400,000 Members In 1 Month for £1m

Imagine there was a £1m bonus if your community reached 400,000 members in a month. How would you reach that goal?

You might advertise during a prime-time show. You might try starting memes or write a stunning content piece and solicit support to reach the DIGG homepage. You might develop a PR campaign or launch a global competition. Or you might identify an unknown issue and bring it to the attention of the world. You might form partnerships with major organisations and publications.

You would be forced to target the online community newcomers and develop ways to educate them about communities and join yours.

The point, of course, is trying super growth ideas with a 1% chance of working. Steal one idea from the above, now go brainstorm 19 more for your community.

You need just 1 idea to work and you’re a community building legend, never looking for work.

The more foolish 1% ideas you try, the greater your odds. Brainstorm 20 super-growth ideas for this community, 20 for your next project and by your 3rd community project the odds start to work in your favour.

400,000 members in a month, you’re a superstar.

Comments

[Adrian]

I totally agree on trying "super growth ideas". This is the concept in The Black Swan.

I have to disagree about your remarks on the odds of success going up for you after starting several communities. The odds stay the same. Your great idea doesn't have more odds of succeeding. You have more experience so that might help you build your community but it won't help you get a better cracking idea that makes you become a superstar. Odds are the same. If you believe you'll be able to try over and over again.

[Greg]

Hi Rich, great post. I especially liked the headline. I've been working on this for a long time, still trying to find the big great idea to achieve a surge....

[Martin Reed]

Would we even want 400,000 members in a month? Is that a real 'community'?

- Martin