What do Apple, Salesforce, and Meetup have in common? They built thriving communities that transformed passive users into loyal advocates. From Darrel Conner's commitment curve to the SPACES model, the art of community-building is a game-changing strategy for businesses today.

The Business of Belonging: How to Build Communities That Grow the Bottom Line

Building community has become the new competitive advantage for businesses. Historically, Apple pioneered building customer communities by connecting users through early internet forums. Ellen Petry Leanse at Apple fought for a customer community program, which eventually led to the successful "Apple User Group Connection." This initiative humanized the company, transforming user engagement.

The trend of community-driven business continued with companies like Zappos and Salesforce. Zappos opted to invest in customer experience over advertising, leading to the company's rapid growth. Erica Kuhl at Salesforce built a community program that demonstrated substantial ROI, integrating community into every product at Salesforce, forming a support network that proved invaluable to its members.

Community fosters many-to-many communication, allowing companies to harness collective energy and knowledge. Figma and Notion exemplify the success of community-first businesses, prioritizing community before product development. Community entrepreneurship, where community is the product, has seen a rise with businesses like Indie Hackers and Product Hunt.

The sense of community theory, developed by David McMillan and David Chavis, explains community's essence: membership, influence, integration, and shared emotional connection. Duolingo has leveraged community for scalability, with user-generated content driving growth, contrasting with traditional companies like Rosetta Stone.

Community extends a company's team, distributing control among members, as seen with Wikipedia and Reddit. Empowering community members fosters trust and removes growth bottlenecks. Community can't be easily copied, creating a competitive moat that's hard for others to replicate.

Building authentic communities benefits both businesses and humanity. Great companies balance profit with positive impact, viewing themselves as communities. Financial sustainability is crucial for both businesses and communities to thrive. Community is everyone's responsibility, and when done right, it significantly impacts both business success and people's lives.

Can Building Authentic Communities Be the Ultimate Secret to Business Success?

Imagine building a community that not only fosters connection but also fuels business growth. Communities can be your secret weapon, an asset competitors can't replicate. But how do you craft a strategy that turns this vision into reality? Dive into the essentials of community strategy with the SPACES model, designed to pinpoint what community can achieve for your business. 

Begin by focusing on measurable impacts. Many businesses initially measure success by engagement—posts, comments, or attendees. However, engagement alone doesn't translate to business value unless tied to revenue-driven goals. A balanced approach, integrating both community health metrics and business objectives, is key. For instance, at CMX, goals range from driving sales and customer retention to boosting community participation and newsletter engagement.

The SPACES model outlines six business outcomes a community can drive: Support, Product, Acquisition, Contribution, Engagement, and Success. These outcomes encompass everything from customer service to product innovation, and from brand advocacy to customer loyalty. For instance, Lululemon cultivated community by empowering local ambassadors to host events, integrating brand growth seamlessly with community-building.

Your community strategy should evolve through different stages, much like a tree from seed to maturity. Initially, focus on nurturing engagement and building trust. As your community grows, refine your strategies, develop rituals, and formalize roles and processes. Eventually, mature communities can even pollinate, forming subgroups that cater to diverse interests within the larger framework.

Remember, community is powerful—it's not just a cost center but a growth engine. By leveraging strategic frameworks like OKRs or V2MOMs, you can align your community goals with business objectives, ensuring that every interaction contributes to your bottom line. Whether you're at the seed stage or maturity, focus on what matters to your business today, and let your community flourish organically as it supports your business journey.

Unlocking Business Growth: Harness the Power of Community with SPACES Model

Let's dive into the art of building an engaged community by crafting a social identity—a process that transforms a passive lurker into a deeply committed member. At the core of this transformation is the Social Identity Cycle, which involves identification, participation, and validation stages. As members move through these stages, they embrace the community's identity more deeply, resulting in increased participation and validation.

A compelling example is Sales Hacker, a community for B2B sales professionals founded by Max Altschuler. Through a clear social identity focused on smarter sales strategies, members gradually evolve from curious participants to proud advocates, as illustrated by Cam's journey from discovering Sales Hacker to becoming a chapter leader.

The specificity of a community's identity significantly influences its success. For instance, founding Tech Ladies by Allison Esposito Medina broadened the identity from female engineers to all women in tech, tapping into a larger need for support across various roles. Similarly, identifying isolated identities can uncover opportunities for meaningful communities.

Inclusivity and exclusivity are also essential in community building. While defining who belongs, it's crucial to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the onset to foster an environment where every voice is heard and valued. Ethel's Club, a space designed for people of color, illustrates how intentional exclusion can create a welcoming atmosphere for underrepresented groups.

A community's personality, akin to a person, can set it apart. Product Hunt's positive, supportive culture, contrasting with the critical nature of similar communities, attracted members who valued encouragement over judgment. Likewise, the Ministry of Testing transformed the perception of software testers from dull to cool by infusing fun into their community.

For companies, deciding whether to align community identity with their brand or create a distinct identity depends on goals. Salesforce's Trailblazer community and Hubspot's Inbound community demonstrate how a unique identity can elevate a company's standing in its industry.

Finally, even within a well-defined community, sub-identities emerge based on contribution levels. Understanding these layers, as seen in Airbnb's various roles, helps tailor engagement strategies to meet the specific needs of each group. Ultimately, a vibrant community thrives on the diversity of its members while maintaining a compelling, inclusive identity.

How Do Communities Like Sales Hacker and Tech Ladies Transform Casual Followers into Passionate Advocates?

Welcome to the next step in your community-building journey: participation. As members join your community, they'll start small, maybe just reading content or subscribing to newsletters. Over time, they become active participants, organizing events, and eventually, becoming leaders. This transformation is crucial for a thriving community, and it’s your job to guide them through this process.

The commitment curve, a concept from Darrel Conner and Robert Pattison, helps map this journey. Douglas Atkin applied it at Meetup to encourage members to host events. Instead of overwhelming new users with big requests, they made smaller asks first: fill out a profile, read a blog, attend a Meetup. This gradual approach led to increased engagement as members felt more comfortable taking on larger roles.

Your community will naturally form layers of participation, from passive to active members, power users, and leaders. Each layer is essential. Passive members provide the audience that active members engage with. Power members and leaders drive interactions and growth. It’s vital to balance efforts across all levels to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

To attract new members, start small and personal. Many successful communities, like CMX Summit and Product Hunt, began with direct outreach and personal connections. Organic growth is rare; it usually requires dedicated effort. For instance, NextDoor's founders knocked on doors to build their initial user base.

Creating barriers to entry can strengthen community bonds. Effort justification, a concept from social psychology, suggests people value things they work hard for. By adding application processes or requirements, like Airbnb’s Super Host criteria, you increase the perceived value of membership.

Onboarding is your chance to leave a lasting impression. Craft experiences that make new members feel welcomed and inspired. At CMX, new Facebook Group members are personally tagged and introduced. This approach sets the stage for deeper engagement.

To move members up the commitment curve, understand their motivations and obstacles. Campaigns like DigitalMarketer’s “Love Our Lurkers Week” successfully activated passive members by addressing common barriers to participation.

At the top of the curve are your community leaders, those who run local chapters or moderate spaces. Support them with detailed playbooks and community forums where they can share tips and experiences. Quality over quantity is key when selecting leaders; ensure they align with your community values through thorough vetting processes.

Remember, community building is an ongoing journey of nurturing relationships and facilitating growth. With thoughtful strategies, your community will thrive, inspiring members to increasingly contribute and connect.

From Lurkers to Leaders: Mastering the Commitment Curve

In the journey of creating vibrant communities, validation plays a pivotal role. It closes the loop of the Social Identity Cycle by affirming an individual's participation, reinforcing their connection, and nurturing long-term engagement. Attracting members is one thing, but ensuring they feel valued and rewarded is crucial for their return.

This concept is beautifully illustrated by Charles Duhigg’s habit loop, which highlights how cues, routines, and rewards shape our behaviors. For instance, in online communities like Sales Hacker, providing timely feedback can transform a simple question into a rewarding experience, prompting members to return.

Nir Eyal’s insights on habit-forming products further explain how external triggers—like notifications—gradually lead to internal triggers, making participation second nature. This mirrors the dynamics in communities where consistent external rewards can cultivate intrinsic motivation.

Yet, the balance between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards is delicate. While badges or points can serve as proof of status, they should not overshadow the genuine joy of contributing. Dan Ariely’s study involving lawyers and AARP highlights this; when social norms are replaced with market norms, intrinsic motivation often diminishes. Surprisingly, offering services for free was more appealing than a $30 fee, underscoring the power of social norms.

Effective rewards, like Holly Firestone's SNAP! framework—Status, Networking, Access, and Perks—can stimulate engagement without compromising intrinsic motivation. For example, rewarding members with unexpected perks or highlighting their positive impact aligns extrinsic rewards with intrinsic values.

Gamification, often misunderstood, should amplify existing engagement rather than create it. It’s vital to ensure that rewards enhance genuine contributions rather than incentivize superficial activity.

Ultimately, communities thrive when members initially join for utility but stay for unity. They might come seeking solutions or knowledge but remain due to the emotional bonds formed. This emotional connection is a powerful retention tool, making it challenging to leave a community where friendships have blossomed.

To measure community health, the Social Identity Cycle provides a framework: Identification, Participation, and Validation. Surveys and analytics can assess how members identify with, engage in, and derive value from the community, ensuring it meets their needs and bolsters business objectives.

In essence, fostering a community is about nurturing relationships and creating a space where members feel valued, connected, and motivated to contribute authentically.

How Do Charles Duhigg, Nir Eyal, and Dan Ariely Unlock the Secret to Vibrant Communities?

Congratulations, you've completed your Social Identity Cycle! You've identified your members, their participation, and how to validate and reward them. Now, let's dive into designing community spaces and experiences at the tactical level. This is where the real magic happens. 

Community experiences are either synchronous (live events like conferences and workshops) or asynchronous (forums and message boards). Both have their strengths, with synchronous providing depth and asynchronous offering breadth. Successful communities blend both, as seen with Duolingo's 2,600 monthly events or Google's DevFest, which hosted 200 simultaneous events worldwide.

Repetition is key in community engagement, much like a catchy song with a steady beat and memorable chorus. Communities thrive on consistent rituals—daily discussions, weekly threads, monthly local events, quarterly studies, and annual conferences. These recurring experiences help members form habits and deepen their connection to the community.

Consider the 7Ps of Community Experience Design: People, Purpose, Place, Participation, Policy, Promotion, and Performance. For instance, Honeybook's Rising Tide Society uses these principles for Tuesdays Together meetups, fostering community among creatives and entrepreneurs. Success lies in curating the right people for the right purpose, aligning the size of the event with its goals, and choosing the best platform for hosting.

Creating spaces where members feel seen and valued is crucial. At Ethel's Club, everything from the art on the walls to the playlists was designed to make members feel at home. Communities can start small and grow organically or kick off with a bang, as CMX did with its Summit. Peak moments—those unforgettable highs—are essential for lasting impact. Think about elevation, pride, insight, and connection.

Small-group discussions are powerful, offering intimacy and real conversations. Whether in person or virtual, formats like high-and-low sharing or topic-based discussions foster deep connections. Guide your members on how to participate, reducing ambiguity and stress.

Vulnerability is a peak experience. In spaces like Inside Circle Foundation, even in a maximum-security prison, men share openly, supported by clear rules and a strong facilitator. Simple rules like "What's Shared Here Stays Here," "Give More Than You Take," and "Critique the Idea, Not the Person" create safe and valuable community experiences.

Finally, use metrics to optimize your spaces and experiences, improving engagement and driving business impact. Measure, interview, and analyze to identify areas for growth and create an even more meaningful community. Whether synchronous or asynchronous, large or small, the goal is to connect your members and foster a thriving community.

Building Thriving Communities: Lessons from Duolingo, Google, and More

We've crafted strategies, but now it's time to ignite the participation of members, a true art form requiring trial, error, and creativity. Engagement is a constant experiment; sometimes an idea flops, while the least expected initiatives thrive. Don't fear failure—embrace it as a stepping stone to success. Innovate, take risks, and infuse excitement into your community events—perhaps swap a webinar for a lively speed-networking session.

Personal invitations wield immense power. They create a sense of intimacy and importance, fostering early community foundations. Sarah Leary, Nextdoor's co-founder, went door-to-door to recruit members—a testament to the impact of personalized outreach.

Never shy away from crickets—those silent moments when engagement is low. Turn them into intimate experiences, embracing smaller gatherings for deeper connections. Failure is part of the journey; persistence will reduce the odds of crickets over time.

Humor is a universal gift, even in professional settings. David Nihill, who conquered his fear of public speaking through stand-up comedy, teaches us to find humor in failure and frustration. Use comedic structures like the "Rule of Three" and crowdsource funny anecdotes from your community to break the ice.

Debates are invaluable for learning. Healthy disagreements strengthen communities, encouraging diverse perspectives. Andrea Middleton's insights into conflict management reveal that conflict isn't the enemy—how we handle it is. Teach respectful debate to ensure community resilience.

Moderation requires a delicate balance. Establish clear rules and enforce them with empathy, always prioritizing community benefit. Transparency is key; admitting mistakes can deepen trust. Arlan Hamilton reminds us to "be yourself," letting authenticity guide connections.

Positivity is contagious. Your energy sets the community's tone, influencing interactions. Respond to negativity with understanding, not tone policing. Trolls might disappear or transform with kindness.

As this journey concludes, remember that community is the future of business. Let your decisions be guided by the question, "How does this serve our community?" Finding harmony between revenue and community impact is vital. Community building is essential work, offering belonging and authenticity. Now, go forth and build the communities the world needs most!

Can Leary's Personalized Approach and Nihill's Humor Unlock the Secrets to Building a Thriving Community?

The idea that community building is the new competitive edge for businesses is insightful. Companies can create a strong bond with their customers by fostering a sense of community, which not only humanizes the brand but also drives engagement and growth. 

It's fascinating how community-driven businesses prioritize people and connection over traditional advertising, leading to remarkable success stories. The concept of community as a product is gaining traction, offering unique advantages that are difficult for competitors to replicate.

The theory of sense of community highlights essential elements like membership, influence, integration, and shared emotional connections, which are crucial for building thriving communities. Empowering community members extends the company's team and distributes control, fostering trust and removing growth bottlenecks.

Moreover, the SPACES model provides a strategic framework to align community outcomes with business objectives, ensuring every interaction contributes to the bottom line. Community strategy should evolve, much like a tree, focusing initially on nurturing engagement and building trust, eventually refining roles and processes as it matures.

Social identity plays a pivotal role in transforming passive members into active participants, with inclusivity and exclusivity forming the foundation. A community's personality can set it apart, offering a unique identity that aligns with or elevates the company's brand.

Participation is a journey mapped by the commitment curve, guiding members from passive to active roles. Onboarding, barriers to entry, and thoughtful strategies nurture relationships and facilitate growth. Validation, the final step, ensures members feel valued and motivated, fostering long-term engagement.

Finally, designing community experiences requires blending synchronous and asynchronous interactions, creating memorable rituals, and ensuring members feel seen and valued. Engagement is an experiment, embracing failure and infusing excitement. Positivity, humor, and respectful debate strengthen community bonds.

Overall, community building is an essential aspect of modern business strategy, offering belonging and authenticity while balancing profit and impact. It empowers brands to connect deeply with their audience, creating an irreplicable competitive advantage.

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The Business of Belonging: How to Build Communities That Grow the Bottom Line

David Spinks

8 Key ideas

22 MINS

What do Apple, Salesforce, and Meetup have in common?
They built thriving communities that transformed passive users into loyal advocates. From Darrel Conner's commitment curve to the SPACES model, the art of community-building is a game-changing strategy for businesses today.

What do Apple, Salesforce, and Meetup have in common?

They built thriving communities that transformed passive users into loyal advocates. From Darrel Conner's commitment curve to the SPACES model, the art of community-building is a game-changing strategy for businesses today.

What do Apple, Salesforce, and Meetup have in common?

They built thriving communities that transformed passive users into loyal advocates. From Darrel Conner's commitment curve to the SPACES model, the art of community-building is a game-changing strategy for businesses today.

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Key Ideas

#1