Free Tutorial: Circle Community Platform | How to Create an Online Community or Membership Site
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- Опубліковано 20 лип 2024
- Circle is an all-in-one community platform for creators, brands, and online business owners. So if you're looking for a user-friendly platform to create your own membership or online community - or you are looking for an alternative to Facebook Groups - I’m excited to show you how you can build your own Circle community with this complete tutorial.
⭐️ Try Circle for free with a 14-day trial: witandwire.com/circle
🆕 New, updated Circle tutorial here: • 2024 Circle Review | H...
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro to Circle
00:52 - Circle Community Dashboard (overview)
03:00 - Create a new Circle Community
04:22 - Customize your branding
05:29 - Public vs. private communities
05:57 - Add Space Groups & Spaces
07:14 - Create a Post Space
09:00 - Customize your Post Space (Feed, List, or Card view)
12:46 - Add Posts
14:05 - Customize Posts
16:57 - Create an Event Space
19:02 - Add an Event or Event Series
21:31 - Customize Events
23:23 - Going live with Zoom in Circle
24:25 - Livestreaming in Circle (native tool)
25:12 - Manage Live Recordings & Video Hosting
25:58 - Add External Links to your sidebar
27:18 - Teachable Integration, SSO, and Integrations
28:21 - Invite Members & Bulk Import
29:10 - Create Member Tags (badges)
30:22 - Direct Messaging & Group Messaging
30:49 - Circle Plans & Pricing (my recommendation)
31:29 - Circle iOS and Android apps
31:40 - Circle vs. Mighty Networks (and other competitors)
34:23 - 2 strategies to launch a new Circle community
First, I'll show you what a Circle community looks like, since you can access it on desktop or via IOS and Android apps.
Second, I'll show you how the setup works, including discussion spaces, event calendars, livestreams, and direct messaging.
And finally, I'll show you how to invite new members into your community, including some bonus tips on how you can scale your online business with paid memberships or student communities.
(2023 update) Since releasing this video, Circle has already come out with a few new features, like courses, and a new pricing structure. You can learn more at witandwire.com/circle.
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// ABOUT WIT & WIRE:
Hey, I'm Melissa! I help online business owners turn their skills and passions into profitable online businesses. I'm a course creation expert (formerly @ Teachable, Ramit Sethi, General Assembly) and I share simple step-by-step tutorials to help you scale your income and impact online doing work you love.
To learn about our programs and services, visit witandwire.com/courses
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🔗 Website: witandwire.com
⭐️ Try Circle for free with a 14-day trial: witandwire.com/circle
DISCLAIMER: This video is sponsored by Circle, but all opinions are my own. (I'm a real, paid product user.) Also, some links on the Wit & Wire UA-cam Channel may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This is at no additional cost to you, so it's a great way to support Wit & Wire. So thank you!
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✨Watch our new, updated Circle tutorial here: ua-cam.com/video/0CLtLGsUgAI/v-deo.html
Or you can get started with your free 14-day trial by visiting witandwire.com/circle
This is the platform the creator community needs. Excited to get started
It's been a great hub for our course members! Best of luck.
Very Helpful! I've been searching for a place to create community outside of Facebook so it can feel more intimate with less distractions but still have the 'fb' vibe that people are already familiar with but that is my own. My Friend knew i was searching and she sent me your video! This helped alot and I'm gonna give it a go! Thank You!
I'm so glad to hear this was helpful! And I totally agree about Facebook being too distracting. The last thing I want to do is a) be on Facebook more, and b) make my community join yet another Facebook group, so Circle has been a great alternative.
If you have any more questions let me know, and tell your friend I said thank you for passing this along! 🥰
What an awesome recap! The badges you created was pretty cool!
Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful.
Great tutorial! super helpful. thanks so much for creating it.
Thank you! I'm so glad it was helpful!
Wonderful video! Thank you for the succinct and well organized information.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found it helpful!
Thank you! This was a great walkthrough video of circle. Think I’m going to give it a try
Awesome! I'm glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this walk through! :)
It's my pleasure!
This is a terrific tutorial. Thanks so much!
I'm so glad it was helpful!
Great video! Subscribed!
Thank you!
Basic Plan cap has changed from 1000 members to ONE-HUNDRED. That's crazy.
I don't mind the price increase (it's now $49), that's expected. But cutting the cap to 1/10th of what it was before is a total deal breaker. Like you, I was intending to keep my courses on another platform. But I have over 500 from the get-go. So for me it's a no-go. Off to Mighty Networks...
You’re right, their plans have changed. I actually just released a refreshed Circle tutorial today with the new plans and features: ua-cam.com/video/0CLtLGsUgAI/v-deo.html
If you’re looking for a budget option, another platform you might be interested in is witandwire.com/heartbeat
Thanks for sharing this
You're welcome! I hope it was helpful!
Fantastic, mahalo piha!
So glad this was helpful!
Do you know if there are limits to video storage? Specifically, if you live stream or load your video after a Zoom group coaching, those videos would take up a great deal of space on a computer. Do you know if Circle limits how much video content you can post in your community? Also, I see live streaming is only available at the higher tier. I"m assuming a Zoom event would be allowed if we are on the lowest tier. Correct?
Great questions. You’re right that Circle’s native livestream tool is only on the Pro Plan (and up), so on Basic, you’d need to use Zoom or another platform to host live events. I can’t find documentation on the max file upload size unfortunately, but I’d recommend visiting witandwire.com/circle and inquiring through their chat box. I know Melissa has personally uploaded videos up to 2 hours with no issue, but there are other factors beyond video length that go into file size. That said, in the event that a file is too large, you can also embed videos hosted in other places (like witandwire.com/loom, which is where she uploads and hosts her longer Zoom meeting recordings). I hope that helps!
Team Wit & Wire
Great videos
Thank you!
If you are using a different course platform like kajabi is there a zapier integration so they can go to your courses from the same app? My members get confused easily and I am looking for a all in one solution. DO you think it is worthwhile to move everything to circle?
Great question! Yes, there is a Zapier-Kajabi integration and here is a quick blog post that details the process: zapier.com/apps/kajabi/integrations/zapier. We really enjoy the functionality that Circle provides, and it's rather user-friendly for students. There are a lot of great platforms out there, and it's really all about preference. Perhaps, you could do a side-by-side comparison here: sellcoursesonline.com/online-course-platform-comparison
Good luck,
Team Wit & Wire
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 🌐 Introduction to Circle Community Platform
- Overview of Circle as an all-in-one community platform.
- Mention of the three essentials to be covered in the tutorial.
02:59 🧩 Community Interface Overview
- Explanation of the Circle community interface, including the sidebar, middle section, and top bar.
- Description of key features like search, notifications, and member directory.
05:59 🚀 Creating Your Circle Community
- Steps to start creating a Circle community, including choosing a name, URL, and privacy settings.
- Mention of custom domain options and the ability to set up paid memberships.
08:58 🧱 Setting Up Spaces in Your Community
- Introduction to the concept of spaces as the building blocks of a Circle community.
- Explanation of how to create space groups and customize space settings.
12:59 📝 Adding and Customizing Posts
- Instructions on adding and customizing posts within a Circle space.
- Explanation of post layout options, meta information, and pinning posts.
16:40 🗓️ Creating Event Spaces and Live Streams
- Demonstration of creating an event space in Circle for hosting live streams and events.
- Overview of event space settings and options for customization.
19:14 📅 Setting up recurring events
- How to create a recurring event in Circle.
- Options for event duration and repetition.
19:28 🌐 Event location and streaming options
- Choosing the event location, including using external tools like Zoom.
- Introduction to Circle's native live streaming option.
19:43 🔴 Recording events
- Importance of keeping the recording toggle checked for events.
- Posting recordings of group coaching calls or workshops.
20:10 👀 Event view options
- Exploring gallery view and speaker view for events.
- Access settings: open vs. private events.
20:24 📢 Event notifications
- Default notification settings for event sign-up and reminders.
- Customizing thank you messages.
21:07 💼 Creating and managing event drafts
- Creating event drafts in Circle and their visibility.
- Editing and publishing events.
21:35 📝 Event details and sharing
- Sharing event links and customizing event details.
- Adding descriptions and cover images to events.
22:29 🎨 Enhancing event appearance
- Adding cover images and descriptions for a visually appealing event.
- Examples of event appearance in Circle.
23:10 📅 Advanced event settings
- Options for changing event settings even after creation.
- Hiding meta information, disabling comments, and more.
23:24 🔄 Editing and managing recurring events
- Editing recurring events, updating series, and individual events.
- Publishing recurring events to the community.
23:51 🖥️ Live streaming options in Circle
- Differentiating between native live streaming and external tools like Zoom.
- Benefits and workflow of using live streaming in Circle.
24:34 🎥 Going live in Circle
- Step-by-step process of going live, including camera and mic options.
- Interacting with participants and managing the stream.
25:18 📹 Recording and sharing event recordings
- Ending a live stream and accessing the recording.
- Options for sharing and integrating recordings into the community.
25:30 📩 Feedback and post-event processing
- Gathering feedback from participants in the community.
- Managing event recordings and their accessibility.
26:13 🔗 Adding external links to your community
- Incorporating external links to websites, channels, or contact information.
- Organizing and rearranging external links within your community.
26:55 🌐 Integration with other tools
- Exploring the integration of Circle with other platforms, such as Teachable.
- Using single sign-on (SSO) for member login convenience.
27:23 👥 Managing and inviting community members
- Inviting members through bulk import or invitation links.
- Enrolling members based on purchases or strategic invitations.
28:06 🏷️ Member tags and gamification
- Utilizing member tags to recognize achievements or engagement.
- Customizing member tags and their display.
29:17 💡 Starting a new community with an MVP approach
- Embracing the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) mentality for community launch.
- Gradually developing and adding features over time.
29:31 📊 Launching with a small audience
- Dispelling the myth of needing a large audience for community launch.
- Starting with a small group for a meaningful experience.
30:42 📲 Mobile apps for Circle communities
- Availability and benefits of iOS and Android apps for Circle communities.
- Enhancing accessibility and engagement on the go.
31:11 💲 Pricing and plan options
- Comparing Circle's basic and professional plans.
- Factors to consider when choosing a plan based on your needs.
32:37 📰 Circle's continuous feature updates
- Highlights Circle's ongoing development and feature enhancements.
- Staying updated with new features and improvements.
34:55 🛠️ Alternative community platforms
- Briefly mentions some alternatives to Circle, including Mighty Networks, MemberPress, Slack, Geneva, and WordPress plugins.
- Offers a personal preference for Circle based on usability and features.
19:14 📅 Setting up recurring events
- How to create a recurring event in Circle.
- Options for event duration and repetition.
19:28 🌐 Event location and streaming options
- Choosing the event location, including using external tools like Zoom.
- Introduction to Circle's native live streaming option.
19:43 🔴 Recording events
- Importance of keeping the recording toggle checked for events.
- Posting recordings of group coaching calls or workshops.
20:10 👀 Event view options
- Exploring gallery view and speaker view for events.
- Access settings: open vs. private events.
20:24 📢 Event notifications
- Default notification settings for event sign-up and reminders.
- Customizing thank you messages.
21:07 💼 Creating and managing event drafts
- Creating event drafts in Circle and their visibility.
- Editing and publishing events.
21:35 📝 Event details and sharing
- Sharing event links and customizing event details.
- Adding descriptions and cover images to events.
22:29 🎨 Enhancing event appearance
- Adding cover images and descriptions for a visually appealing event.
- Examples of event appearance in Circle.
23:10 📅 Advanced event settings
- Options for changing event settings even after creation.
- Hiding meta information, disabling comments, and more.
23:24 🔄 Editing and managing recurring events
- Editing recurring events, updating series, and individual events.
- Publishing recurring events to the community.
23:51 🖥️ Live streaming options in Circle
- Differentiating between native live streaming and external tools like Zoom.
- Benefits and workflow of using live streaming in Circle.
24:34 🎥 Going live in Circle
- Step-by-step process of going live, including camera and mic options.
- Interacting with participants and managing the stream.
25:18 📹 Recording and sharing event recordings
- Ending a live stream and accessing the recording.
- Options for sharing and integrating recordings into the community.
25:30 📩 Feedback and post-event processing
- Gathering feedback from participants in the community.
- Managing event recordings and their accessibility.
26:13 🔗 Adding external links to your community
- Incorporating external links to websites, channels, or contact information.
- Organizing and rearranging external links within your community.
26:55 🌐 Integration with other tools
- Exploring the integration of Circle with other platforms, such as Teachable.
- Using single sign-on (SSO) for member login convenience.
27:23 👥 Managing and inviting community members
- Inviting members through bulk import or invitation links.
- Enrolling members based on purchases or strategic invitations.
28:06 🏷️ Member tags and gamification
- Utilizing member tags to recognize achievements or engagement.
- Customizing member tags and their display.
29:17 💡 Starting a new community with an MVP approach
- Embracing the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) mentality for community launch.
- Gradually developing and adding features over time.
29:31 📊 Launching with a small audience
- Dispelling the myth of needing a large audience for community launch.
- Starting with a small group for a meaningful experience.
30:42 📲 Mobile apps for Circle communities
- Availability and benefits of iOS and Android apps for Circle communities.
- Enhancing accessibility and engagement on the go.
31:11 💲 Pricing and plan options
- Comparing Circle's basic and professional plans.
- Factors to consider when choosing a plan based on your needs.
32:37 📰 Circle's continuous feature updates
- Highlights Circle's ongoing development and feature enhancements.
- Staying updated with new features and improvements.
34:55 🛠️ Alternative community platforms
- Briefly mentions some alternatives to Circle, including Mighty Networks, MemberPress, Slack, Geneva, and WordPress plugins.
- Offers a personal preference for Circle based on usability and features.
Made with HARPA AI
I prefer Kajabi because Circle has many add-on costs. Plus for beginner course makers, it's not very ideal. You have to get the professional business package which is like $199/month. What do you recommend for creators who are just starting out and on a budget? I guess a landing page with clickable e-commerce function? I want to start a writing coach business.
Great question, and I agree that Circle might not be right for everyone depending on what you’re looking for. (Kajabi is an all-in-one business solution and it does have many more features than Circle does. For those curious, I have a 30-day extended trial here: witandwire.com/kajabi)
If you’re on a budget, and Kajabi is out of reach, an alternative could be witandwire.com/systeme which has a free plan.
I hope that helps!
Heartbeat chat
This is really helpful! I'm curious why you haven't moved your courses over to Circle as well instead of Teachable?
Great question! If I were starting from scratch today, I might choose to use only Circle, but since it’s a lot of work to move my existing courses and since I prefer some more intermediate course creation functionality, I don’t plan to personally migrate my courses to Circle. I look forward to keeping an eye on it, though! Who knows, maybe Teachable will roll out a community feature and then I wouldn’t need Circle. I expect in 2023 there will be a lot more overlap between all course platforms and community platforms.
@@witandwire This is so helpful, thank you so much for that insight! We've been comparing a ton of platforms but the course platforms definitely should keep an eye on this community aspect or integrations with discord/slack! Thanks for the response!
Thanks so much . I have just scheduled a call with the circle team to use this feature and now I almost got all details from your video ☺️
Curious if you plan to switch to circle courses feature… I use so many different platforms that I’m gonna merge them all but, want to see a demo 😂
Great question! If I were starting from scratch today, I think I’d choose either Circle (witandwire.com/circle) or Thinkific (witandwire.com/thinkfiic) since they currently have the most well-rounded set of both course and community tools. But since it’s a lot of work to change tools, and since I prefer some more intermediate course creation functionality, I don’t think I’ll personally migrate my courses to Circle. I look forward to keeping an eye on it, though!
Hi! When I post a picture in my post (or actually the header) it gets very blurry. Any idea what this could be?
I am still in the trial period, maybe that is the reason
Great question! I have a feeling it might be the wrong image size? Circle recommends 840 x 300 for post header images, and a .png will most likely be the highest quality option. It's just a guess, but I hope that helps!
Hi, thank you for this. Just a quick couple of questions...is there a limit on the number of people who can join your community and also do they have to be paid members as well?
Great question. You can have free and/or paid users, and Circle counts them equally toward your limits. You can see the different plan options here: witandwire.com/circle
Thank you@@witandwire. That was useful but I cannot seem to find any information regarding the ceiling for members per plan. Would you kindly be able to share that information with me?
Oh they did increase their prices.. Probably due to inflation... LOL But thank you for the tutorial, super useful. A little sad for the pricing as an increase could be debatable, but a lot of value and things to be done nonetheless.
I'm glad the tutorial was helpful!
Cool
Circle is pretty cool!
Does it allow you create landing pages, opt-in page, send out newsletters and campaigns? I have all of these on another platform and looking to transition all my sale funnels pages to circle.
Great question! Circle isn’t an email marketing platform, so features like opt-in pages and newsletters are going to be outside of their capability.
They do have the option to build simple sales pages that correspond with individual courses or memberships built with Circle, but they are very basic. Most people I know who use Circle are building pages elsewhere, for example, on their own Squarespace/WordPress website.
I know it’s not the answer you’re hoping for, but hopefully it helps.
Hi! I Actually can't change the layout of a space, do you know a reason to this perhaps? Can a space only have one form of layout or can each section has its own?
Great question. Depending on what you’re trying to do, it could be one of two things:
1. When you create a Space, you have to choose a Space Type (ex: Posts, Events, Course). Once selected, you can’t change the type later.
2. Depending on the Space Type, they don’t all have different layouts. (It’s really only Posts that has different options, like Card view, Feed view, etc.)
I hope that helps, but if not I’d recommend asking the Circle support team.
Thank you for this tutorial. If a member cancels their membership, will what they wrote in the discussions go away? Will their picture remain? Will it say "past member" or something like that? Thank you.
Great question! I’d love to know the answer to this as well!
Great question! Yes, their previous comments will remain, but if you click into their profile, they’ll be shown as deleted. They can be reactivated in the future and their original profile can be restored.
Team Wit & Wire
@@witandwire Thank you. But will the picture also remain if they cancel?
The profile picture does seem to remain, unless the person deletes their picture prior to leaving.
Hi! I have a question, when the member use a third party software to record a video can it be trace by circle? Or is there any way to know who's the member recorded the online course?
If I understand the question, I believe the answer is no. Circle doesn’t have a recording tool, and they also don’t have a tracking tool.
😍
😊
hi! I am sending a invitation link out to my soon to be memberships and they are all having same issues with signing up. They say its not letting them create an account / not sending verification codes. I hope this makes sense! Any tips on how to get them to sign up?
Great question. Since this is a technical question, I recommend reaching out to Circle’s support team (support@circle.so) so they can take a closer look.
- Spring, Team Wit & Wire ✨
Is it possible to download videos from the native live stream and e.g. upload to UA-cam?
Great question. Yes, you can download the recordings from your Circle livestreams and use those files in other editing & publishing platforms (like UA-cam).
@@witandwire That's awesome thank you!
Is there a way to change an email address in Circle? Or do you have to start a totally new account with a new email address?
You can change your own email address by editing your profile. (You can click on your user avatar on the top right and “Edit profile.“)
could you compare this with Skool?
Great question. I’ll add the idea for a Skool review to my list, but generally, they are direct competitors with a lot of similar features. Skool’s community includes only one forum while Circle gives you multiple spaces. Skool has a leaderboard function. They definitely have differences, and I’m guessing various business owners will have their own preferences.
Can we set prices like monthly subscription here?
Yes, you can set monthly recurring subscriptions for members.
✨See the latest new features - now including course creation! - and try Circle free with a 14-day trial at witandwire.com/circle
Can circle be integrated with teachable or Wix?
Great question! Circle (witandwire.com/circle) and Teachable (witandwire.com/teachable) have a native integration, so they don’t require another tool to connect them. On the other hand, if you have a Wix site, you likely don’t need a formal integration to also use Circle. They would live side-by-side, where Wix builds your website and Circle houses your community (and possibly your courses). It’s a bit tough to explain without a demo, but the short answer is that all three should be able to work together. I hope this helps!
Team Wit & Wire
Its January 2023 now, is the course feature operational yet? 🙏
Yes, it’s now live! If you start a free trial via witandwire.com/circle, you should be able to test out the course building tool on the Pro plan.
Team Wit & Wire
Is it possible to create a breakout rooms?
Great question. Circle’s live rooms don’t have the breakout feature that you might be familiar with in Zoom, but they do have Circle Rooms (which are similar to Zoom’s regular features). We actually have an updated tutorial here if interested: ua-cam.com/video/0CLtLGsUgAI/v-deo.htmlsi=M9Z3-3z_ELBlr808
I would love to use this software but unfortunately it is pricey
I certainly understand. While Circle helps to streamline systems, it may not be right for everyone; especially depending on what other platforms you may be paying for, but for the right business owner, it’s a great tool. As a free alternative, I usually recommend Slack or Geneva. Hope this helps!
Thanks,
Team Wit & Wire
Introduce yrself first like normal person omg ! does it really take that long omg ! so lame
Facebook?
Can you elaborate please?
@@witandwire I was just wondering wonderful about your thoughts on Circle versus a Facebook group. Thank you.