In today’s overly connected world, more than ever, zoning in and finding community is key. People want to block out the noise and find a sense of belonging and their ‘crowd’.
Whatever industry you’re launching in, even if it isn’t traditionally known for community engagement (e.g. Fintech, Legal, B2B Saas), building a loyal customer base now heavily relies on creating a space where people feel personally invested in your product.
The companies that are killing the marketing game right now are the ones that have a 360 community where their customers feel as though their participation in the community somewhat makes them a part of the business.
Community = connection & belonging = loyalty = returns & growth
But how can you launch this and start building a growing community from scratch in the early stage without allocating too much $? It all begins by understanding your users and empowering them to become advocates for your brand.
Here’s how you can tap into the power of community to organically grow your startup in the early-stage:
1. What is your Why? Build a Strategy First
Before diving into community-building, take a step back and define your strategy.
Are you building a community just because everyone else is doing it? Are you looking to drive product adoption, increase brand awareness, or create a supportive/collaborative network for your users? Is it a combination? Set clear KPIs and objectives, whether that’s the number of users, engagement rates, or conversions.
While you should avoid the ‘spray and pray’ approach, testing new outlets in the early days to assess what works is a good idea (more on this later). However, be strategic, focused, and intentional. When you build with purpose, your community will have a clear reason to exist.
Related Read: Debunking 5 MENA Venture Building Myths
2. Personal Branding is a Non-Negotiable (but remember to be authentic)
The rise of personal brands has shifted how customers engage with products. They no longer just buy products, they instead often connect with the people and companies behind the product on social media first – whether it be LinkedIn, Instagram, Newsletters etc.
This trend isn’t just for industries like beauty or fitness, where personal connections have always been an important marketing strategy.
In the startup space, regardless of sector, human nature and the rise of lifestyle content means customers want the inside scoop. They want to know the story behind the product, the ins and outs of how the founder, who looks like you and I, went from 0-1, the struggles they overcame, and how their mission aligns with their own values.
Whether you’re developing a piece of software, launching an AI-driven service, or growing an e-commerce product, your story is the driving force behind your growth. Build emotional connections through stories your audience can relate to.
As soon as you open LinkedIn, you’re bombarded by thought leaders, expert opinions on the latest topic, and everyone pretty much acting like they know it all. But there is space for everyone.
Even if it’s something you’re not comfortable doing, get comfortable. But remember to always be authentic.
If you have nothing to share one week, but have a lot to say the next, that’s okay. It’s very easy to tell when content is AI-driven vs. authentically written. Don’t forget your values for your brand.
If people can trust you as a founder and your team as experts, you’re already one step ahead when the time comes to launch your community.
3. Leverage Your Existing User Research
Before diving headfirst into building a community, utilize the insights already gathered from your product and strategy work e.g. prototype testing, persona mapping, and user research interviews.
What have potential customers and users already told you? Your existing user research will help you understand who your community members are and what they care about. This is cost and time-effective.
The key is to align your community-building efforts with what your users want. Your customer personas are real people with real problems. So when building your community, make sure you’re focusing on the pain points and interests that matter most to your target audience.
How can you leverage what your target market has already told you to drive a strategy around your community? Use what you already know and then build on it. Once this is done, you can then have a continuous research and feedback loop, which leads us on to…
4. Feedback, Feedback, Feedback… Give Users the Power
When building a community, you shouldn’t just be talking at your users. There needs to be balance in the space where there is give and take. They need to have a voice. Make them feel involved, valued, and invested in the success of your venture.
You need to create a platform where your customers can share their thoughts, feedback, and experiences. Feedback should be collected regularly, whether it’s through surveys, interviews, or even casual conversations on social media.
The more feedback you gather, the more you can improve the experience, make users feel heard, and the more likely they are to become loyal advocates for your product.
What’s useful is that this feedback loop isn’t just valuable for your community and their needs, but overall product development and iteration. It’s a double whammy.
If you have a research team, leverage them. If you don’t, evaluate what you need to be doing to ensure you’re receiving regular feedback and staying on top of users’ likes and dislikes.
Let them influence the direction of your product by actively seeking and integrating feedback. Your community will naturally evolve as you grow, but in the earlier stages, you need to stay on top of what’s working and scratch what isn’t.
5. Incentivize and Reward your Community
While providing a platform for your community to voice their opinions is important, so is incentivizing their involvement, especially if you’re requesting regular feedback and in the earlier stage where the community will likely be small.
Offering rewards, recognition, and exclusive access to features can make a big difference in encouraging participation.
Do you have strategic or product partners? Can you gift their products in exchange for reviews from the community? Are you able to offer sneak peeks, beta features, or exclusive access for your community? Are there discount codes that can be distributed?
Add value beyond the product itself. While you may not have a large budget for this, small gestures of appreciation go a long way and show your community that you value them.
6. Test and Experiment with Platforms
Not every platform will work for everyone, so try and test. This is what we always preach.
The earliest stages of building a company is the best time to experiment. You have the freedom to fail and try again. Your KPIs are there for a reason – if you’re not meeting them, maybe it’s time to try new avenues, new means, and new platforms.
Whether it’s newsletters, WhatsApp groups, in-person events, or on social media, experiment with different platforms to see where your community is the most active and focus on growing that for now before you scale. It may actually be the one you least expect.
Don’t hesitate to pivot if something isn’t working. The best startups always do.
A Community that Grows Alongside your Startup
Building a community in the early-stages is a ‘try and test’ process. While this isn’t groundbreaking, it can be overlooked. If you’ve followed the right steps to launch your startup, you already have the data you need to build a community of users that you already know and can rely on.
By leveraging personal branding, existing research, and continuously gathering feedback while testing new platforms, you can take the initial steps to build a community from scratch and a customer base that will stick with you along your journey.
More Resources:
Optimizing Your Startup: Insights From a Team of Venture Builders
Why we Launched Venture Builders in MENA
Why You Need a Venture Architect on Your Team
