Building an International Community: How and Why it is Important

The conversation at CMX Connect Madrid’s latest event at Utopicus was something that more community builders are starting to come up against: Leading International Communities.An international community comes with its own questions, like: How can you scale an international community? What are some of the specific considerations you'll need to take into account? And how can you set your international community up for success?But there are also so many benefits to having an international community. Members from all over the world mean new ideas, fresh perspectives, and of course, a huge knowledge base.This discussion was led by Cassandra T. Le, founder of The Quirky Pineapple Studio, a copywriting and content strategy agency in Madrid. This event gave local community leaders an opportunity to meet each other in person and share their experiences of building community.Below, we've rounded up Cassandra's top takeaways.

Drill into your community's Wants, Needs, and Luxuries

Cassandra started by focusing on the importance of the Why, or the core reason to start an international community. She suggested that without passion or a love for what you are doing, members won't be able to relate.A community fulfills three key things a member is looking for: Needs, Wants, and Luxuries. A Need can be a place to hang out and people to hang out with, online or off. Wants can include a sense of belonging or inclusion, while Luxuries may include making friends—real ones.

An international community needs to be a safe space where diverse opinions are not just acknowledged, but celebrated. Many members will live in different places, speak different languages, come from different cultures, and the community is a safe space for them to come together. When this is done right, the Wants are being fulfilled. This builds loyalty; members will feel encouraged to share, and will be more engaged.

The key to a successful international community

Cassandra says the key is simple: Understand your audience. Community members are the fuel that keeps the car running. They are from different places and may speak different languages, but they all have something in common—the community.I learned so much from this event and was inspired to evaluate my own community. I left the event with new strategies to implement. It was a great experience, meeting like-minded people who share my passion for building meaningful connections.

Make sure to check out the upcoming lineup of CMX Connect Madrid events with myself and Cepee Tabibian, fellow Connect Host and founder of She Hit Refresh.*Special thanks to Gareth from GTS Lifestyle for documenting the evening in photographs