On launch date, many organisations send an email out to their audience with the following words:
“Our community is now live!”
This makes sense. If you’ve worked hard for months to get the community ready to launch, you’re excited to announce its launch to the world.
But the words “we’re now live” are indicative of the wrong approach. They focus upon your state of mind, not your members’.
Believe me, your audience isn’t clutching their phones trepidatiously awaiting the launch of your community. They’re going about their daily lives.
The problem with announcing the community “is now live” is the audience’s natural reaction is “so what?” (or, more likely, complete indifference).
The better way of thinking about this is to use the phrase:
“You’re invited…”
“You’re invited” instantly provokes curiosity.
Then craft the invite like an invite to a conference afterparty. But imagine your afterparty is being hosted at the same time as 20 others. What would you say, do, an offer to get someone to attend to yours?
Will it be the unique and powerful people they can connect with?
Will it be the most exclusive afterparty in town?
Will the afterparty break new ground or have amazing features others don’t?
Will you want them personally because of something they’ve said and done in the past?
Instead of writing a message announcing a community’s launch, write a message pretending you’re inviting busy people to a party.
