Title: Inspiring strangers to do stuff: Using psychology to build community around your startup Strategy and stories of how Hootsuite has built a community of 10 million+ users. 1. Community starts with research 2. Acknowledge your community exists 3. Take your users point of view 4. identify your #handraisers 5. Arouse a desire to belong 6. Hootsuite Ambassador Program 7. Treat them like royalty 8. Always build your tribe 9. share interesting content 10. Use social listening 11. Every mention is an opportunity 12. Let people in 13. Q: What is the best sounding word? 14. A: Your name. 15. People want to be appreciated Virtual = scale. Real life = depth. Balance the equation so it suits your community By Connor Meakin @ConnorMeaks

1. Inspiring strangers to do stuff
Using psychology to build community around
your startup
Community Manager, Americas
@ConnorMeaks
Connor Meakin

2. They naturally formed communities for
survival
The stakes are different, but the principle
remains
You need to form communities for the
survival of your business!
We can learn from this guy

3. How we ‘think’ as humans
What is important to us
What defines us
What makes us ‘tick’
+ Psychology = where the community magic happens
But also from psychology

4. • Find your current & future
users
• Social listening
• Goal: become BFFs with every
single user
Community starts with research

5. Like these two
But how do you get to BFF status?

6. • We crave social validation, so
do your users
• This is easy online
• Likes, +1s, RT’s = Hurray!
• Social = 1st touchpoint
• Relationship building
Acknowledge they exist

7. Be local everywhere with social

8. • They want a solution
• So talk about solving a problem
• Some will want more → #Handraisers
• Keep this in mind in all your user interactions
○ Articles, blogs, emails, tweets, comments
• Empathy!
Take your users point of view

9. • Send them stuff
• 3D → 2D = wow factor
• Swag = warm and fuzzies
• Unique per region
• Make them work for it (SXSW)!
Identify your #handraisers

13. ● We all have a need to belong
● Develop programs and
communities to address this
need
● Movember!
● Make it about them
Arouse a desire to belong

14. ● Like any other Ambassador
program, but better
● Natural brand advocates
● Empowerment
● Build and grow your global
community
Ambassador program

15. Treat them like royalty

16. “Regardless of what country you are in,
each local Hootsuite community is built
by the same grassroots efforts that has
made them such a huge success.”
Danielle Hatfield
Hootsuite Ambassador, North America

17. #Takehome: Always build your tribe

18. • Great content speaks for itself
• Document from day 1
• It’s a disservice not to share
• Patchwork with what you got
Share interestingness

22. • Your brand
○ Hotsuit?
• Your competitors
• Listen to what your users
want… and give them more
Social listening

23. • We’re wired to like :)
• You can win anyone over
• Nuance
Every mention is an opportunity

24. “What differentiated our community
programs and what contributes to our
continued growth today is that we always
prioritized users first and spoke to them
over social media.”
-Ryan Holmes

25. • Show the good and the bad
• People can sniff BS
• Brands can be real people too
• Acknowledge everyone (if you
can)
• Buzzwords = brutal
Let people in

26. Q: What’s the best sounding word?

27. Your name.

28. #lightninground

29. Start simple…

30. Remember what works…

31. People want to be appreciated

32. Virtual = scale. Real life = depth. Balance the equation so it suits your
community

33. Change can be a good thing…

34. But stay true to your roots

37. blog.hootsuite.com/community-management-tips-
hosting-community-events
blog.hootsuite.com/community-management-tip-
brand-advocacy-program
blog.hootsuite.com/category/resources
Building a Brand Advocacy Program
100’s of FREE RESOURCES!
@hootsuite
/hootsuite
/company/hootsuite
/+hootsuite
Community Events With Strong ROI

38. Thank You!
Connor Meakin
Let’s be friends :) @ConnorMeaks