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Considerations for building a community

Comms and brand
Company building
Explainer

Community guidelines should act as a guide and standard for how your community interacts. It’s a great way to foster inclusive behaviour that will facilitate a more connected group of people – with each other and ultimately your product or service.

Community guidelines are a good framework for any public forum, event, group or network your company is building. A community is an extension of your brand, therefore acting as a representation of your company. This has to be treated with care, consideration and consistency.

For anyone building a group of engaged people connected with your brand – you should have and upkeep community guidelines to ensure that the integrity and standard of the group is upheld.  

Examples of good community guidelines, to act as a starting point, include:  

Key considerations when building a community:

When creating community guidelines, a brand should include several key elements to ensure a positive and productive environment for its members:

  1. Mission and values: clearly state the community's purpose and the brand's core values to set the tone and expectations
  2. Acceptable behaviour: outline what is allowed and encouraged within the community, focusing on positive interactions and constructive engagement
  3. Unacceptable behaviour: define prohibited actions such as harassment, hate speech, discrimination, and spamming
  4. Privacy and safety: establish rules for sharing personal information and outline procedures for reporting safety concerns
  5. Content standards: specify the types of content that are acceptable and any restrictions on copyrighted or explicit material
  6. Enforcement procedures: explain the consequences for violating guidelines, including warnings, suspensions, or bans
  7. Conflict resolution: describe the process for addressing disputes or rule violations within the community
  8. Brand voice: use language that reflects the brand's tone and personality to maintain consistency
  9. Accessibility and inclusivity: ensure guidelines promote a welcoming environment for all members
  10. Cooperation request: ask community members to help maintain and enforce the guidelines. Think of these as ‘brand ambassadors’.  

This resource, and any guidance within it, must not be relied on as legal advice. We recommend that you seek specific advice to deliver an outcome best suited to your situation.

Community guidelines should act as a guide and standard for how your community interacts. It’s a great way to foster inclusive behaviour that will facilitate a more connected group of people – with each other and ultimately your product or service.

Community guidelines are a good framework for any public forum, event, group or network your company is building. A community is an extension of your brand, therefore acting as a representation of your company. This has to be treated with care, consideration and consistency.

For anyone building a group of engaged people connected with your brand – you should have and upkeep community guidelines to ensure that the integrity and standard of the group is upheld.  

Examples of good community guidelines, to act as a starting point, include:  

Key considerations when building a community:

When creating community guidelines, a brand should include several key elements to ensure a positive and productive environment for its members:

  1. Mission and values: clearly state the community's purpose and the brand's core values to set the tone and expectations
  2. Acceptable behaviour: outline what is allowed and encouraged within the community, focusing on positive interactions and constructive engagement
  3. Unacceptable behaviour: define prohibited actions such as harassment, hate speech, discrimination, and spamming
  4. Privacy and safety: establish rules for sharing personal information and outline procedures for reporting safety concerns
  5. Content standards: specify the types of content that are acceptable and any restrictions on copyrighted or explicit material
  6. Enforcement procedures: explain the consequences for violating guidelines, including warnings, suspensions, or bans
  7. Conflict resolution: describe the process for addressing disputes or rule violations within the community
  8. Brand voice: use language that reflects the brand's tone and personality to maintain consistency
  9. Accessibility and inclusivity: ensure guidelines promote a welcoming environment for all members
  10. Cooperation request: ask community members to help maintain and enforce the guidelines. Think of these as ‘brand ambassadors’.  

This resource, and any guidance within it, must not be relied on as legal advice. We recommend that you seek specific advice to deliver an outcome best suited to your situation.

This resource, and any guidance within it, must not be relied on as legal advice. We recommend that you seek specific advice to deliver an outcome best suited to your situation.
This resource, and any guidance within it, must not be relied on as legal advice. We recommend that you seek specific advice to deliver an outcome best suited to your situation.

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