What are online groups?

Online groups are a tool that allows people to come together to communicate, share messages and documents. The groups can be public or private, and can be moderated to any degree.

Groups can be created and maintained by anyone with a basic understanding of the internet and email.

Why are online groups important to your network?

• Social Ties- group members can communicate with each other, and fill out their own member profiles.
• Communications- online groups allow people to come together and send messages to each other and share files, all in one place. Depending on the online group sevice you choose, there are other functions as well such as polls, photo share, etc.
• Share Resources- as groups of people come together and bring their own ideas and inputs, the group can collectively share these resources by posting them to the group. File sharing on a group make it easy to share the information without having to email attachments to large lists.
• Common story- online groups makes it easy for members to communicate their common stories. Administrators of the group can also reinforce that shared vision by posting images, videos or files, or soliciting conversations from the members.

How can you use online groups?

• Share information: breaking news, analysis, insider tips and events.
• Coordinate around meetings and events.
• Manage volunteers. Because you can keep all the information in a group, it makes an excellent tool for managing volunteers. They can then communicate with you, each other, or the group.

Getting Started

• There are lots of web-based group applications. The biggest are Yahoo Groups and Google Groups. They are both basically similar with a few extra functions in the Yahoo Groups.
  • Follow the steps to create an account and/or group.
  • You can customize the group with your organization’s logo and color scheme if desired.
  • Upload some crucial documents, photos, etc.
  • Make a plan for how you will get and keep people engaged. Some groups allow you to customize a message for new members. Should they introduce themselves? Are there files you want all new members to see? Make expectations clear so members feel comfortable and know what to expect.
  • Invite members!