1. The engagement pyramid shows the different levels of engagement in a community, from passive customers to opinion leaders. 2. Opinion leaders can spark discussions and express positive or negative views, and community management aims to facilitate constructive discussions and understand community feedback. 3. As discussions grow, listeners spread the word to less engaged members, and contributors add their views to keep discussions active. This helps community management understand different perspectives.

1. Engagement Influence Communication
?
Community Management?

2. Incentive Feedback Don't like
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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
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Spread the word Contributors G N
to less engaged
buddies
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Meet in-game
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Pick up opinions E U
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problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
The Big Picture

3. 1. Engagement Pyramid
2. Levels of Influence
3. Communication
4. Pro-active CM Services
Community Management!

4. Step 1 – Engagement Pyramid

5. Passive Customers
The ressources of vibrant communities are those, who might never even
log in to a community page, channel or forum. But: New community
members recruit from this level. If there is no healthy basic layer, the
community will dry out inevitably.

6. Listeners
Passive Customers
Listeners already associate with your community. They are well informed,
but not necessarily visible in engagement stats, although they are
engaged in community activities.

7. Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
Contributors are the „classic“ community members. They are highly
engaged, they take part in community activities, but they do not lead or
influence opinions. They join and backup opinion leaders.

8. Opinion Leaders
Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
Opinion Leaders can be viewed as the spearhead of the Engagement
Pyramid. They will express their love and hate as they feel it is the time to
„blow the whistle“ - then, Community Management is in charge to listen
seriously and react....

9. Discussion
Opinion Leaders
Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
...to facilitate and foster a constructive and healthy discussion environment,
which leads to utilisable feedback. With the Community Management
expressing the will of a brand to take the needs of its community seriously,
this will help to reduce negative opinions and grow positive sentiment.

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Discussion
Opinion Leaders
Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
Example – Opinion Leader creates discussion

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Opinion Leaders
Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
Example – Opinion Leader counters arguments

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Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
Example – Positive contribution backs discussion starter

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Contributors
Listeners
Passive Customers
Example – Additional contributors keep the discussion hot

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complaint Opinion Leaders
Spread the word Contributors
to less engaged
buddies
Listeners
Passive Customers
Example – Listeners pick up the pros & cons of the discussion and spread
the word to their buddies.

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Spread the word Contributors
to less engaged
buddies
Meet in-game
Play / Use
Pick up opinions
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners
Passive Customers
Example – Although Passive Customers won't get involved in the original
discussion as they search for problem solvers, they will get influenced by
more engaged friends and buddies.

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Takeaway: Opinion Leaders can be viewed as the concentration of opinion
at the top of the engagement pyramid – what means: You need to think of
them not only as a single, vocal person, but also of the slew of supporters
and possible influencers following closely behind.

17. Step 2 – Levels of Influence

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„More engagement leads to more influence, but influence grows top-down“

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This means: The four levels of the engagement pyramid ...

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… can be seperated ...

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… into three basic Levels of Influence.

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Core Community - these are the highly engaged forum and social media
members, bloggers and fanpage hosters. They are ressources of valuable
product feedback and they will act as multiplicators for any kind of sentiment

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Support Community E
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Passive Customers
The Support Community extends the Core Community beyond offical channels
and known fansites. Listeners are the most versatile group of support
influencers, because they are in direct contact and part of the third group...

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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Meet in-game M
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Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N
Buddy Community T
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction)
Passive Customers
..which is the Buddy Community. There, most of the influence and word of
mouth effect is created. This section can also be dubbed as the transition
to the „Long Tail“ of the Levels of Influence „picture“.

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Listeners N
Buddy Community T
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction)
Passive Customers
Finally..

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Buddy Community
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Passive Customers
..the Levels of Influence...

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Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
Give it a try..! Are there issues?
.. lead to a common term ..

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Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
Give it a try..! Are there issues?
That's great about the game.. Cares about Community feedback?
.. which incorporates the effects of ..

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problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
That's great about the game.. Cares about Community feedback?
...engagement, opinion and community...

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(Multiplicators) G
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Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
.. in a single question, that also holds the answer, why it is important to
care about the Engagement Pyramid and the Levels of Influence:

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Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
„Did you know...?“

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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
„...that this is a great product I can fully recommend!“

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problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
Brand Perception
In order to build a strong community and a positive sentiment around your
brand, this is the answer, Community Management is working towards!

34. Step 3 – Communication

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problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
Brand Perception
To achieve this goal, some additional communication is needed:

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(Multiplicators) G
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to less engaged
buddies
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(Spread-the-Word)
M L
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Pick up opinions E U
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problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
Brand Perception Marketing
Community Management is part of the process of Marketing incentives..

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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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(Multiplicators) G
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M L
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problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
...and Public Relations activities to create brand awareness and a positive
brand perception. While Marketing and PR take on the messaging..

38. That's nice Incentive Feedback Don't like
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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
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to less engaged
buddies
Support Community E F
(Spread-the-Word)
M L
Meet in-game
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Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
T N
Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
...Community Management aims to vice-versa connect the brand with its
community by showing proximity and creating a feedback channel.
Embrace, engage, involve – these are the key terms.

39. That's nice Incentive Feedback Don't like
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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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(Multiplicators) G
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to less engaged
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(Spread-the-Word)
M L
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Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
Through incentives, for example like contests and events, the community
not only connectes with a brand ...

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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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(Multiplicators) G
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to less engaged
buddies
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(Spread-the-Word)
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Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
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Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
..but also generates valuable feedback, which will help the brand to
improve services and products.

41. Incentive Feedback Don't like
That's nice
(Social) Media BUZZ
Discussion
I also enjoy!
Support
complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
A I
Spread the word Contributors G N
to less engaged
buddies
Support Community E F
(Spread-the-Word)
M L
Meet in-game
Play / Use
Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
T N
Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
On the other hand, the (social) media buzz, initially generated by PR,
Marketing and Community Management incentives..

42. Incentive Feedback Don't like
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(Social) Media BUZZ
Discussion
I also enjoy!
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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
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Spread the word Contributors G N
to less engaged
buddies
Support Community E F
(Spread-the-Word)
M L
Meet in-game
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Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
T N
Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
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Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
...will be fueled by the engaged community members...

43. Incentive Feedback Don't like
That's nice
(Social) Media BUZZ
Discussion
I also enjoy!
Support
complaint Opinion Leaders E
N
Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
A I
Spread the word Contributors G N
to less engaged
buddies
Support Community E F
(Spread-the-Word)
M L
Meet in-game
Play / Use
Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
T N
Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
...leading to a broader and stronger Level of Influence...

44. Incentive Feedback Don't like
That's nice
(Social) Media BUZZ
Discussion
I also enjoy!
Support
complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
A I
Spread the word Contributors G N
to less engaged
buddies
Support Community E F
(Spread-the-Word)
M L
Meet in-game
Play / Use
Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
T N
Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
..what eventually generates a stronger word-of-mouth effect and grows
brand awareness and positive brand perception.

45. 4. Pro-Active CM = Maximize Effects

46. Incentive Feedback Don't like
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(Social) Media BUZZ
Discussion
I also enjoy!
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complaint Opinion Leaders E
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Core Community
(Multiplicators) G
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Spread the word Contributors G N
to less engaged
buddies
Support Community E F
(Spread-the-Word)
M L
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Pick up opinions E U
Search for
problem solvers
Listeners N E
T N
Buddy Community
(Buddy-to-Buddy Interaction) C
E
Passive Customers
I recommend... Give it a try..! Are there issues? Communication?
Let's join... That's great about the game.. Word Of Mouth Advertisement Product service? Cares about Community feedback?
Did you know...?
PR Messaging Brand Perception Marketing
The following pages show some of the tools, we are using to achieve this goal!