With our most recent updates, Group chats have never been more exciting! You can now have up to ten Group chats on your profile. And while this is an exciting update for sure, it’s left a lot of creators wondering what they can (or should) focus on creating. In this article, we’ll give you five new Group chats to boost engagement, build community, and connect with your followers.
1. Early Video Access
Give followers exclusive access to new videos, behind-the-scenes footage, content updates, and more! Create a group where members get sneak peeks of your video or early access to your content. It rewards them for supporting you and keeps them engaged.
When you start this Group, we recommend sharing videos a day or two early. It’s low commitment and you don’t have to plan super far in advance. If you see your followers really like this early access content, try offering more exclusive content. This could be funny bloopers or filming snippets from the cutting room floor, or little videos you make just for them. If you’re really a planner, maybe you can give them a sneak peek of upcoming posts! The point is to just give them a special look at your content and keep them excited.
2. Content Ideas
Gather input and ideas from your audience. In this Group chat, followers can suggest content ideas, provide feedback on drafts or recent uploads, and even vote on future topics. This interaction makes them feel like they’re part of the process, and gives you a clear idea of what they like.
To start off, we recommend sharing a nearly completed video and asking for very specific feedback on one element. Do you like this song or this song? Should I delete this clip? This keeps their feedback targeted to one thing and is less overwhelming for you. You can also start with an easy question, like: “I’m not sure what to post tomorrow. Any ideas? Anything you guys want to see?” As you progress and get more used to their feedback, you can start asking harder questions or letting them give feedback on more elements.
You may decide to set boundaries on what or how viewers can give you feedback. That’s fine! Even asking them to be kind and only share constructive feedback is a good boundary. Your followers will understand and respect it, and if not…well, they don’t belong in the Group anyway.
3. Niche/Themed Discussions
Create a Group chat based on themes in your content or niches you create in. We see a lot of creators do this, and it’s such a good idea. This allows followers to engage with you and with each other, building a community around shared interests.
This is a Group that a lot of your followers will have a natural inclination to join. While they may not be interested in providing feedback, they’ll want to continue exploring the topic that first grabbed their attention. They’ll also like the idea of having a community already there to connect with. We’ve seen some authors and bookish creators start book clubs, health and wellness creators start a fitness chat, and we even have a Clapper Sounds chat for all of our musicians! You can drop discussion topics, ask questions, and foster a community using a niche you all love.
4. Q&A or AMA Chats
This one is for our more chatty creators! Organize a Group chat where followers can ask you questions. These can be related to your niche or content, or can just be a fun Q&A chat for your followers to use.
Chats like this give followers a chance to ask questions and get to know you. It can also spark conversation between your followers, which is always a good thing! You can also host exclusive Lives or Radios with members of this Group where you answer questions in real time. Or you can create themed weeks/months where you talk about your creative process, other things in your niche, or more personal stories.
5. Video Challenges or Sharing
Create a Group where you post daily or weekly challenges somehow related to your niche or content. Or have a special time during the day or week when Group members can share their latest videos.
The challenges can be anything you want, and it might be worth asking your followers for help coming up with some! You may want your Group members to complete fun video challenges, but these could also be exercises or challenges that don’t have a video element. An author might challenge followers to write something new or respond to a prompt, or a fitness influencer might challenge their followers to share their routine. Or, if coming up with challenges sounds daunting, set some times for followers to share their content in the chat. This idea is a great way to come together and support each other.
Unsure where to start or what your followers will like more? Drop a message in your current Group chat or post a video and ask! You can share a few ideas and have them vote, or open the floor to their suggestions. Since they’ll be the ones joining, it’s a good idea to focus on what they’re excited about. While you’re at it, see how they’d feel about a paid Group…đź‘€
Learn more about setting up multiple Groups and creating paid Group chats here.