Today, Khoros announces the launch of a game-changing new version of the Khoros Communities solution. With powerful new tools and features, the Aurora version empowers users to create more engaging member experiences and fully integrate community into their digital ecosystem.  Read the full announcement here. Key advancements and features of this update include: Simple setup, endless potential: Communities deployed and evolved faster with minimal setup services required, using a robust set of expertly designed and preconfigured templates.   Drag-and-drop design: Easily customize page layouts, navigation, and make design changes to your community with a new drag-and-drop interface that eliminates the need for custom code.   Elevated insights: Surfacing insights is easier and more enjoyable with a wholly redesigned Analytics app within Administrator Settings. Updated insights include new analytics APIs, health and engagement metrics, reports, and more.   AI-enhanced moderation: Supercharge community management with workflow automation, organization, and AI-driven content filters that let you spend more time on strategy and less on routine tasks.   A more open, flexible platform: Build exclusive community experiences and custom integrations without limits using an evolved API-first architecture with a robust new GraphQL layer.   Enhanced member experience: Increase engagement with beautiful, responsive, and accessible end-user experiences powered by an updated web application framework.   Peering into the next generation: Benefits of Aurora  The features offered by the Aurora version will help shape a new reality for online communities — adding immense value and new workflows that revolutionize the way that community is deployed, managed, and scaled.  Improved productivity for community managers  The platform’s drag-and-drop design empowers community managers to make changes on the fly without involving outside teams like IT. An out-of-the-box setup with preconfigured templates enables users to start making progress in their community faster. AI-enhanced moderation and workflow automation enhance efficiency on back-end moderation tasks.   Decrease the total cost of ownership This new version of Khoros Communities offers improved ease of use and pre-packaged setup that vastly reduces the need for paid implementation services.    Prove ROI and empower data-driven decisions  In using elevated insights such as new analytics dashboards, widgets, and APIs, community teams can take more informed actions and get on-demand insight into what is and isn’t resonating with customers. Moreover, the next generation of Khoros Communities enables faster, more focused innovation with a bulk-data API and community firehose that feeds data to analytics engines like Microsoft Power BI.   Extend the reach and impact of a brand-owned community The redesigned platform architecture contains an API-first approach and updated developer workflows to make it faster and easier to build custom integrations, meaning users can connect to the entire tech stack and leverage valuable community data throughout the journey.   Empower impactful member experiences  Above all, this new version empowers community managers to accelerate organic growth by attracting new community members and keeping them with faster, easier-to-use, and more impactful member experiences.   How to Get Started with the Next Generation of Khoros Communities Contact your dedicated account executive or customer success manager to learn more about the new version of Khoros Communities. You can also get up-to-speed on the update using our Getting Started Guides or by taking a tour of Aurora. Check out additional customer training and support resources on the Community Aurora page, and stay tuned as we release more learning opportunities in the coming months. ... View more

In today's dynamic online community landscape, staying informed about the latest trends, challenges, and best practices is crucial for community leaders who seek lasting success. Discover the valuable insights and recommendations in The Community Roundtable's 14th annual report, The State of Community Management 2023, tailored specifically for community leaders. This report is a goldmine of tactics and strategies to enhance your strategic community planning and ensure your online community remains effective. We highly recommend you take a dive into the full report to get all the best insights, but here we’ve provided the top takeaway to help your community thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape.   Harness the power of evangelism    With the myriad of responsibilities shouldered by community managers, internal evangelism often takes a backseat. However, simply advocating for the value of a community may not be enough. It's imperative that the community manager isn't the sole voice singing the praises of the community within the organization. In The Community Roundtable’s research, 90% of best-in-class communities surveyed reported positive perceptions from executives. So how do you foster this support from leadership? Start by coordinating efforts and identifying team members who can act as champions to get support from middle management and executives. Holding the interest of stakeholders is essential to the long-term success of any community program.  Why is internal buy-in so important? To start, building a thriving community is difficult. Not every business considers it a necessity, and some stakeholders may view it as a nice-to-have rather than a mandatory investment of time and resources. Tailoring your communication to different teams within the organization is key. For example, marketers tend to care about how a community can grow its audience or generate positive sentiment, while product teams care more about how the community will help them receive feedback from customers and further innovation. When each department understands its role in community building, they can allocate the necessary efforts and resources for a healthy and successful community. Above all, never stop evangelizing — seize any opportunity to speak to others within your organization about your community program. Although this can be challenging with the growing prevalence of remote work, make sure to communicate your message whenever and wherever possible. The more community evangelists who understand the language of community, the easier it becomes to promote the program throughout the organization. Take advantage of The State of Community Management 2023 to stay up-to-date on community management best practices, trends, and strategies. Download the full report here to learn how to navigate impending challenges and lead your online community to thrive in the months and years ahead. ... View more

  June 29th, 2023 | 1pm ET | 12pm CT | 10am PT   Join us Thursday, June 29th, 2023, for the State of Community Management 2023 webinar with The Community Roundtable. Don't miss highlights from the 14th annual State of Community Management research!   Join Jim Storer, The Community Roundtable, Kelly Stocker, Senior Community Strategist at Khoros, and Michael Puhala, as they discuss the State of Community Management 2023 report. They'll explore key findings, community trends, and ideas for improving your online community. A recorded archive will be sent to all registrants within 24 hours of the event.    ... View more

  Did you know that 80% of customer interactions that start on digital channels still end up moving to another channel, live agent, or even phone? When customers have to jump from channel to channel just to get a resolution – something isn’t working quite right. In our newest three-part video series, Khoros Senior Business Value Consultant, Lans Crauer, sat down with Senior Analyst at Forrester, Vasu Srinivasan to get her expertise on omnichannel – where brands are failing, and what they can be doing to get it right. Watch the first video in our series now! Register to receive exclusive emails when our second and third videos launch later this month.  ... View more