Today we are going to talk about an essential feature of all communities - Values. But prior to that, we must understand what they truly define. For instance, in Reddit communities, anonymity is a core value and tenet of the community. Similarly, depending on nature and type, each community harbors some inherent values.

What Exactly Are Community Values?

Community values are the set of belief systems that we consciously or subconsciously hold. They ideally determine our daily actions and influence our decision-making process. Aligning our values in the community with our actions is the key to living with integrity. Many individuals fall out of integrity when their core values in the community and actions become mismatched or misaligned.

In simple terms, community values are the heart and soul of your group, shaping how people behave, connect, and make your community a thriving, exciting place to be. They're the glue that holds your community together, ensuring everyone walks the same exciting path!

In a similar fashion, communities can stand the risk of losing integrity with their stated values of community service. This undesirable phenomenon often occurs within brand communities. And what happens when our values and principles of community development fall out? Loss of trust. Demotivated members. Drop in engagement. Decreased brand value.

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Why Are Community Values Crucial?

1. They distinguish between you and other players in the field/domain: In a sea of communities, values are like your community's unique signature. They help set you apart from others. Imagine walking into a room filled with people – your values are what make others turn and say, "Ah, this is different. This is special." They help your community stand out in the vast landscape of similar interests or domains. They're the reason why someone would choose your community over countless others.

2. They define the clear distinction between who can become community members and who would remain as visitors: Community values act as a filter, separating the "in-crowd" from the casual visitors. They're like the bouncer at the entrance, ensuring that those who step in share the same core beliefs. Your values set the criteria for who qualifies as a member and who remains an observer. They create a sense of belonging among those who align with these values, reinforcing the bond within the community.

3. They define whether we should pursue a given initiative for our community or not: Values are your community's compass. They help you decide what initiatives, projects, or activities to pursue. By aligning your actions with your values, you maintain a sense of direction. They're like a roadmap that ensures you're on the right track, heading toward your community's goals and vision. Your values provide clarity and purpose in your community's mission.

4. They are an indispensable nature of a community: Think of values as the lifeblood of your community. They infuse character and meaning into your group, making it more than just a collection of individuals. Values give your community its unique flavor, fostering a culture that resonates with your members. They're not just a "nice-to-have" – they're a fundamental, indispensable feature within your community's DNA.

Why Do Community Values Matter?

Values and principles of community development help you understand how you are going to pursue your community goal while sticking to the values in the community that will get you there. You do not want to get lost in the sea of communities doing the same thing.

Community core values act as the differentiator between you and any other community. Shared values of community service, moreover, help segregate members and visitors and clearly define if or not one should pursue or seek a particular community objective.

Ideally, you need about five community core values because a lot of values will mean a harder task at prioritizing.

Community values are not mere words on a page; they are the essence of your community's identity and its way to success. Let's delve deeper into why these values truly matter:

Guiding Your Path - Values and principles of community development serve as the guiding light on your journey. Your community values are that map or guide, showing you the way to achieve your community goals while staying true to your core beliefs. With a strong set of values, you can confidently navigate the challenges and choices that lie ahead.

Setting You Apart - Your values are your unique selling proposition. They distinguish you from the crowd. Think of them as the secret sauce that makes your community special. When potential members explore their options, your values are what makes them stop and think, "This is the community where I belong." They help you stand out, attracting like-minded individuals who resonate with your principles.

Defining Purpose and Membership - Community core values act as the gatekeepers of your group. They determine who qualifies as a member and who remains an observer. By aligning with these values, members forge a strong sense of belonging. Your values create a shared purpose and vision, uniting individuals in a common room. They help you build a community where everyone feels like they're part of something bigger, encouraging active participation and engagement.

‍Simplifying Prioritization - While having values is crucial, it's equally important to keep them manageable. Ideally, you should have about five core values that truly encapsulate your community's essence. More values can make it challenging to prioritize and live by them consistently. When you have a concise set of values, they become the pillars that support your community's culture and identity.

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Steps For Defining Community Value

• Make a list of all your values

Firstly, gather all the potential community core values that your organization might want for the community. This can be achieved by having everyone anonymously submit what they believe to be the values for the organization to generate a long list or you could gather the members together to generate a community core values list in a live workshop.

• Sort primary and secondary values

The community core values that are closest to your belief systems are primary, and those that fall away are secondary values and even tertiary values. Repeat this process until you whittle down the list to five values and no more.

• Clearly define your terms

It is crucial to define the community core values you have made a list of and be on the same page with your team. Define the words and share examples and illustrations of values in action. The team members can then make use of those values to aid their decision-making process.

Conclusion

Community values are the backbone of any thriving and successful community. They serve as the guiding principles that shape behaviours, decisions, and the overall culture within a group. Whether you're building an online community or fostering a brand community, understanding and articulating your values is essential.

These values play a crucial role in setting your community apart from others, defining membership criteria, and providing a clear direction for community initiatives. They act as a compass, guiding your path and ensuring that your actions align with your community's mission. Additionally, community values foster a sense of belonging among members, creating a shared purpose and identity.

About LikeMinds 

Likeminds elevates businesses in unlocking the true potential of their users through their in-app community and social network. Using LikeMinds, businesses achieve higher conversion and retention, by building custom community experiences in their existing platform unlocking community-led growth.

With LikeMinds, businesses get an easy-to-implement and highly scalable infrastructure with a fully customizable UI. All of this with a customization time of 3 days and a deployment time of 15 mins.

Our Chat and Feed infra have pre-built widgets such as image carousels, PDF slides, short videos, polls, quizzes, events, forms, and more for user engagement and retention along with moderation capabilities to ensure frictionless community operations.