Online Community Plan Methodology

Online Community
Plan Methodology
© 2013 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Follow this simple, step-by-step methodology to
develop and launch an online community that
meets your marketing objectives.
01 Prepare
02 Plan
03 Select
04 Implement
05 Launch
06 Measure

How to Use this Consulting Methodology:
© 2013 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved.© 2013 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
1. Understand how online communities can add value in sales, marketing and customer service.
2. Plan for the launch of an online community that integrates into your broader marketing strategy.
3. Launch & Measure the community you develop and improve it based on the results.
If you need assistance implementing your community strategy, contact Demand Metric to schedule a consult with an
experienced Analyst: email us at info@demandmetric.com or call us on (866) 947-7744.
This methodology consists of six stages, each with a description of steps and action items. Action items
include using our premium tools & templates. Our goal for your use of this methodology is to help you:

Major Outputs from this Process:
Stage 01 – Readiness Assessment, Strategy Scorecard, Business Case
Stage 02 – Project Plan, Budget, Risk Assessment and Customer Profiles
Stage 03 – Requirements, Community System RFP, Vendor Evaluation & Selection, Build/Buy
Stage 04 – Consulting RFP, Policy & Guidelines, Job Description, Governance, Calendar
Stage 05 – Driving Online Community Adoption Guide, Launch Checklist
Stage 06 – Online Community Metrics Dashboard, ROI Calculator

What is an Online Community?
An online community is a community that forms on the internet. A community is a group of people
interacting, sharing, and working toward a common goal….They also share in forums, e-mail groups, and
even in the comments sections of blog posts and news articles.
– Deborah Ng from Online Community Management for Dummies

What is Gamification?
Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context in order to engage
users and solve problems.
Gamification techniques leverage people's natural desires for competition, achievement, status, self-
expression, altruism, and closure. A core strategy for gamifying is to provide rewards for players for
accomplishing desired tasks. Types of rewards include points, achievement badges or levels, the filling of
a progress bar, and providing the user with virtual currency.
Competition is another element of games that can be used in gamification. Making the rewards for
accomplishing tasks visible to other players or providing leader boards are ways of encouraging players
to compete.
Another approach to gamification is to make existing tasks feel more like games. Some techniques used
in this approach include adding meaningful choice, onboarding with a tutorial, increasing challenge, and
adding narrative.
- Source: Wikipedia

Value of Creating an Online Community
Online Communities can help accelerate almost any stage of the sales/purchase cycle:
 Customer Feedback
 Support Issues
 Responsiveness
 Inbound Links/SEO
 User Generated Content
 Posts/Comments
 Peer Reviews
 Customer Success
 New Features
Need Discovery Consideration Decision Review

Public vs. Private Communities
Public Communities Private Communities
Open, anyone can register and participate Invitation-only, must be accepted to join
General market opinions and feedback Focused feedback from users and customers
Great for B2C brands looking to reach consumers Great for associations and member organizations
Early in the process, you will need to decide if your community will be public or private.
Public communities are generally good for increasing web traffic, backlinks, and generating leads
whereas private communities are helpful for supporting customers, getting feedback and connecting
members with each other in an exclusive medium.

Key Success Factors for Communities
Key Success Factor Reasoning
Driving User Adoption If the community doesn’t have users, its not really a community
Content Production Content is the lifeblood of any community – be prepared to produce
Enabling Technology Not all community platforms were created equally – pick a winner
Moderation Communities require careful moderation and nurturing to succeed
Measurement of Results You need to know how your community is performing to show ROI
Here are some of the key success factors when building an online community:
This methodology will cover each of these key success factors and provide advice and tools to help.

01 Prepare
02 Plan
03 Select 06 Measure
STAGE 01 – PREPARE YOUR COMPANY
In this Stage, you will understand the value of online communities and gamification, determine your
organization’s readiness to develop a community, document your goals and objectives, and build the
business case for investment. Key steps in this stage include:
1. View our Leveraging Public Communities Workshop
2. Learn about Gamification with our How-To Guide & Infographic
3. Conduct an Online Community Readiness Assessment
4. Develop an Online Community Strategy Scorecard
5. Build an Online Community Business Case
05 Launch
04 Implement
Prepare

STEP 1 – View Workshop on Online Communities
 Action Item – learn more about the value of online communities by watching our on-demand workshop
‘Leveraging Public Communities’ with an expert speaker from Toshiba .
How did Toshiba get value from their community?
 Doubled their marketing reach
 Drove down support costs
 Created an engaging user forum
 Extended value of marketing events
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Prepare
View Workshop

STEP 2a – Learn about Gamification for Communities
Prepare
 Action Item - read our How-To Guide, ‘Engaging Users with Gamification’ to learn more about how to
drive engagement, adoption, and user generated content by leveraging game theory.
This How-To Guide outlines the following:
 Executive Summary
 What is Gamification?
 Key Benefits to Using Gamification in Communities
 Gamification Software Vendors
 Action Plan
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 2b – View Gamification Infographic
Prepare
 Action Item – Check out this Gamification Infographic to get statistics and better understand how
organizations around the world are gamifying their applications to gain traction in the market.
What is contained in this infographic?
 What is Gamification?
 How Gamification Works
 Benefits of Gamification
 Getting Started with Gamification
 Popular Gamified Mobile Apps
 The Future of Gamification
View Online
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 3 – Conduct a Readiness Assessment
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Readiness Assessment to determine how prepared your
organization is to launch a successful, long-term community program.
What are the sections of the assessment?
 Senior Management Commitment
 Alignment with Business Objectives
 Knowledge of Best Practices
 Planning
 Staffing, Systems and Training
Prepare
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 4 – Develop an Online Community Strategy
Prepare
 Action Item - use an Online Community Strategy Scorecard to provide senior management with a one-
page document that clearly outlines your plan of attack for this project.
Key information to include in scorecard:
 Objectives
 Programs & Initiatives
 Metrics & KPIs
 Timeframes and Goals Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 5 – Build the Business Case
 Action Item – use the Online Community Business Case to convince senior management that pursuing an
online community strategy makes financial sense for the organization.
Sections of your business case should include:
 Opportunity Overview & Key Success Factors
 Assumptions & Decision Making Criteria
 Business Impact Analysis
 Risks & Contingency Plans
 Recommendations
Prepare
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STAGE 02 – ONLINE COMMUNITY PLAN
By now, you should have secured buy-in from senior management to move forward on the Online Community
initiative. In this Stage you will work with your team to plan your community launch. Key activities for this
stage include:
 Build Your Project Plan
 Complete a Risk Assessment
 Generate a Project Budget
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 1 – Build Your Project Plan
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Project Plan to establish a clear project scope, decision rights
and to secure executive sponsorship for the initiative.
Sections of your project charter should include:
 Project Overview
 Description
 Key Success Factors
 Risk Identification Download
 Project Stakeholders
 Communications Plan
 Decision Rights
 Approval

STEP 2 – Perform a Risk Assessment
 Action Item – Use our Online Community Risk Assessment tool to consider any potential pitfalls or risks
that could affect your program’s success, then brainstorm ways to mitigate these risks.
What is included in a risk assessment?
 Event or Risk Description
 Expected Outcome
 Impact
 Probability
 Risk Mitigation Plan
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 3 – Generate a Project Budget
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Budget Template to forecast all costs associated with launching
and maintaining your online community.
What costs should be included?
 Software Licensing
 Design & Architecture
 Implementation & Support
 Website Integration
 Staffing & Training
 Content Development
Download
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STAGE 03 – SELECT TECHNOLOGY
In this Stage you will define your technology requirements, research vendors that provide community
management and gamification technology, consider the build option, invite your short-list to submit proposals,
and make a decision about which platform to use. The key activities in this Stage are:
 Define Technology Requirements
 Create a Short-List of Potential Vendors
 Submit an RFP to Short-Listed Vendors
 Consider the Build Option
 Conduct Vendor Evaluations & Make a Decision
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 1 – Define Technology Requirements
 Action Item - use the Online Community Vendor Evaluation tool as a starting point to gather your
technology requirements and determine if they are ‘nice to have’ or ‘must have’.
Types of Technology Requirements:
 General
 Technical
 User Interface
 Marketing
 Service & Training
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 2 – Create a Short-List of Potential Vendors
 Action Item - use the Online Community Vendors Matrix to research the key vendors in the online
community and gamification space and select 3-5 vendors to put on your short-list.
Key vendors in the industry include:
 Lithium
 Jive
 Telligent
 Socious
 Bunchball
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 3 – Submit an RFP to Short-Listed Vendors
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
 Action Item – Use the Online Community RFP Template to document your requirements for a community
solution and then send this off to your short-list of vendors to get some proposals.
What goes inside of a request for proposal (RFP)?
 Company Information
 Statement of Work
 Proposal Submission Procedure
 Score of Work & Requirements
 Estimated Budget
Download

STEP 4 – Consider the Build Option
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
 Action Item – Use the Build vs. Buy Decision Matrix to determine if building a solution internally would
make more sense than purchasing a software product from a vendor.
What are some of the key decision-making criteria?
 Has skills to complete work
 Can meet delivery timeline
 Can deliver on projected costs
 Provides cost-effective solution
 Will support us going forward
Download

STEP 1 – Conduct Evaluations & Make a Decision
 Action Item - use the Online Community Vendor Evaluation tool again but this time to compare each
vendor solution against your key requirements. Next, decide which solution to move forward with.
Key considerations when selecting a vendor:
 Viability – will they be in business in 5 years?
 Vision – where is the product roadmap headed?
 Payment Terms – can you pay monthly?
 Support – is support included or an extra cost?
 User Training- included in licenses or extra?
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STAGE 04 – IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY
To this point, you have developed your online community strategy and selected a technology solution.
Now, its time to implement the community and get prepared for launch to your end users. In this stage you
will focus your efforts to:
 Hire an Online Community Consultant (optional)
 Define the Community Manager Job Description
 Develop Community Policies & Guidelines
 Draft a Community Governance Document
 Create a Community Content Calendar
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 1 – Hire an Online Community Consultant
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Consulting RFP template to invite 3-5 consultants who
specialize in implementing online communities to send you proposals to help you with your launch.
Why does it make sense to hire a consultant?
 Consultants know the common pitfalls to avoid
 They can bring focus to a busy management team
 Some community platforms are technical to implement
 To help with integration with other I/T systems
 Provide extra resource If I/T is busy with other projects
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 2 – Define Community Manager Job Desc.
 Action Item – Use the Community Manager Job Description template as a starting point for outlining the
key responsibilities of the person who will spearhead your online community program.
Why do Community Managers typically do?
 Monitor activities in community and interact with members
 Initiate insightful discussions with SEO value to drive traffic
 Utilize social media to promote community and brand
 Report on community metrics and performance
 Inform product management about new feature ideas
 Connect customer support with members needing help
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 3 – Develop Community Policy & Guidelines
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Policy & Guidelines template to govern the terms of use for
users on your online community and set expectations for acceptable behavior.
Why do you need a community policy?
 To ensure users behave professionally
 To minimize risk of getting into legal hot water
 To document consequences of non-compliance
 To ensure a safe and productive working environment
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 4 – Draft Community Governance Document
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Governance Document to outline how the community fits into
the overall governance, budgeting and decision-making structure of the organization.
Why goes into a governance document?
 Goals
 Structure
 Processes
 Roles & Responsibilities
 Implementation Timeline
 Metrics & Funding Model
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 5 – Create a Community Content Calendar
 Action Item – Use the Content Marketing Editorial Calendar to organize and plan for the content you will
be distributing through your community at least 2-3 months in advance.
Why kind of content can you post in a community?
 Thought-Leadership Articles
 Interviews with Subject Matter Experts
 Curated Content from 3rd Party Sources
 New Resources Published by Your Company
 Industry News
 Infographics & Webinars
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STAGE 05 – LAUNCH YOUR COMMUNITY
In this Stage you will be focused on getting the community tested and launched to your users.
1. Learn About Driving Adoption
2. Build a Community Launch Checklist
Launch
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 1 – Learn About Driving Community Adoption
 Action Item – Read the How-To Guide, ‘Driving Online Community Adoption’ to learn best practices for
getting end users to use the community platform.
Key sections of this how-to guide:
 Developing an Audience
 Two Ways to Increase Community Usage
 Action Plan: Tactics to Drive Adoption
Download
Launch
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 2 – Build a Community Launch Checklist
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Launch Checklist to organize all of the details surrounding the
launch of your online community to ensure your launch goes smoothly.
A few things to keep in mind:
 How to communicate this launch to customers?
 What content will you launch with?
 Have you planned for any down-time?
 Have all features been adequately tested?
 Do you have a press release pre-written?
Download
Launch
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STAGE 06 – MEASURING RESULTS
Now that you have launched your online community, you need to track the results of the program to
determine success. We also recommend that you calculate your return on investment after a 3 year period to
provide an accurate financial picture of the impact the community has made on your organization. In this
stage, you will:
1. Build an Online Community Metrics Dashboard
2. Perform an ROI Calculation
Measure
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement

STEP 1 – Build a Community Metrics Dashboard
 Action Item – Use the Online Community Metrics Dashboard to track your metrics from your online
community and demonstrate measurable results.
Following are some key metrics you want to analyze:
 Total New Posts
 % Posts with a Comment
 New Comments Posted
 Unique Visitors to Community
 # Community Members
 Leads & Revenue Sourced from Community
Measure
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

STEP 2 – Perform an ROI Calculation
 Action Item – Use the Online Community ROI Calculator to collect key qualitative and quantitative
information related to incremental costs and benefits and perform an ROI calculation.
Why perform an ROI calculation?
 Demonstrate Solid Investment to CFO
 Determine Success of the Community
 Identify Areas for Improvement
 Gain Credibility for Financial Acumen
 Build Trust with Senior Management Team
 Simplify Process for Getting Funding on Next Program
Measure
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Launch
04 Implement
Download

 At the end of any project, it’s always a good idea to review it and identify areas for improvement.
 Demand Metric has the tools and expertise to help you build an effective online community:
» Create or audit your existing online community plan and strategy
» Assist with using any of the tools referenced in this methodology
» Provide hands-on marketing assistance to accelerate achieving your marketing department’s goals.
To learn more, simply contact Demand Metric: info@demandmetric.com
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