Building your own digital community is always a challenge, no matter what the requirements are in individual cases. Whether it’s the use of social media, content marketing or targeted SEO strategies – we list practical approaches here to make it easier to launch a community and provide inspiration.
There is no blueprint, no standardised set of rules, because ultimately your own strategic, content-related and operational requirements are always different. Digital communities are as diverse as digital content and target groups, i.e. it depends on which target group you want to offer what kind of added value. It depends on your goal, your story, your mission.
The following 100 ideas are therefore primarily intended to provide food for thought, which then need to be adapted or evaluated with regard to your own strategy.
General Strategies
- Social Selling : Developing a social selling strategy that places the community in the appropriate networks and groups.
- Collaborate with influencers : Identify niche influencers that match your target audience and involve them in promoting the platform.
- Offer early bird incentives : Offer exclusive benefits to early members (these do not always have to be monetary incentives.)
- Build an engaging blog or website : Regularly post content on relevant topics and build reach for it in order to then convert users into the community.
- Run social media ads : Create targeted campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to generate app downloads and sign-ups (but only recommended if the funnel to a loyal community user is working).
Content marketing
- Create promo videos : Show how the app/website is used optimally or which USP or features are offered.
- Publish case studies : Share success stories from the community to show interested users what benefits they can expect.
- Host webinars : Offer live sessions to recruit members around relevant topics (also as an incentive to sign up to the community).
- Create shareable infographics : Create visually appealing content on relevant topics and share it on social media platforms.
- Podcast appearances : Introduce the community in podcasts that are suitable for the target group and thus generate attention.
Partnerships
- Cooperate with relevant companies : Mutual promotion with relevant partners to improve awareness and visibility.
- Media collaboration : Contact and collaborate with publications (depending on the topic).
- Collaborate with bloggers : Integrate content from well-known bloggers or influencers and incentivize them (possibly also financially).
- Sponsor events : Increase visibility at industry or local events through sponsorships.
- Build referral networks : Partner with complementary communities that cover a similar target audience with a different content focus.
Community engagement
- Work with viral logic or gamification : reward members for their activities or participation (e.g. in conjunction with weekly quiz or survey formats).
- Create ambassador programs : Reward loyal members for recommendations or advertising for the community and integrate them into your own marketing (e.g. as a testimonial)
- Run competitions : Award prizes for creating, sharing or participating in discussions (or directly for recruiting new members)
- Celebrate members : Focus on individual successes or contributions, also through communication outside of one’s own community.
- Organize virtual meetups : Promote a sense of community through regular video calls (e.g. in the form of a special “Community Advisory Board”)
Email and Messages
- Launch email countdown campaigns : Build excitement before the launch (but only works within an existing target group).
- Send personalized messages : Invite direct networks.
- Automatic follow-ups : Reach out to prospects through targeted email sequences and convert better.
- Send weekly newsletters : share highlights and news and link specifically to the community (via so-called deep links).
- Use push notifications : Activate and keep members updated with relevant messages.
SEO (search engine optimization)
- Optimize your website : Apply SEO best practices to be findable.
- Use targeted keywords : Define and specifically use terms that the community is searching for on the web.
- Build backlinks : Establish partnerships with well-ranked websites (backlinks are important for your SEO ranking).
- Answer questions on forums : Generate traffic from sites like Quora and Reddit and place your community in relevant discussions.
- Write guest posts : Publish and link content on other blogs (e.g. by linking specifically to your own community and presenting USPs & ideas there).
App stores
- Optimize app store listings : use keywords and attractive graphics (or maybe even a video).
- Collect reviews : Encourage existing users to write positive reviews (especially in the beginning, you can actively influence this)
- Place targeted app ads : Use platforms such as Google Ads or ads in the Apple App Store (but only makes sense with appropriate targeting).
- Use app analytics : Improve performance and user loyalty , better understand your target audience.
- Advertise in niche directories : List apps on specialized platforms.
Social media engagement
- Create your own hashtags : Develop catchy and shareable hashtags, possibly as part of a campaign (see Social Selling).
- Use Stories and Reels : Share short updates and community moments (including a deep link to your own community).
- Post user-generated content : Promote and actively share members’ own content (also as testimonials outside your own community on social media).
- Conduct live question and answer sessions : Direct interaction with the target group in video chats or classic chat groups.
- Use polls and quizzes : Use interactive posts like threads or polls to increase engagement.
Public relations
- Publish press releases : Announce the launch of the platform to appropriate media.
- Ensure media coverage : Offer journalists exciting stories (ideally even integrate some journalists directly into the community, or at least curate their content).
- Write articles as a thought leader : Show expertise in the niche (e.g. in the form of interviews or opinion pieces).
- Speak on panels : Appear at relevant conferences and webinars (and thus convey the idea of the community).
- Highlight community impact : Show the difference the platform makes (also as a distinction from the offerings of the major social media platforms)
Creative Growth Hacks
- Offer freemium models : Attract users with free basic access (convert to paid offers only when sufficient reach is achieved).
- Create time-limited offers : Create urgency for registrations.
- Offer personalization options : Offer personalization options with individual channels or chat groups.
- Direct exchange as a USP : Users connect with each other through chat group offers.
- Sharing content : Work specifically with deep links and see the web app as the key to conversion.
Direct marketing
- Distribute flyers : Use QR codes for app downloads at events or other occasions.
- Attend trade fairs : Network with industry professionals and the relevant target group.
- Send personalized invitations : Design handwritten or digital invitations.
- Use email campaigns : targeted direct communication (drip campaigning, but: should not become spam).
- Use SMS marketing : Send important updates via text message.
Affiliate and referral programs
- Start affiliate programs : Offer commissions for recommendations, also in cooperation with corresponding affiliate providers.
- Reward power users : Encourage strong engagement with rewards (not necessarily money, but rather status).
- Refer a friend campaigns : Reward and motivate members for invitations (especially important in an early invite-only phase).
- Offer special group offers : Incentive team or group registrations to attract existing networks, groups or forums.
- Create co-branded content : Collaborate with brands and media providers and curate their content (possibly even with your own channels or chat groups).
Events and offline activities
- Organize launch parties : generate buzz through real events (also by actively networking the first members in real life).
- Organize workshops : Offer skills or topics to the target audience.
- Attend community fairs : organize stands or demonstrations.
- Act as a sponsor : Increase visibility through branding (e.g. in other blogs).
- Distribute merchandising : Offer branded items such as T-shirts, mugs or stickers to increase brand awareness.
Data and analysis
- Analyze user behavior : Adapt content and functions based on analyses (also important for external marketing).
- Conduct A/B testing : Optimize ads, landing pages, and messaging.
- Track KPIs : Continuously improve strategy with metrics, especially to optimize user retention among new members.
- Use surveys : Collect feedback for optimization.
- Understanding engagement : Understanding which content generates the most interaction and user engagement.
Video marketing
- Create explainer videos : Highlight the value of the platform in the form of short videos.
- Share testimonials : Use success stories as social proof.
- Produce short tutorials : guide users through features (also important for existing members).
- Stream live events : Show community dynamics, live streams of events or use classic video call tools like Zoom.
- Use YouTube : Optimize videos for searchability, see YouTube as a marketing channel.
Networking
- Join relevant online communities : Participate actively in forums and recruit members there.
- Use Meetup groups : Become visible in real meetings.
- Use LinkedIn : Address professional networks, especially important for collaborations (but also for direct reach).
- Collaborate with NGOs : Support charitable projects to highlight your own purpose.
- Conduct panels with members : Incorporate user expertise.
Technical functions
- Integrate social sharing options : Make sharing easier and encourage members to do so.
- Integrate leaderboards : Promote competition among members based on an appropriate logic (e.g. quizzes, surveys, tests, etc.).
- Develop iFrames : Make the platform embeddable on other websites.
- Offer APIs : Enable integration with other platforms.
- Use chat groups : Offer cooperation partners access to your own community, e.g. via your own chat groups (e.g. as bartering).
Local Community Building
- Organize local meetups : Build relationships locally (possibly start locally in a region?).
- Be active on community boards : Visibility where target groups are active.
- Sponsor local media : Reach regional target groups by collaborating with local, smaller media or influencers.
- Participate in local events : visit trade fairs and exhibitions.
- Cooperate with universities or educational institutions : Offer these organizations a platform.
Long-term commitment
- Direct communication : Address and motivate new members in a targeted and structured manner with direct chat messages (right at the beginning, but also from time to time).
- Develop exclusive content : offer added value that is not available elsewhere (can also be special offers).
- Regular feature updates : Keep the platform fresh and exciting, not only offer new features but also actively communicate them.
- Promote niche groups : create sub-communities within the platform (e.g. with your own channels or chat groups).
- Host annual summits : Celebrate milestones with members – digitally or IRL (In Real Life!).
Miscellaneous
- Highlight the mission and story : Share the idea, vision and history of the platform (especially important conditionally, but also permanently).
- Create a Community Wiki : Build a resource hub for members.
- Offer certificates : Reward members with credible qualifications (e.g. badges).
- Use gamified learning : Offer interactive modules (surveys or quizzes9).
- Consistent Marketing : Stay persistent, measure success and continually adapt strategies.