For many people we are all connected to our friends and family through social media. We are updated on major life events and get to celebrate with others all within minutes thanks to social media. With many opportunities to be connected online we often find ourselves amerced in digital communities.
Based upon the communities we actively participate in, in person can be integrated into online platforms. One community I actively participate in both in person and online is my sorority. We have events hosted where we are given the opportunity to interact with our members on a weekly basis. However, most of our interaction takes place online, and in the form of Facebook conversations. Being apart of a sorority has given me the opportunity to see and understand what it looks like to be an active participant in a community.
With a sorority in general you are apart of not just your chapter community but an entire international community made up of sisters. Having a platform like Facebook to keep track of everyone and create conversation proves to be beneficial.
Sisters share everything from experiences to t-shirts. and being apart of the Alpha Delta Pi T-shirt Exchange Facebook is just one example of a digital community I am an active participant in. This community is a great example of user generated content. From sisters sharing there own t-shirt designs, from others selling “vintage” Adpi memorabilia gets everyone actively participating.
One of the unique aspects of this online community is it is members only. Only active or alumni members of the sorority are allowed to take part in this community. This may seam harsh to anyone hearing about it but to the members of the Adpi community both in person and digitally it is a privilege. Another unique aspect of this community is we are given the opportunity to interact and buy and trade with sisters all over the nation and Canada. This is a really great appeal to sisters who are looking to network or just make a new friend.
Most of the topic of conversation among the community members shifts to the buying and selling of t-shirts, and the trading of Adpi memorabilia. We also talk about the different events we are hosting as chapters and different philanthropic ventures we are doing for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
One brand that has come to be apart of this community is University Tees. 
University Tees has brand ambassadors that are Adpi members. The job of the brand ambassadors is to design and share shirts that are available to order for the Adpi community members. The brand ambassadors also reach out to see what designs we want to see as community members. This opens up the opportunity for us as members to create and share user generated content. Another benefit of having ambassadors in the community is they have the ability to actually to create and execute the shirt design for sales.
Being apart of a digital community is something that provides value to any organization and encourages members to be actively participating in person and online.
Life According To Alex 