The ace community builder Nadia Patel Gangjee talked to us on creating and running Sheops. She also talked to us about what sets a facebook community from others.
What do you think sets your community apart from others?
Sheops, then known as The Women’s Marketplace, was the pioneer of women’s online buy/sell communities in Pakistan, even before Facebook launched the buy/sell feature on groups. Initially it was difficult to introduce and explain terminologies like ‘Preloved’ and ‘ISO – In Search Of’ in the local market, which have been adapted very well and used commonly on social media these days.
What sets Sheops apart from dozens of buy/sell groups that have cropped up now, is a multitude of factors including a connected web-platform where women can buy/sell without the fear of fraud and assurance of 100% product authenticity, with money back guarantee, our marketing efforts and collaborations with various organizations locally and internationally to highlight women entrepreneurs associated with Sheops. Even our Facebook community has a highly curated audience, moderated content with clear guidelines, and is free from religious and racial biases. The best part is the community feel where most members feel personally connected, share stories and inspire each other to grow.
In your experience, what is the audience looking for when they join communities on Facebook?
I feel members are looking for safe, closed online spaces where they can share ideas, have discussions around topics of common interest or issues, buy and sell to each other or work around organizing an activity. There are many great online communities in Pakistan, from emotional support and economic empowerment groups for women to ones focusing on entrepreneurship, technology, travel, education, parenting, animal rights, food and many more. With the buy/sell feature for Facebook groups that was launched over a year ago, there has been a massive increase in buy/sell communities on Facebook too.
Read the complete feature here
Be the first to comment