# Community Building — Launch & Growth

> Owned communities are one of the highest-ROI marketing investments available. They reduce support costs, increase retention, generate product feedback, and create organic advocacy. This guide covers platform selection, launch, moderation, measurement, and monetization.

---

## Platform Selection Matrix

| Platform | Best For | Max Size | Moderation Tools | Monetization | Cost |
|----------|---------|----------|-----------------|-------------|------|
| **Discord** | Gaming, tech, crypto, creator brands, Gen Z/Millennial | Unlimited (but quality degrades >10K without structure) | Strong (bots, roles, automod) | Server subscriptions, integrations | Free (Nitro optional) |
| **Slack** | B2B, SaaS, professional communities | Unlimited (free tier: 90-day message history) | Moderate (channels, apps) | Limited native; integrate with paid products | Free / $7.25+/user/mo |
| **Facebook Groups** | Broad demographics, local businesses, consumer brands | Unlimited | Strong (admin tools, membership questions, automod) | Limited native; indirect via brand loyalty | Free |
| **Reddit** | Niche interest, technical, highly engaged | Unlimited | Moderate (AutoModerator, mod tools) | Reddit Ads; primarily organic authority | Free |
| **Circle** | Creators, course communities, paid memberships | Plan-dependent | Good (spaces, member levels) | Native (paid memberships, courses) | $49-399/mo |
| **Geneva** | Social clubs, local communities | Moderate | Basic | Limited | Free |
| **Mighty Networks** | Courses + community bundles | Plan-dependent | Good | Native (memberships, courses, events) | $41-360/mo |
| **Bettermode (Tribe)** | B2B, product communities, knowledge bases | Plan-dependent | Good (moderation queue, automation) | Native (custom) | $19-599/mo |

### Decision Framework

| If your audience is... | And your goal is... | Choose... |
|------------------------|--------------------|-----------|
| B2B / SaaS professionals | Product community + support | Slack or Bettermode |
| Developers / technical | Open-source, technical discussion | Discord or GitHub Discussions |
| Consumers / broad demographic | Brand engagement, loyalty | Facebook Groups |
| Creators / educators | Paid community + courses | Circle or Mighty Networks |
| Gen Z / gaming / culture | Brand community + engagement | Discord |
| Niche enthusiast | Organic growth, SEO value | Reddit (subreddit) |
| Mixed / uncertain | Start simple, migrate later | Facebook Groups (lowest barrier) |

---

## Community Launch Playbook

### Phase 1: Pre-Launch (Weeks 1-4)

| Week | Action | Details |
|------|--------|---------|
| 1 | Define community purpose and positioning | Answer: "Why would someone join and stay?" — must be clear and specific |
| 1 | Choose platform | Use selection matrix above |
| 2 | Design community structure | Channels/spaces, roles, rules, welcome flow |
| 2 | Create community guidelines | Tone, rules, consequences, appeals process |
| 3 | Recruit founding members (20-50) | Personal invitations to existing customers, superfans, team members |
| 3 | Seed initial content | 10-20 posts/threads covering different topics so new members see activity |
| 4 | Test all systems | Onboarding flow, moderation, roles, bots, notifications |
| 4 | Prepare launch communications | Email, social, website announcement, in-product notification |

### Phase 2: Launch (Week 5)

| Day | Action | Details |
|-----|--------|---------|
| Mon | Soft launch to founding members | Final feedback, stress test, fix issues |
| Wed | Email blast to full customer/audience list | Clear value proposition, direct join link |
| Thu | Social media announcement | Post across all channels, pin/highlight |
| Fri | In-product/website promotion | Banner, modal, or notification directing to community |
| Ongoing | Daily engagement by team | Respond to every post for the first 2 weeks |

### Phase 3: Growth (Weeks 6-12)

| Action | Frequency | Details |
|--------|-----------|---------|
| Welcome new members personally | Daily | Personal message or @mention in welcome channel |
| Post conversation starters | 3-5x/week | Questions, polls, "what are you working on?" threads |
| Host events (AMA, workshop, live Q&A) | Weekly or biweekly | Recurring events build habit and attendance |
| Share exclusive content | Weekly | Content only available in the community |
| Highlight member contributions | Weekly | "Member Spotlight," shout-outs, pinned great posts |
| Cross-promote community | Ongoing | Email signature, social bio, website, product |

---

## Moderation Framework

### Community Rules Template

| Rule | Description | Consequence |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| **Be respectful** | No personal attacks, harassment, hate speech, or discrimination | Warning → 24hr mute → permanent ban |
| **Stay on topic** | Post in relevant channels; no spam or irrelevant self-promotion | Post removed + redirect to correct channel |
| **No spam** | No unsolicited sales pitches, affiliate links, or repeated promotion | Post removed → warning → ban |
| **No NSFW content** | Keep all content appropriate for professional/all-ages audience | Immediate removal; warning or ban depending on severity |
| **Respect privacy** | Do not share others' personal information without consent | Immediate removal + warning |
| **No misinformation** | Do not spread unverified claims as facts | Post flagged/removed + educational response |
| **Constructive criticism** | Feedback welcome; complaints should be specific and actionable | Guide toward productive framing |

### Moderation Escalation Tiers

| Tier | Trigger | Action | Who |
|------|---------|--------|-----|
| Auto-mod | Keyword match, link spam, rapid posting | Auto-remove or flag for review | Bot/automation |
| Tier 1 | Rule violation (first offense, minor) | Warning via DM + post removal | Community moderator |
| Tier 2 | Repeated violations or moderate offense | 24-72 hour mute/timeout | Senior moderator |
| Tier 3 | Serious violation (harassment, threats, doxxing) | Immediate ban + documentation | Community manager |
| Tier 4 | Legal concern (threats of violence, illegal activity) | Ban + report to platform + legal team notification | Community manager + legal |

### Moderation Team Scaling

| Community Size | Moderators Needed | Ratio |
|---------------|-------------------|-------|
| 0-500 | 1-2 (founders/team) | 1:250 |
| 500-2,000 | 2-4 (team + volunteer mods) | 1:500 |
| 2,000-10,000 | 4-8 (mix of staff + community mods) | 1:1,000 |
| 10,000+ | 8+ (dedicated community team + volunteer program) | 1:1,500 |

---

## Community Health Metrics Dashboard

### Engagement Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Healthy Benchmark | Warning Sign |
|--------|-----------|-------------------|-------------|
| **DAU/MAU Ratio** | Daily active / monthly active users | >20% | <10% |
| **Posts per Day** | New posts or messages per day | Varies; trending upward | Declining for 2+ weeks |
| **Replies per Post** | Average replies on each new post | >2 replies | <1 reply average |
| **Response Time** | Time until first reply on a new post | <4 hours (community) or <1 hour (staff) | >24 hours |
| **Active Contributors** | % of members who post/reply in a month | >10% | <5% |
| **Lurker-to-Contributor Ratio** | Members who read but never post | 90/10 is normal; improve toward 80/20 | >95% lurkers |

### Retention Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Healthy Benchmark | Warning Sign |
|--------|-----------|-------------------|-------------|
| **Day 1 Retention** | % of new members active on day 2 | >50% | <30% |
| **Week 1 Retention** | % of new members active in week 2 | >40% | <20% |
| **Month 1 Retention** | % of new members active in month 2 | >30% | <15% |
| **Churn Rate** | % of members who leave per month | <5% | >10% |
| **Return Rate** | % of members who return after 7+ day absence | >20% | <10% |

### Growth Metrics

| Metric | Definition | Healthy Benchmark |
|--------|-----------|-------------------|
| **Net Member Growth** | New joins - departures per month | Positive and accelerating |
| **Invite Rate** | % of members who invite others | >5% |
| **Join Source** | Where new members discover community | Diversified (not single-source dependent) |
| **Organic vs. Promoted** | % of joins from organic vs. paid/promoted | >60% organic indicates product-market fit |

---

## Community-Led Growth (CLG)

### CLG Flywheel

```
Product Usage → Community Participation → Peer Learning & Advocacy
     ↑                                            │
     └────────── Retention + Expansion ←──────────┘
```

### CLG Tactics

| Tactic | Description | Impact |
|--------|-------------|--------|
| **User-generated content** | Members create tutorials, templates, guides | Reduces content costs, increases authenticity |
| **Peer support** | Community members answer each other's questions | Reduces support tickets (30-50% deflection) |
| **Product feedback** | Feature requests, bug reports, beta testing | Faster product iteration, higher satisfaction |
| **Social proof** | Testimonials, case studies from community members | Higher conversion rates |
| **Referrals** | Members refer new customers | Lower CAC |
| **Co-creation** | Community input on product roadmap, content | Higher engagement and loyalty |
| **Events** | Community-organized meetups, webinars, hackathons | Stronger network effects |

---

## Content Strategy for Communities

### Content Mix (Weekly)

| Content Type | Frequency | Purpose | Example |
|-------------|-----------|---------|---------|
| Discussion prompts | 3-5x/week | Drive conversation | "What's the biggest challenge you're facing with X this week?" |
| Educational content | 2-3x/week | Provide value | How-to guide, tutorial, industry insight |
| Member spotlight | 1x/week | Recognition and retention | Interview or feature of an active member |
| AMA / expert session | 1x/week or biweekly | Exclusive access | Live Q&A with founder, expert, or customer |
| Poll / survey | 1-2x/week | Engagement + data | "Which feature do you use most?" |
| Behind-the-scenes | 1x/week | Transparency and trust | Product roadmap update, team introduction |
| Fun / off-topic | 1-2x/week | Human connection | Friday wins, memes channel, off-topic chat |
| Announcements | As needed | Information | Product updates, event reminders, policy changes |

---

## Monetization Models

| Model | Description | Best For | Revenue Potential |
|-------|-------------|----------|------------------|
| **Free community, paid product** | Community supports product adoption | SaaS, e-commerce | Indirect (retention, expansion) |
| **Freemium community** | Free tier + paid tier with premium access | Creator communities, education | $10-100/mo per premium member |
| **Paid-only community** | Membership fee to join | Expert/niche communities | $20-500/mo depending on value |
| **Sponsorship** | Brands sponsor channels, events, or content | Large communities (5K+) | $500-10,000/mo per sponsor |
| **Marketplace** | Members buy/sell services or products | Professional communities | Transaction fees (5-15%) |
| **Events** | Paid workshops, conferences, masterminds | Education, professional development | $50-5,000/event ticket |
| **Affiliate** | Recommend tools/products with affiliate links | Tool-focused communities | Variable (5-30% commission) |

---

## Governance

### Leadership Structure

| Role | Responsibility | Selection |
|------|---------------|-----------|
| Community Manager (staff) | Day-to-day operations, strategy, reporting | Hired position |
| Senior Moderators | Enforce rules, escalate issues, train new mods | Promoted from active members |
| Moderators | Monitor channels, respond to reports, welcome new members | Application + interview |
| Champions / Ambassadors | Content creation, event support, peer mentorship | Nomination or application |
| Advisory Council | Strategic input on community direction, policy changes | Elected or appointed (quarterly rotation) |

### Governance Principles
1. **Transparency** — Share community decisions, policy changes, and their rationale publicly
2. **Consistency** — Apply rules equally; no favoritism regardless of member status
3. **Proportionality** — Punishment should match the offense
4. **Appeal process** — Members can appeal moderation decisions through a defined channel
5. **Evolution** — Review and update community guidelines every 6 months with member input
6. **Data privacy** — Be clear about what member data is collected, stored, and used

---

> **The best communities are not built by brands — they are built by members, for members.** Your role is to create the conditions for connection, provide value worth showing up for, and then get out of the way. When members feel ownership, growth takes care of itself.
