As a mentor to pre-published romance authors, choosing the right platform for community coaching has been a game-changer for me as a coach and for my community members who are achieving their publishing goals more quickly and with less anxiety than we all experienced trying to connect on platforms that just didn’t facilitate connection.
The right software can enhance your ability to guide your clients, foster a supportive community, and streamline your coaching process.
Today, I’m comparing the three platforms I’ve personally used to build online communities and support writers: Circle, Teachable, and Mighty Networks.Β
Teachable: the course creation powerhouse
Teachable was the first platform I used for my coaching business, primarily for its robust course creation tools. However, I quickly found that its limited community features necessitated the use of additional tools to foster meaningful connections, which was far from ideal for creating a cohesive and engaged coaching environment.
Pros of Teachable
- Course creation tools: Teachable excels in providing tools for creating and selling online courses. It offers a range of templates and customization options to create engaging courses.
- Payment processing: Teachable handles payment processing, making it easy to sell courses and manage payments without additional hassle.
- Student management: The platform offers solid student management features, allowing you to track progress, communicate with students, and manage enrollments effectively.
Cons of Teachable
- Limited community features: Teachable is primarily a course platform. Its community features are limited compared to Circle, making it less suitable for fostering ongoing engagement and interaction.
- Less flexibility: The platform is more rigid in terms of customization and does not offer as many options for creating a vibrant community space.
- Higher fees: While Teachable’s course creation tools are powerful, they come with higher fees, especially if you want access to premium features.
Cost
- $59 … $159 … $249/month, depending on the options you want.
Mighty Networks: a blend of courses and community
Mighty Networks was the second platform I turned to, and it helped our community grow to over 1,600 members. Despite this impressive growth, the platform didn’t quite deliver the level of engagement I had hoped for, making it challenging to cultivate a truly vibrant and interactive community.
Pros of Mighty Networks
- Community-centric: Mighty Networks is designed to build communities around your content. It offers various features to engage members, such as discussion forums, events, and groups.
- Course integration: Unlike Circle, Mighty Networks offers built-in course creation tools, allowing you to combine community engagement with structured learning.
- Mobile app: The platform provides a mobile app, making it easy for members to stay connected on the go.
Cons of Mighty Networks
- Complexity: Mighty Networks can be complex to set up and manage, especially if you’re not tech-savvy. Its wide array of features can be overwhelming.
- Engagement tools: While it offers community features, they are not as sophisticated or intuitive as those found in Circle.
- Pricing structure: Mighty Networks can become costly as you scale your community and add more features.
Cost
- $119 … $219 … $360/month, depending on the options you want.
Circle: where community meets coaching
Circle is the third and final community platform I’ve used, and it has been a game-changer for my coaching business. Designed specifically to meet the needs of community-builders and coaches, Circle excels in fostering engagement and connection. With its comprehensive features tailored for group masterminds and transformative events, Circle perfectly aligns with my vision of creating a supportive and interactive community.
Pros of Circle
- Engagement-focused design: Circle is built with community engagement at its core. Its intuitive interface encourages interaction, making it easy for members to connect, share insights, and support each other.
- Customization: Circle allows you to tailor your community to fit your brand and coaching style. You can create spaces for different topics, set up private coaching groups, and organize events seamlessly.
- Integration capabilities: Circle integrates smoothly with other tools you might already be using, such as Zoom for live coaching sessions, and various email marketing services. This ensures a cohesive experience for both you and your members.
- Monetization options: With Circle, you can offer various membership tiers, paid courses, and exclusive content, providing flexible monetization strategies to support your business growth.
- Member analytics: Circle provides detailed analytics to help you understand member engagement, identify active participants, and tailor your coaching strategies accordingly.
Cons of Circle
- Learning curve: While Circle is user-friendly, it does have a learning curve. It might take some time to explore all the features and customize them to your needs.
- Cost: Circle can be more expensive than some other platforms, but the investment is absolutely justified by its comprehensive features and robust community-building tools.
Cost
- $49 … $99 … $219 … $399/month, depending on the options you want. (I use the $99 level and have all the features I need to support my community in a meaningful and robust way.)
Why Circle is the best option for coaches
For coaches who want to foster a vibrant, engaged community, I believe Circle stands out as the absolute best option.
Its focus on community engagement, coupled with its robust customization and integration capabilities, make it ideal for creating a supportive environment where your members can thrive. Although it may have a bit of a learning curve to set up (embrace the mentality of iterating to awesome!), the benefits Circle offers in terms of member engagement, analytics, and monetization far outweigh these drawbacks.
Circle empowers you to build a community that not only learns from you but also grows together, making it the perfect platform for coaching success.