Defining Next for your Community Dawn Lacallade Community Manager, SolarWinds @DawnL and #solarwinds

Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/haagsuitburo

Less understanding of the medium More politics More shiny objects Critical not to just take the shiny object as the next step without analysis. Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage/3016006648/

Less understanding of the medium

More politics

More shiny objects

Critical not to just take the shiny object as the next step without analysis.

Crossroads http://www.flickr.com/photos/kh-67/3339157498/

Evaluate Existing Community Participation levels Watchers and creators. Depth Return Rate Type of participation Feedback Ask or answer Develop content Recommend Critique Collaborate How are you growing Leverage existing participants Grow participants- how? Sentiment and Loyalty Existing company performance/ participation Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saxcubano/440777294/

Participation levels

Watchers and creators.

Depth

Return Rate

Type of participation

Feedback

Ask or answer

Develop content

Recommend

Critique

Collaborate

How are you growing

Leverage existing participants

Grow participants- how?

Sentiment and Loyalty

Existing company performance/ participation

Crossroads http://www.flickr.com/photos/kh-67/3339157498/

Determine what you need - Slide - Customer/ Community Needs Business Needs http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimandshannon/3806011383/

Defining CURRENT Business Needs Start with the current business goals/ challenges and identify where community can help. Make the stakeholders aware of what community can offer (list on next page) Find the blend of quick hits and long term value. - Slide -

Start with the current business goals/ challenges and identify where community can help.

Make the stakeholders aware of what community can offer (list on next page)

Find the blend of quick hits and long term value.

Narrow Thinking - Slide - http://www.flickr.com/photos/chough/87501689/

Explain what is possible! Website Grow traffic SEO Content creation- marketing Product recommendations Brand Crisis Management Case studies Direct communication with customers Find brand advocates Personalize the company Corporate or Exec branding Support Content creation- support Content creation- learning Questions and answers R&D Idea generation Prioritization Beta testing/ Focus Groups Strategic partnering Content Creation- software Sales Product recommendations Use cases Impulse buy Question & Answer- pre-sales Word of mouth marketing Internal Community Communication Knowledge sharing R&D New employee education - Slide -

Website

Grow traffic

SEO

Content creation- marketing

Product recommendations

Brand

Crisis Management

Case studies

Direct communication with customers

Find brand advocates

Personalize the company

Corporate or Exec branding

Support

Content creation- support

Content creation- learning

Questions and answers

R&D

Idea generation

Prioritization

Beta testing/ Focus Groups

Strategic partnering

Content Creation- software

Sales

Product recommendations

Use cases

Impulse buy

Question & Answer- pre-sales

Word of mouth marketing

Internal Community

Communication

Knowledge sharing

R&D

New employee education

Customer/Community Needs Define customer sets (segments) What types of customers come to your sites? What do you know about these groups? Identify what they need and when When do they engage with the company and what are their goals? How important are each of these areas to the user? Score how we are delivering on these needs today. Use this information to find the areas of greatest need/ opportunity from the Customer’s perspective. Evaluate impact of new projects to existing members ***ask customers*** - Slide -

Define customer sets (segments)

What types of customers come to your sites?

What do you know about these groups?

Identify what they need and when

When do they engage with the company and what are their goals?

How important are each of these areas to the user?

Score how we are delivering on these needs today.

Use this information to find the areas of greatest need/ opportunity from the Customer’s perspective.

Evaluate impact of new projects to existing members

***ask customers***

Crossroads http://www.flickr.com/photos/kh-67/3339157498/

Plot the shortest path Finding the right projects Tweak existing or start fresh? Brainstorm projects that will deliver to the goals Balance longer term with quick wins Communicate clearly (set expectations) Stakeholders + involved Elevator level Project manage the delivery http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyzipper/

Finding the right projects

Tweak existing or start fresh?

Brainstorm projects that will deliver to the goals

Balance longer term with quick wins

Communicate clearly (set expectations)

Stakeholders + involved

Elevator level

Project manage the delivery

Prove it Continue to measure community health metrics Activity Growth Project level success measures As you mature, this becomes more important Must be in terms that match the business need Getting to ROI that makes sense to your executives http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_beaver/3486761520/

Continue to measure community health metrics

Activity

Growth

Project level success measures

As you mature, this becomes more important

Must be in terms that match the business need

Getting to ROI that makes sense to your executives

- Slide - Caution: Be Realistic (What is reasonable to expect from your users) Understand Community (What it is and is not good for) Be True to your Brand

Crossroads http://www.flickr.com/photos/kh-67/3339157498/

Thank You! Questions?