building community around your startup business

Inspiring strangers to do stuff Using psychology to build community around your startup

Community Manager, Americas @ConnorMeaks

Connor Meakin

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

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

• Find your current & future users

• Social listening

• Goal: become BFFs with every single user

Community starts with research

Like these two

But how do you get to BFF status?

• 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

Be local everywhere with social

• 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

• Send them stuff• 3D → 2D = wow factor

• Swag = warm and fuzzies • Unique per region• Make them work for it (SXSW)!

Identify your #handraisers

● 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

● Like any other Ambassador program, but better

● Natural brand advocates ● Empowerment● Build and grow your global

community

Ambassador program

Treat them like royalty

“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 HatfieldHootsuite Ambassador, North America

#Takehome: Always build your tribe

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

Share interestingness

• Your brand ○ Hotsuit?

• Your competitors

• Listen to what your users want… and give them more

Social listening

• We’re wired to like :) • You can win anyone over

• Nuance

Every mention is an opportunity

“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

• 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

Q: What’s the best sounding word?

Your name.

#lightninground

Start simple…

Remember what works…

People want to be appreciated

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

Change can be a good thing…

But stay true to your roots

blog.hootsuite.com/community-management-tips-hosting-community-events

blog.hootsuite.com/community-management-tip-brand-advocacy-program

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Community Events With Strong ROI

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