How to make a name for yourself in the world of digital technology? Everything is changing rapidly around us, and all that remains for a person is to adapt to everything new. Many familiar things from the real world are moving into the virtual one. Knowledge, goods and services, even communication – everything can be obtained online. And this means that almost everyone has their own personal page on social networks – and not just one! There are accounts for animals, for public (and not so public) personalities, brands, and businesses. There is also a whole segment of communities and groups on VK, uniting people by interests.
Don't have your own community yet but want to create one? Let's do it together! So, we offer a step-by-step guide on creating a group or community on VKontakte.
The Difference Between a Group and a Community
Before you start creating your public page, decide on the purposes and audience your community or group is aimed at.
What is a Group?
A group is a page where you can gather like-minded people – friends, colleagues, classmates, etc. Here, participants actively communicate with each other and can post photos and videos on specific topics. In some sense, a group is like a hobby club where you can invite friends and chat on niche topics in a chat room.
What Types of Groups Exist?
The feature of a group is the ability to make it open, closed, or private. An open group is publicly accessible, and every user can join. In a closed group, a user cannot join freely: they must submit an application, and then the group owner decides whether to admit the new member. You can enter a private group only by invitation from the owner or via a link.
Community as a Business Plan
If you have something to say about your business or products, a community is more suitable for this purpose than a group. A community cannot be hidden from users, so everyone will see your page. For selling goods and services, it's a good way to attract clients – be visible. However, your subscribers will be able only to suggest posts, and the decision to publish them or not remains with the moderator.
Step-by-Step Community Creation
Step 1
You have logged into your page. On the left, under the social network logo, is a column with tabs. Click on the "Communities" tab – a blue "Create Community" button should appear at the top. Click it boldly!
If you are creating a community on the phone, click on the plus sign in the upper right corner.
Step 2
From the list offered, you need to choose the type of community that matches your goals. Whether it's an interest group if you're interested in communicating with a potential audience, a public page for your business, or maybe even an information portal – the choice is yours.
Step 3
In the next window, fill in the group's data. What exactly – depends on the type of community you chose:
- Community name;
- Theme;
- Website (if any).
Provide as much information as possible so your clients can find you.
Step 4
You created the page. Now go to the "Settings" tab. To do this, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner. Here you can add a description of your community or any other additional information, as well as specify additional settings for your posts and tags on photos.
Community Design
The hardest part is over, only the page design is left! To upload an avatar image, hover over your group's icon, click on the pencil that appears, and upload a pre-downloaded photo. You can also customize your group's background. Hover over the background and click on the "Change Cover" sign that appears. Upload the photo.
Pay attention to the avatar requirements: it should fit the format (JPG, PNG, GIF) and size (at least 400 pixels in length and 400 pixels in width). In the mobile app, the "change photo" function is in the "Information" tab's "Main" section.
Everything is ready! Invite friends to your community, tell about yourself, share news, hold contests and draws. We are confident that your community will quickly become popular!
