Circle.so Review: Top Tool for Managing Online Communities
In today's video, I am going to be reviewing a new tool that has made my life significantly easier when it comes to managing the Unicorn Factory community. The tool is called Circle, and it's an online tool that you can use to create an online forum.
Why Circle?
I set up the Unicorn Factory on Circle after using Slack for about a year and a half because I wanted to find something that would make it easier for people just joining the community to get involved with discussions that were happening inside of the community but were getting lost on Slack.
Overview of Circle
Inside of Circle, you have things called spaces, which are basically channels that people use to store different types of content. Inside of my welcome group, I have three spaces: the Start Here space, the Introduce Yourself space, and the Announcement space. The Start Here space is where I send all of the freelancers who have just joined the Unicorn Factory, and I use it to answer commonly asked questions that freelancers have after they've joined the community.
Creating Posts on Circle
Creating a post on Circle is straightforward. You hit the plus button and fill it out the way you would fill out a blog post on Medium. They have a rich text editor that makes creating engaging content a lot easier. You can embed videos, images, gifs, and more. Additionally, you can embed different headings, embed code, mention people in posts, and more.
Connecting Freelancers
One space that has been great for connecting different freelancers to each other is the Freelancer Connect space. This space is where freelancers can come and introduce themselves and connect with other freelancers. It's been a great way to create a sense of community and help freelancers find other freelancers to collaborate with.
Managing the Community with Zapier
I also want to show you some workflows that I've got set up inside of Zapier that allow me to manage the community a lot more effectively. These workflows include automating the process of welcoming new members to the community, sending out reminders for upcoming events, and more.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Circle is the best online community building tool out there at the moment. It's easy to use, has a lot of great features, and it's helped me manage the Unicorn Factory community more effectively. If you're considering setting up your own online community, I highly recommend checking out Circle.
🤩 TRY CIRCLE FOR FREE (Affiliate Link):
https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/circle
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
01:25 Unicorn Factory Circle
04:55 Private / Paid Groups
05:32 Circle Features
06:58 Circle Mobile App
07:18 Do you really need a community forum?
Ready to turn your business ideas into reality? Here are 4 ways I can help you build and grow with no-code tools:
- MVMP Labs: Join our online community for first-time founders building no-code marketplaces. Get access to exclusive resources, step-by-step guides, and a supportive network of peers who are on the same journey as you.
- The MVMP Mastermind: Work directly with me through 1:1 coaching, monthly group strategy calls, and personalized feedback. Ideal for founders who want accountability, faster progress, and expert guidance to build and launch successfully.
- Done-for-You Marketplace Builds: Let my team handle the heavy lifting. We’ll build your marketplace MVP, automate your workflows, and provide full documentation so you can scale and grow on your own terms.
- Learn No-Code on YouTube: Follow my free, hands-on tutorials where I teach you how to build and automate no-code marketplaces step-by-step. Subscribe here for weekly videos and start creating today.
