Growing Your Local Community Through Facebook

When The Vital Force created the official T’ai Chi Chih Facebook (fb) page () a few years ago, the intention was to foster community by providing a place where practitioners could learn more about TCC and discuss their experiences. We also wanted it to be a worldwide springboard for connection with TCC’s awesome website (), where students could learn about Justin Stone and locate an accredited teacher.

I have been gratified at the response: We have almost 2,000 followers interacting with our daily posts. Through fb, I have gotten to know practitioners around the world, and I’ve practiced with students while vacationing in the Netherlands and England. Now, at conference, I look forward to seeing “old” fb friends I’ve never met in person.

People wrote to Justin to express their gratitude for TCC and to ask him practice questions; now they post their appreciation and questions on fb to the entire community. TCC teachers answer questions from students in remote places who are learning TCC via Justin’s dvd, textbook and the app, and thus have no teacher to consult. I have been touched and inspired by the impact TCC has.

I recently created a fb page for my local community (), adapting what worked well on other general fb group pages. A number of other TCC teachers have since started local TCC pages; some follow a similar template, others don’t.

Here are some things to consider when establishing a local TCC fb page:

Apostrophe or Not? Although we always use an apostrophe and the trademark symbol when referring to “T’ai Chi Chih®” in print, we do not use these symbols in website names or fb page names, in accordance with the generally accepted Internet naming conventions. This is important: we want people to find both the official page and all of our local pages when they search on the web for “tai chi chih” or “taichichih.” Start your page name with “Tai Chi Chih” (rather than your geographic area) to ensure it shows up with the other TCC fb pages.

Include your Community Location: I suggest naming (or renaming) your fb page to identify it specifically with your geographic location: city or town (or even a neighborhood within a metropolis), county, region, state… For example, I teach in two contiguous cities with active TCC teachers in two adjoining cities, so I named my page broadly: “Tai Chi Chih Ventura County CA.” Please include the state postal abbreviation in the name (i.e., Houston TX; Lake Charles LA).

Think Future, Think Big: Decide whether your page is just for your classes or if it’s for classes and events in your area. Envision lots of accredited TCC teachers everywhere. Laying the groundwork for growth means being as inclusive as possible. I wouldn’t stake a general claim on a large region unless you are willing to share the page with other area teachers. Since my page is for my entire county, I invite local teachers to administer the page with me (i.e., it is not just to advertise my classes). Another fb TCC pioneer, Deanna Rasch, is the only teacher in Richmond, Virginia; her fb page is named “T’ai Chi Chih RVA.” She administers it but allows anyone interested in TCC to post. You can always designate your page just for your classes: “Tai Chi Chih with [your name].”

Stick to TCC: Following Justin’s directive, please don’t mix information about other practices with TCC, even if you teach/do other wonderful practices. Although I teach yoga, I do not discuss yoga or advertise my yoga classes on my TCC community’s fb page.

Designating your Page, Defining your Audience: Deanna set up the Richmond, Virginia, page as a “public group” where students can chat with each other without an administrative intermediary. This allows them to use the page to set up informal practice sessions and get together outside of class. I set up mine as a “community” page administered jointly by me, and any local TCC teacher who wants to help. I invite all local teachers to post their own class information.

Post Daily: It’s important. You can post original content (class announcements, local teacher bios, photos, practice tips), and you can share content from other TCC pages. It takes about five minutes to keep my page current, fresh and interesting. Photographic posts attract more eyeballs; inviting questions encourages engagement.

Clarity in Speaking: FB allows the page administrator to post and/or comment as him or herself or as the administrator of the page. When you are expressing an opinion or a personal experience, post as yourself. Post as the administrator when you are posting info of general interest to all.

Please check out all the local TCC fb pages and provide feedback to their administrators; they appreciate it. It is my hope that every local community will have an fb page. Adopt and adapt content from the pages you enjoy. If you would like further guidance, please contact me via fb messenger. Help create another lively, meaningful place for people to gather online to share the Chi. If we build it, they will come. Have fun!