Tonight is the premiere of the new comedy, Community, starring my crush, Joel McHale.  At first, I thought that I should start by saying that this connection to what the actual content of this post is about was close to nil.  However, after further observation they're, well, kind of related.

On Joel McHale's website, there's a link to the Joel McHale Fans Twitter Feed.  At time of this post, the last time they tweeted was the beginning of August.  However, looking at Joel's personal Twitter feed, he's followed by over one million people.  Yes, I said one million.  It's a shame he's only following a mere ten back.

Let's give Joel a break though.  He's a Dad.  He's got a hit show on E! and now a series on NBC.  And afterall, he's got a TV show called Community, he's not in the actual community business.

Which brings me to the point of this post.

Community.

It's extremely easy to create a community these days.  With a catchy name, an available url, and a Ning group, you too can bring people together from similar backgrounds who want to connect with likeminded people.

Some communities are created online to join together for a cause, others come to fruition as a support network for those who are going through similar experiences.

And some...not so much.

Recently I went through and did what I'll call a community audit.

Meaning:  I took a step back and really thought about the communities and list servs to which I have a membership.  And I asked the following questions:

• Does this community engage me?


• Do I feel like I have a clear idea of why this community exists? (ie: support group, networking, or cause related)


• What is the level of engagement from the original founders?


• Do the owners of the community engage?


• How many emails do I receive from this community contain useful content?  Sponsored ads?


• How often do I visit the actual community?

Depending on my answer to these questions, I've unsubscribed my membership as a result of this audit.

Being on the PR side of things, I get pitched by some communities offering access to their members via events, email newsletters, and advertising real estate on their sites.  And when I'm researching the best fit for my clients, I'm realizing that there are communities...vibrant, active communities with members who are passionate about the community they've created.  And then there are communities with thousands of members, but no real engagement happening.

On a personal level, I realized that I am a stagnant member of quite a few communities.  I'm not engaging and I'm not being engaged.  So why count as part of that community's overall headcount?  I'm not adding value to my fellow members and I'm certainly not in a place where brands I may or may not want to connect with are going to have the opportunity to do so.

So do the communities you belong to  have a lot of members but doesn't necessarily foster conversation, offer inspiration, or add value to your personal and professional life?  Do you think it's time for you to do your own community audit?

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