Community Strategy Insights

The latest insights on community strategy, technology, and value by FeverBee’s founder, Richard Millington

“Let’s See How The Community Reacts”

Richard Millington
Richard Millington

Founder of FeverBee

…is something you and your team should never have to say.

Our clients don’t see how the community reacts to anything. They already know. They’ve run the idea passed a decent-size group of members, they’ve refined it, they’ve gotten the buy-in from the top members (if they don’t, they don’t launch).

Usually, they’ve persuaded a small group of members (5 to 7) to share it and promote it positively within the community.

Dropping a new concept (platform, project, or anything else) might work well for record artists, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the rest of us. Most people don’t know whether something new is good or bad. They use the first reactions of other members to form their own opinions. Once that opinion has taken hold, it can spread rapidly.

So either don’t surprise members with something new (big changes should always be anticipated) or ensure you have respected community members engaged in the process and lined up to promote it (even better, do both).

It’s tempting to rush the launch of something new, but slow down a little. Get feedback, run the idea past people, and adjust your plans accordingly. Otherwise, the very project you’ve spent countless hours working on can hurt the very community you’re trying to help.

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