Fun Ways To Build Your Community Remotely
Nothing can weaken the feeling of community more than being told to stay away from other people. Typically, when we think of the term “community”, we think of large gatherings, groups of people, and a sense of belonging and support. If the #stayhome order has got you feeling like you’ve lost your sense of community, here are some fun ways that you can build your community remotely!
Start an online book club
A great way to bring your community together from a distance is by starting an online book club! You can start one with however many people you want, choose whatever genre of book you’d like, and just enjoy the act of doing something other than sitting at your computer all day. We suggest setting it up as a Facebook or Slack group in which you can invite the people in your book club to join. Then, every couple of weeks you can join in on a group zoom call and talk about the book. Starting a book club to build community is a great activity to do when you need a break from the day to day stuff and are looking to stay connected to the people around you.
Host virtual happy hours
Does your office have a tradition of beers every Friday afternoon? Maybe you and your colleagues make it a habit to go out for dinner and unwind at the end of the week. These things don’t have to stop just because you’re social distancing! You can build community with your team by setting up virtual happy hours in place of your normal outings. You can make your fanciest drinks, bring out the snacks, and chat about your workweek, the latest book you’ve been reading (maybe from your book club you started?), or just chat with people that are different than those you see every day at home. Virtual happy hours are a fun way to end the week or busy day by continuing the routine you had prior to the shutdown.
Social distancing game night
There are lots of great platforms that allow you to play games online with friends using your phone and tv. Systems such as Jackbox and House Party are the popular ones that people have been using lately. There are tons of different game types and challenges that you can play with friends from the safety of your own home. Saturday night in? No problem with these apps! Instant game night with friends at the tip of your fingers.
Slack communication chats
When it comes to building a community, we like Slack for this purpose. It allows you to create a group with friends and colleagues and then allows you to create sub-threads within the group to keep things nice and organized. You can talk about your favourite dinner recipes, which Netflix series you’re currently binging, general discussion, and so much more while maintaining an easy-to-follow, organized conversation.
Zoom lunch breaks
Do you and your colleagues typically all take lunch at the same time? When you’re working together in the same building, a lot of your sense of community comes from your colleagues and clients around you. A fun way to maintain that community, and to even build it larger, is to start a virtual lunch break! Set up a zoom call where you can all take lunch at the same time and chat with each other, just as if you were in the office. No more eating lunch at your desk by yourself. Join your friends and stay in touch!
Social Media Challenges
Looking for something entertaining while bringing people together? Social media challenges are perfect for this! Starting a daily or weekly challenge that others can get into and bond over is a great, and easy, way to build your community remotely. Things such as sharing funny stories that have happened during the week, showing off your pets, or exercise challenges are a fun way to all stay connected.
Weekly check-ins
Creating weekly accountability and growth check-ins is the perfect way to support your people, offer some help with issues that may arise, and keep people accountable while working remotely. People need support and accountability now that we’re working from home and providing a place for them to do this consistently will instantly make people feel connected again.
Host weekly webinars
Do you have something to offer that can help people grow and succeed? Do you know people who would be willing to offer their expertise to help others? Hosting weekly webinars is a great way to build a community during this time. It shows that you are there to support people and brings others together with like interests.
We know this time is difficult for everyone and the longer the stay home motion is in effect, the more isolated we can start to feel. We’d love to have you join our community and stay connected. To join, you can follow us on our social media pages. We’ll see you there.
Don’t let a crisis stop your workflow. Times are changing and virtual space is more important now than ever. Let us help you stay connected with your business virtually.