The year is finally drawing to a close, and with 2021 on the horizon we can hopefully look forward to a return to normality in the near future.

We all spent a great deal of time indoors during 2020, a major blow to many industries and our entire way of life as we knew it. Online communities have proven to be more important than ever, helping to keep us all connected during one of the most challenging years for generations.

In the meantime, we also published a lot of community content to keep you in the loop. Our team worked on some fantastic content this year - but which pieces resonated with you the most? Here’s a recap of some of our greatest hits from 2020.

Zapnito solutions - events, membership and knowledge communities

Our most-viewed content of the year came in video form, courtesy of the Marketing and Solutions teams. In this video, we take a look at three use cases for the Zapnito platform - namely, event organizers, membership managers and knowledge-sharing industries. Online communities can make an impact across a variety of sectors, and this piece illustrates exactly how.

The time is now for expert networks and micro-consulting

Creating expert networks is another key element of what we do. But what’s the difference between an expert network and an online community? In this piece, we examine the crucial differences that set these two concepts apart and how bringing experts together can provide on-demand access to real trusted expertise that can otherwise be hard to find.

The coronavirus’ impact on the events industry demonstrates the importance of an online-only solution

A timely piece of content if ever there was one, this article on the need for online alternatives for standard events was published just days before the world went into lockdown. Since then, online events have become the new normal. Even as we look forward to the return of in-person events in 2021, we are more likely to see the rise of hybrid events that combine the best of both formats. Online events are here to stay, and the industry will never be the same again.

The Social Dilemma: a wake-up call for brands to own their communities

Netflix's documentary The Social Dilemma painted a chilling picture of the internet we know today. Naturally, this meant it struck a chord with millions of viewers in a society whose trust in technology has waned rapidly over the past few years. This piece highlights the need to return to collective intelligence with trusted brands and experts if we are to avoid the catastrophic effects of continuing to hand over our data to untrustworthy companies.

The ROI of online event communities

For years, the events industry has talked of harnessing the technology that is available to us to create a community that is active all year round, as opposed to merely the 1-5 days of annual events. Now, however, there is no other option. Virtual events are not going away anytime soon, making now the time to adapt and get on board. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing; in this article from September, we explore the potential ROI of moving events online and how it could benefit the industry in the long term.

We hope you enjoyed our community content in 2020 and we’re excited to bring you more news, insight and analysis in the year ahead. 2021 is going to be a big year for Zapnito and we’ll be sharing our progress with you every step of the way. From all of us, have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year.