Launching an online community for a professional association is a transformative endeavor that holds immense potential for fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth. However, you only get one chance at a first impression which is why the success of this venture hinges on a well-executed launch strategy.
As the digital landscape evolves, so do the methods to capture and maintain the attention of your audience. In this blog post, we'll review key best practices on how to effectively market the launch of your online community to association members. From crafting compelling messages to leveraging influencer support and hosting engaging events, each practice is vital to a successful community launch, so let's get into it!
Compelling Launch Message:
It's important to have a consistent, concise, and compelling message highlighting the community's purpose, benefits, and unique features. Think of this as your community's mission statement. Review why you went out and purchased a community platform in the first place and translate that into your message! Defining how you want the system to be used by members will lay the foundation for how it is used at launch and in the future.Multi-Channel Approach:
Utilize channels such as email, social media, newsletters, and your website to make sure as many members of your audience see it as possible. We find that putting together a campaign starting at least a month before your launch works best. This is a big investment with a massive potential for value, so put the time in and make sure people are aware of the system before it is available to them!
In addition to this, segmenting your outreach to reach specific audiences can be helpful. For example, if you plan on engaging committees in your community, putting together marketing specific to each committee with links to their committee and instructions on what their group's purpose is would help those niche audiences engage more effectively at launch.
