Where community strategy
meets intentionality.

The question I get most often as a Community Strategist is:

How do I find the ideal members for my online community? 

During a podcast interview, this Signature Talk: Steps to Finding Your Ideal Member gives step-by-step instructions on how to craft conversations with potential community members. 

Step 1: Find Your Ideal Members in your existing network 

Review your email and phone contacts, Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, or Instagram followers, and find 10-20 people who best fit your ideal member for your community concept. Find out where they hang out online and meet them where they are; learning more about them will be vital to building a relationship and establishing that you are someone they can trust. 

Step 2: Craft a conversation, ask questions through prompts 

Many leaders make the mistake of assuming they know the best way to solve a problem and, therefore, don’t conduct interviews because they seem too “formal” or are a “burden.” Reframing the interview into a conversation allows you and the ideal member to enjoy the process. 

Step 3: Make the conversation enjoyable. If in person, find a nice place to sit. If virtual, add a fun background and ask questions about their interests. 

Follow up with a thank-you note and find ways to keep in touch when you are ready to invite them into your community! 

Step 4: Review what you’ve learned to validate the community concept

Interviews and conversations can lead to a decision about the next step. Community building takes work and time, as does investing in the program, course, membership, or cohort. Still, it can be helpful to review your results to clearly understand what a community looks like and how it could benefit your organization. 

Step 5: Build a Brand before you launch

Gather information from your interviews that provides context, problems, solutions, and the wording of the ideal member, which can be used to refine sales and marketing efforts.