Goals & a poll

Welcome to the Community Coach newsletter, a value packed read
for community builders who are getting ready for “end of year reflections”.

In this newsletter…

📚 Community 101: End of year community reporting…

🤖 Community Security: Andrew Tate’s community got hacked

👋 Answering your questions: “Circle vs. Skool - which one is better?”

Community 101: End of year reporting

With end of year reporting coming up, I thought it would be useful to share this awesome (& free!) course by the Community Strategy Academy - which includes a very useful module on community reporting:

Community security

Hacktivists recently breached Andrew Tate's online subscription-based platform, "The Real World," exposing the email addresses of hundreds of thousands of users and the contents of its private chat servers.

The platform, which markets itself as a "global community" for personal growth with courses and mentorship for $50/month, has now become the center of a significant data leak. The breach, revealed by the transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets, was accompanied by disruptions in the platform's chatroom, including an upload of emojis symbolizing LGBTQ+ and feminist themes during a livestream by Tate.

This incident raises critical concerns about community security and trust in online platforms. Obviously Andrew Tate is a highly controversial figure with polarising views (people either love him or hate him). However with over 700,000 usernames and chat data from public and private servers exposed, community builders should also be reminded of the importance of safeguarding sensitive user information.

As communities grow and depend on trust, breaches like this highlight the risks of inadequate data protection and the long-term damage they can cause to a platform’s credibility and member safety.

Ensuring your community's security is very important. Here’s what you can focus on:

1. Platform Security: If you’re using platforms like Circle, Slack, or Discord, the good news is that these companies usually have strong security measures in place. However, it’s still important to use tools wisely, like creating strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication (2FA).

2. Limit Access: Make sure only trusted people have admin or moderator permissions. Most platforms let you set different roles, so only give extra access to those who need it.

3. Data Collection: Only ask for the information you truly need from your members. The less sensitive data you collect, the safer your community will be.

4. Stay Updated: Platforms like Slack and Discord release updates to improve security regularly. Make sure you’re using the latest version to benefit from these protections.

5. Backup Plan: Even though major platforms are generally secure, have a plan in case something goes wrong. This could include knowing how to contact platform support and reassuring members about next steps.

Answering your questions

“Circle vs. Skool - I have no idea which one to use for my community?” 

Skool:

• Good for courses and group learning: works well if you're running courses where people learn together at the same pace.

• Gamification Features: It has built-in ways to make the community feel fun, including challenges and leaderboards.

• Easy to use but less customizable: It’s straightforward to set up, but you will probably find the options to change how it looks and works to be very limited.

• Has a reputation for bringing in all sorts of communities but especially "hard sales" types and ones pushing affiliate revenues as their source of income...

Circle:

• More Professional Look: Circle lets you create a community space that looks more polished (most people I know prefer the UX).

• Flexible Layouts: You can organize your community in different ways to suit your needs.

• Better for Organizing Content: It’s easier to manage and find content in Circle.

• Circle is always bringing out new features such as gamification

• More Integrations: Circle works well with other apps and tools, so you can connect it to what you’re already using

• Popular with all sorts of communities but I've noticed a lot of creators, entrepreneurs and coaches prefer this platform (especially due to the flexibility with organising content).

Overall: If you want a simple platform that focuses on learning and keeping members engaged, consider Skool. If you want a platform that looks more professional, offers flexibility, and can handle a lot of content and different setups, consider Circle.

My personal preference? I’d choose Circle (but that’s because I’m not really into the pushy affiliate sales vibe that Skool communities seem to be attracted to).

Got a question for me? DM me on Twitter and ask away. Your question may be answered in a future newsletter (and I’ll reply to everyone who asks).

Until next time,

Carmen
Community Coach

If I can do better, reply and let me know what you’d like to see. I can handle the truth!

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