Chapter 6: From Idea to Reality: Planning a Community’s Launch

Chapter 6: From Idea to Reality: Planning a Community’s Launch

In this episode of the Community Strategy Podcast, Deb Schell reads chapter six of Creator to Community Builder: Find Calm While Building an Online Community. 

Make no mistake; launching a community takes time and effort. For many of us, the planning parts are the “less fun” ones. In past episodes, we’ve discussed the first three stages of the IDEA framework: Identify, Discover, and Evaluate. 

Now, it’s time to discuss assembling your launch plan. Mentioned in this episode are the following tools, resources, and support.

YouMap® Coaching 4-week program: Explore You 

A Guide to Explore You (free) 

The Creator to Community Builder book 

Community Builders with Purpose 

Mighty Networks Support + Resources 

Planning when, how, and where to launch an online community usually takes three to 6 months. 

I recommend spending one month on each of the first three phases and an additional three months assembling your community design and launch plan.  

Depending on your resources, time, and commitment level, it can be done faster or take longer. Whatever you do, be sure not to skip this step. Honor it. If you want to rush through it, accept that inadequate strategy leads to unwanted results. 

Deciding when to launch depends on a few factors and will ultimately be determined by your existing business model. For example, if you have other significant launches at the beginning of the year, simultaneously launching a community will drain your team. The best advice is to think about what has worked for you. 

Discuss the community launch with your team (if you have one) to identify when resources will be most available for your project. If you work inside an organization, you’ll need support from marketing, sales, and the IT department. If you need to consult legal and financial advisors, do it now.

If you need a team or organization, start small with a beta group to test your idea. Five to ten people is enough. If you’re launching a timed program, such as a four-week course or a three-month coaching program, be strategic about when. The least preferable times to launch are in the summer, during the holidays, and at the beginning of the new year. Based on my research, the best time is spring or fall.

The steps to launch your community will depend on the structure and strategy you’ve outlined during the earlier phases. From my experience building over sixty online communities, I can tell you that the “how” came down to what was best for each client. 

Some clients started an email list of over 100,000 people, while others had a large social media following. Some didn’t have an email list or large audience, so they focused on colleagues and established contacts to develop their strategy around those ideal members. 

Buzzsprout – Let’s get your podcast launched! Start for FREE

Mighty Networks is an All-In-One Community Platform for your course or membership.

Printful helps you start selling your designs faster so you can start earning money sooner

Instacart: A typical Instacart order saves one and a half hours to get back in your day to do whatever!

Bonsai: Run your entire business in one place with the help of this business management tool

Grammarly helps you become a better writer using AI technology.

Support the show

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost.