??Issue 9: New Members, Now

Welcome to the 9th issue of Community Memo!?

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This month, we are covering community growth - inspired by 'Growth Outliers' and smart marketing.

Steady, predictable growth is so rare that Rita McGrath calls companies showing such characteristics 'growth outliers.'

In a sea of nearly 5,000 companies, McGrath found only 8% achieved a consistent 5% YoY growth over five years, and when we look at a decade, just 10 made the cut.

Her team listed the practices shared by these ‘growth outliers,’ and we were not too surprised to see many of these practices can be repurposed to grow an online community.?

Let’s see how we can use McGrath’s insights for community growth.?

Small bets and diversification: Test out various strategies on a smaller scale before going all in. You might experiment with different engagement methods, such as gamification, exclusive content, webinars, or collaborative projects. Monitor reactions, and double down on the most successful initiatives.

Embrace speed and flexibility: Adaptability is a community's lifeblood. Quick adjustments based on feedback or trends are crucial. This could be as simple as adjusting content calendars on the fly to respond to hot topics or modifying engagement strategies based on what resonates with your audience.

Stability in high-level strategies: Although testing out different tactics is recommended, when it comes to high-level strategies, stick to your core vision. This doesn't mean not being responsive or adaptive but rather ensuring that any changes are still anchored in your community's overarching goals and values.

Avoid dramatic sunsets: Just as high-growth companies avoid sudden exits, online communities should also avoid abrupt changes that could disrupt the community culture or member expectations. For instance, if you need to phase out a particular discussion category due to dwindling interest, do so gradually while introducing new ones based on emerging community interests.

Hold on to your talent: Nurture community leaders, moderators, and active contributors to grow within your community. This could mean giving them new responsibilities, acknowledging their contributions, or offering opportunities for them to lead initiatives.

Check out the full article here to learn more about the shared characteristics of growth outliers.?

Anyone in the community management space can tell you that growing an online customer community and bringing in new members can sometimes feel like assembling a puzzle without the picture. But, the entire experience is rewarding when it clicks.

Smart marketing strategies can help you crack the code. Here’s a list of these strategies to give you a head start.

Website and sign-up strategies

Community landing page

Create a dedicated landing page to convey the value and benefits of your community for members, highlight social proofs and provide a link to join.??

Frictionless signup process

Apart from a sign-up form, provide Single Sign-On so your customers can join the community via their existing credentials for your app or website. Also, consider providing social login options so they can join with their LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google accounts. This streamlines the sign-up process and eliminates password fatigue.?

Add a sign-up wall

Make your community indexable by search engines, but only show a small portion of the community content to non-members. Trigger visitors to join before they can read the full content.?

Building initial momentum:

Seed the community

Seed your community with content and showcase that there is some engagement. This prompts the new members to join your community and take part in the discussions. A successful example is Quora -- the founders spent considerable resources in seeding the community by posting questions and answers.

Run email campaigns

If you have a list of subscribers or a customer base, you could connect your CRM to run campaigns and invite the members to your community.

Leverage social media

Promote your community content on popular social media sites, and if budget allows, run ad campaigns to enhance visibility. Also, consider leveraging niche online communities like Product Hunt for wider audience exposure and quicker member acquisition.

Integrate community with your website and product

Embed your contextual community content into your website or app to improve visibility into your community and highlight the value of your community content.??

Provide incentives

Allow the members to acquire virtual currencies by creating high-quality content and helping with member growth. This virtual currency should be redeemable by the members so they can purchase real products and services.

Leverage marketing channels

Work with influencers

Every industry has its own set of influencers who can influence the buying decision. Work with the influencers to tap into their follower base by co-creating content -- from interviews and AMA sessions to online events.

Plug in referral programs

Incentivize the members to invite people from their own network. Even without incentives, you can get members to share your community via carefully crafted messages. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways to spread the word and scale member acquisition.

Read the full article here for more details on growing your community by improving retention and establishing partnerships.?

Top jobs for CMGRs

If you are looking for a new community management role, check out these remote opportunities too!

? Community Manager @ Ribbon

Industry: Software Development

? Head of Community - Blockchain Game @ CryptoRecruit

Industry: Computer Games

? Sr. Community Manager & Organizer @ Bixal

Industry: Business Consulting and Services

Fun stuff