Different Types of Communities: What You Need to Know

The problem of categorizing Communities: an unresolved issue?

Offering relevant and engaging content based on the type of Community you manage is essential to create an active and engaging environment that encourages growth and project development. Making the right decisions in this regard helps increase engagement, improve relationships with existing members, and attract new ones.

The problem is that categorizing Communities is complicated: there is no absolute consensus yet, and even experts find it difficult to agree.

We have also reflected on this extensively and decided to share our opinion with readers in this article. Here’s how we chose to categorize Communities (also inspired by Richard Millington) and which content types are best suited to foster the growth of each type.

Community of Interest

A Community of Interest is made up of individuals sharing a common interest, which can span countless fields: technology, politics, sports, culture, and more.

Key features of these Communities are shared passion and the members’ willingness to actively participate by sharing information and supporting each other to achieve their goals. These dynamics develop strong internal cohesion and a solid sense of belonging, which are crucial for group consolidation and growth.

In a Community of Interest, content must be relevant to members’ shared interests and encourage participation and discussion, such as:

• News and updates on topics related to the shared passion;

• Personal experience reports from members that encourage and inspire others;

• Photos and videos showcasing the shared interests in action, e.g., sports competitions or music performances;

• Organizing events and meetings to foster interaction beyond the virtual world.

Community of Practice

Communities of Practice consist of people linked by a professional, academic, or business field. A growing example is Corporate Communities, aimed at engaging all brand stakeholders—employees, managers, investors—in a single project.

Users find an easily accessible environment to discuss common problems, share information and resources, and support each other in developing skills and best practices. Communities of Practice also foster the emergence of ideas and innovations that benefit all members.

These Communities often operate as private corporate social networks, hosted on cloud platforms like SelfCommunity, which allows administrators to gather valuable data for profiling members and identifying the best engagement strategies.

Content in Communities of Practice should focus on learning and sharing knowledge, skills, and ideas, such as:

• Guides, tutorials, and webinars with detailed information on performing tasks or using products/services;

• Case studies and success stories showing how others have effectively applied shared expertise;

• Educational materials like manuals and e-books to teach best practices;

• Discussion posts to stimulate idea exchange among stakeholders.

Community of Purpose

In Communities of Purpose, the uniting element is a specific goal or mission shared by all members. Typical examples are organizations dedicated to ethical or social causes, such as environmental protection or human rights advocacy.

These Communities feature strong activism and deep emotional involvement with their common cause, often led by leaders who coordinate collective efforts.

Suitable content keeps members actively engaged and informed about progress toward their shared goal, for example:

• Guides encouraging action and detailing what members can do to support the mission;

• News updates on the progress of the objective;

• Webinars allowing members to discuss and coordinate their efforts.

Community of Place

Communities of Place bring people together based on a shared geographic location, such as a neighborhood, city, or region, fostering a strong sense of belonging to the area.

Geographic proximity helps develop strong bonds, often reinforced by shared cultural identity typical of residents in the same area.

Members often engage in volunteering and civic participation to improve their community—clean-up projects, organizing local events, and collaborating with authorities to solve common problems.

Examples of content useful for a healthy and active Community of Place include:

• Local news about events, projects, and developments in the area;

• Reviews of local businesses and attractions;

• Photos and videos promoting local landscapes, panoramas, and historic sites;

• Announcements of events and initiatives organized by the Community.

Community of Circumstance

Communities of Circumstance consist of people united by a specific, usually temporary (but not always), often involuntary situation, such as illness or disability.

They are characterized by great diversity among members, who may have very different backgrounds and varied experiences due to their shared circumstance being situational.

Because of this diversity, it is hard to identify universally valid content, as each situation requires a tailored approach.

For example, a Community of Circumstance centered on a particular disease may benefit from informational material on managing the illness and receiving financial and psychological support. A group for single parents might benefit from collective meetings where experienced members share advice and support others.

In conclusion

Knowing which category your Community belongs to is essential for accurately identifying your target audience and shared goals, and consequently, understanding what kind of content to offer to foster project growth.

A clarifying example: sharing reviews of a local restaurant can be very useful to support a Community of Place but would be considered totally irrelevant and misaligned by members of a humanitarian organization.