How to start an online community

1. Be specific about who it's for

"Gardening" is crowded; "Growing vegetables in small city gardens" is a community people can feel part of. A specific purpose makes it easy for the right people to say yes.

2. Set a few clear rules

Three to five rules are plenty. Every Hub already follows Zertle's community rules, so yours only need to cover your subject: what's on topic, where selling goes, how to ask for help.

3. Seed the first conversations

Before inviting anyone, post a welcome, a few questions people will want to answer and something useful (a guide, a resource list or a poll). Empty rooms put people off.

4. Invite your first 20 people

Start with people you know who care about the subject. Share the Hub link and your invite link, and reply to every post in the first weeks.

5. Keep a rhythm

A weekly thread (wins of the week, questions of the week), a monthly event or poll, and quick replies keep members coming back. Add a moderator once you're getting daily posts.

• Week 1: welcome post, three starter questions, one guide
• Week 2: a poll and a show-your-work thread
• Week 3: an event or live Q&A
• Week 4: thank your first members and ask what they want next