Tech in Communities and the Future.
According to Bloomberg, “the Metaverse will capture $800 billion in market share by 2024”, so it’s getting popular. The use of Artificial Intelligence is on course to be a must-have in businesses. NFTs are said to be changing the way we communicate and use our money. And what happens when we take regulations away from communities?
Technology is forever changing. And in the last 5 years, it’s advancing at an unbelievable rate. But what does this do to our communities?
Below we explore how AI, NFTs, Metaverse, Decentralised Communities and scheduling/automation are shaping how we build and engage with our networks. And if it’s working.
Artificial Intelligence
Over the last month or so, AI in marketing has boomed. News has flooded in, telling stories of how platforms like Jasper and Copy AI can write anything for us. Productivity platforms, Notion and Slack, have launched integrated AI tools to write whole articles, community messages, bios and more at the press of a button.
Many Community Managers will jump at the chance to have a hundred+ words generated and sent directly to their network. We all have writer’s block sometimes. Many of us are not born writers. So the positives are huge when we want to produce articulate content and reduce the time it takes to do so.
But is it creative?
Do the words speak your brand?
Is it all too generic?
Probably not.
Depending on your objective, it could be your best friend.
But how intelligent is it?
In recent years, we’ve learnt that the algorithm can have racial and gender biases. Built on learnt memory, robots have been known to match words with stereotypes as mentioned in this article from the Washington Post.
Artificial intelligence is not human. And being human is pretty important when it comes to building strong, inclusive and healthy communities.
Top Tip: People talk to people not brands or AI, so our top tip is to use AI to create the structure and give you the points you need to formulate your blog. When you have gathered all of this add your brand or personal tone of voice.
Metaverse
“The online community is an important part of the metaverse, and it can be used to create experiences that people love.” MetaEngine says.
WHO (World Health Organisation) stated, “In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%”. Those who isolate themselves from others, who are neurodiverse or those who simply fear meeting new people away from their comfort-zones need online communities.
From hosting online events to augmented and virtual realities, building a social setting for those who find in-person events challenging, is important. Imagine finishing work, putting on a headset and jumping into a community to speak to your people.
All in the comfort of your own chair.
Top Tip: Remember when hosting these online sessions in the Metaverse, ask one simple question in the sign-up form. ‘What are your accessibility needs?’ This way you will be sure to gather information to make your event inclusive and accessible.
NFTs
NFTs stand for non-fungible tokens.
NFTs usually are associated with building ecosystems where you’re able to sell, trade and buy. And surrounding yourself with people who have similar interests as you is easy. But it’s not all about creating a fun avatar and selling it. NFTs can also be a tool for engaging with your community. As this Medium article suggests.
And it’s a more ethical way of buying art…
“The ability for content creators to receive royalty payouts and to create nonfungible tokens resets the table for the first time in favour of the creator,” Nea, founder of NFT Atlanta Con says.
Sian Morson is the founder and editor of TheBlkChain, a platform whose mission is to amplify the work of women, BIPOC and LGBTQ artists and collectors in the NFT space. “NFTs are providing an opportunity for diverse artists to make a living from their art,” she shared. “They are reaching collectors and are showing and sharing their work in ways that didn’t exist previously. These artists–particularly artists of colour–are being empowered in ways like never before”
We can’t ignore the fact that purchasing NFTs from creators will give more people of colour and other marginalised groups more wealth and equality. However, we can’t fail to mention how expensive NFTs are. Some would say the scene is elitist. So whilst we shine a light and finally give minority artists the equal respect and pay they deserve for creating wonderful art, it is not as inclusive as it initially seems.
While we are tackling diversity for some communities, we take away the accessibility for another community to gain access to NFTs initially.
Another way to think about NFTs in your community is by using them to sell resources, event tickets and memberships. This way you will be able to protect your community and your IP through the structure of the NFT. People won’t be able to reshare the PDF you created for your community without having to purchase or resell it. They also won’t be able to share passwords so multiple people can access the space that one person is paying for. Think Netfilx!
The other things are rewards and tokens. Everyone loves a gold star and if they don’t well… that’s on them. What we are trying to say is reward your community through tokens and NFTs and you will increase your communities Dopamine - the "happy hormone”.
Reward your community for good vibes.
There are still a lot of unknowns in this space and how it can effectively work in communities but we will keep you updated.
Top Tip: Create an ambassadors programme with an awards system with tokens/NFTs to incentivise and increase the happy hormones in your community.
Decentralised Communities
Following NFTs, having decentralised communities could encourage the ‘average person’ to build their own wealth and not put their money in the pocket of the authority body. But there is a risk in security here.
Who is governing these communities?
Who ensures regulations are in place to create a safe space for all?
Communities are built to generate change. Whether this is lobbying for better women's health care, giving minority groups a platform for equality and equity and/or simply allowing voices to be amplified and heard.
Decentralised communities can accelerate this.
Top Tip: Before building a community like this. Think of your aim. Ask yourself, who is this community for and how can you make it the safest space possible. Get feedback from people who want to join and understand the needs from your network.
Scheduling & Automation
Scheduling and automation in communities can help streamline processes and save time. Their like your best friend who will manage tasks such as sending out notifications, reminders and emails.
Use scheduling and automation to create regular event reminders, newsletters, send welcome messages and schedule posts. Automate the processes like onboarding of sending out surveys or polls to the community to help gather feedback or opinions.
Zapier is a tool to automate pretty much everything in your business - it’s compatible with over 5,000 apps!
Top tip: Organise and schedule things for the month in bulk. It’ll be a big tick on the to-do list and will free up your month so you can focus on creative ways to build your community!
So is tech good for the future of communities?
Does the implementation of tech support safe and still-human spaces or does tech hinder the connection of those in communities?
Does it actually have the reverse effect when it comes to diversifying and giving everybody an equal platform to be more themselves?
Due to these realities being so advanced and new, it can be overwhelming doing the research on what specific tech could work for your community.
They’re all different after all.
Whilst the advancement of these platforms are super impressive and continues to exceed our beliefs on how clever robots can be, keeping it true to the needs and desires of your community is crucial. Approaching conversations, content and strategy with the human in mind will ensure the communities you build, will be authentic and lobby for change.
New platforms and tools are springing up every week. we’d love to hear your thoughts when it comes to building communities using tech. Contact us here.