Ten Ways Flickr Builds Community Online

Some tips from Heather Champ, community manager for the popular photo-sharing Web site

By Kerry Miller

Dot-coms interested in building or improving the community aspect of their Web sites often look to photo-sharing site Flickr for inspiration. Traditional brick-and-mortar businesses are also recognizing the benefits of connecting with customers on the Web. Fiskars, the makers of the popular orange-handled scissors, created a group of "brand ambassadors" called the Fiskateers to connect with craft and scrapbook hobbyists. And Toyota Motor (TM) now has a dedicated corporate manager of consumer-generated media to track consumer opinion online. "At this point, everybody needs an online social strategy—even if your business doesn't seem to have much to do with that kind of stuff," says social media consultant Jake McKee.

BusinessWeek spoke to Flickr community manager and Web pioneer Heather Champ to get her tips for fostering community.