“Yammer does NOT replace conversations. Rather, I see Yammer as an extension of them.” –Lesley
The above quote comes from a colleague who is also one of my Yammer Community Managers: A person who helps guide others through Yammer and get them where they need to go. Voluntarily!
And she’s pretty great at it.
This also means she knows when to do things. Such as when to create a private versus a public group.
I know this is from “The Big Sleep” but…private groups…private eyes…
I will always advocate for public groups within an online community for these reasons:
- Your resources expand exponentially, because
- You never know who knows something you need to know, and
- The simple act of sharing what you do can help your entire organization.
But there are also always situations where starting out with a private group makes more sense. I’ve adapted Lesley’s own reasons here:
Top 3 Reasons For Having a Private Group In Your Yammer Community
- Comfort level. A private group can help people get comfortable posting questions and comments on this platform.
- Ease of use. Starting out small can help people more easily sift through topics, conversations, and responses. (Pointing users toward where to edit their notifications helps too.)
- Networking. Really! From teams that never budge out of the office to almost-constant travelers, a private group can help them feel connected to each other, supportive of each other, and recognize each other as resources.
And from there, people will branch out into the public areas of Yammer. It’s all good!
What kind of groups work best in your online community?
Author Becky Benishek 