Do you want to search in all categories or in this category ?
Everything you need to know to make your Hub profile look top-notch!
Onboarding your Hub to Mereka Connect is an exciting journey and we’re sure you want your profile to shine! In this article you’ll find handy tips on how to make your Hub stand out, as well as important guidelines to ensure a successful review outcome.
We recommend that you read the article alongside this how-to, so that each step of your Hub onboarding process runs flawlessly!
Your Hub's business card is the “face” of your Hub, and therefore one of the most important sections of your profile. Here’s what you should keep in mind:
The information contained in your Hub's business card should be complete and up-to-date. Make sure to include links to all active social media channels so that users can get a holistic picture of your activities and services. This will also allow your users to spread awareness about your Hub!
Your profile picture should be your Hub’s logo with a 1:1 ratio (square image).
Your cover photo should be of high quality and a 4:1 ratio (landscape header image). To learn more about our photo requirements and tips for the Hub profile, please follow this link.
This is another important feature of your Hub’s “face”. You may use the description published on any of your social media channels. Below are the dos and don’ts for an informative and engaging description:
DO
Make your description concise – the optimum length is 100-200 words / 1000 characters.
Use friendly and welcoming language so that your audience feels like you’re talking to them.
Structure your points into small paragraphs.
Divide your description into logical parts. We suggest 1) an introduction and background of your business (including the intro of your team), 2) an overview of the Experiences and/or Spaces that your Hub offers, and 3) a conclusion and invitation to join.
In the introduction and background section, welcome users and provide general information on what your Hub does. You may include a captivating founding story, your mission or perhaps the features that make your Hub unique.
Next, briefly describe the Experiences and Spaces you intend to offer your users.
In conclusion, invite your audience to join the Hub or use its services (e.g. book a Space or Experience). You may also specify your target audience (e.g. “We are open to budding entrepreneurs!”).
DON’T
Write a lengthy description that exceeds 250 words / 1000 characters OR a very short description which is only 1 sentence long.
Make your description too general or abstract – the information should be clear and straightforward so that your users know what to expect.
Make your description dry and lacking interaction with the audience.
Hesitate to have fun and be humorous with your description! Think of the description as your Hub’s first conversation with a potential user - how would you pique their interest and make a lasting impression on them?
The following 3 focus areas have been identified based on the existing Mereka Connect Hub community categories:
Creativity
Sustainability
Digital Economy
If you believe your Hub's focus area doesn't fall under either of the above categories, please skip this question and inform us about your suggestions via [email protected] or by clicking the following link.
Yes, definitely (you may even tick them all)! For example, if your Hub offers workshops and talks as Experiences, alongside education Spaces, feel free to select all of these service types in the form.
Additional tags serve as keywords for users to understand better what you do. Tags are optional but we highly encourage you to specify at least 2. For example, if your Hub is an art gallery, your tags can be "Creativity" and "Visual Art". These will help with searchability too!
To make your profile complete, we recommend that you populate the operating hours section, your Hub location (or its absence) notwithstanding. If your Hub is an online platform, for instance, please indicate your operating hours as "24 hours" all days of the week.
Since this question is optional, our team is flexible on the type of Hub intro videos you may include. Our suggestions can be found below:
Your organization's background and story
Greetings from the team
Footage from your Hub's Experiences and Spaces
The recommended video link format is a YouTube URL.
We recommend uploading 3-5 gallery photos that highlight the different aspects of your Hub. Images may include your Hub's facilities, team members or footage of your services (Experiences or Spaces).
Please make sure to include the photos of various ratios (both portrait and landscape). The Hub gallery would be built based on the original images’ ratios, so the more diverse they are the better! To learn more about our photo guidelines for Hubs, please read this.
Our team is flexible in terms of defining the types of projects that might be relevant to your Hub profile. However, we do suggest including either of the following to showcase your best achievements to both your users and peers in the Hub community:
Past programs (educational, creative, etc.) that your organization helped conduct and/or actively participated in
Involvement in government projects/grants
Partnership with other organizations/businesses
Past services that were a success (e.g. successful workshops or talks that your Hub conducted)
Once you've submitted your Hub form, we will begin the review process. This will take between 1-2 business days, after which you will be notified of your application outcome via email.
In the case that you have submitted an incomplete form, the Mereka Connect team will request you to edit your submission and provide additional information. Please ensure you populate your profile within 1-2 weeks to avoid compromising your application. In case your Hub profile remains incomplete for 1 month, Mereka Connect reserves the right to archive it.
If your Hub profile is complete, it will be made live on the platform as soon as possible. You will also be informed of your next steps via email. We wish you all the best on your Hub onboarding journey!
