As you read this, hundreds of companies of all shapes and sizes are thinking about launching a community. They’re weighing factors like staffing, platform costs, and business cases. Through our research with Leader Networks, we dug for answers to the endless questions plaguing those considering launching community strategies. We gathered data from 414 community and marketing professionals to get these answers.
And, for better or worse, these organizations have cause for concern: only 26% of respondents to the research study said their communities were “very successful.” Of those who said their communities were not successful (15% of total respondents), they cited lack of internal resources/support and member engagement as the primary reasons for failure. Their organizations are not ready to invest in member needs, and they’re not sure how to get everyone on the same page.
So how do you avoid a similar fate?
These key findings from the report, in handy infographic form, begin to paint a picture of what community readiness looks like. So how do you know when is the “right time” to launch? Three factors really set the successful apart from those who don’t build a community that matches their expectations. We’ve got the scoop on those for you right here:
