re either charging members of the community, or you’re charging people who want access to members of the community. Whether your goal is to make community access a perk for your paying members or to seek sponsorship from larger organizations, ask yourself: Will somebody be willing to pay for access to this community? If not, don’t count on revenue from your community building efforts.

Public radio stations have lots of options to choose from when they set out to build their first community. These questions will help you pick the group of people that are best for your radio station.

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