Having successfully navigated the initial launch and activation phases in your first 60 days, your community is no longer a blank canvas. It has nascent norms, active members, and a foundational layer of content. The next 30 days are about converting this initial energy into sustainable community momentum. This phase, The Momentum, is a critical transition point where you shift focus from brand-led initiation to member-led amplification. Your primary objectives are to identify and empower your most passionate members, establishing them as community champions, and to build robust, transparent feedback loops that foster trust and co-creation.
Empowering Community Champions: From Active Users to Brand Advocates
Every healthy community has a core group of super users, or 'champions,' who contribute disproportionately to its vibrancy and value. These are not paid influencers; they are intrinsically motivated members who actively help others, generate insightful content, and embody the community's ethos. Academically, their actions build 'social capital'—the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively (Putnam, 2000). In this phase, your role is to formalize the identification of these individuals and provide them with the tools and recognition to amplify their impact.
graph TD
subgraph The Champion Empowerment Flywheel
A[Identify Potential Champions] --> B(Engage & Validate);
B --> C{Empower with Tools & Access};
C --> D[Recognize & Reward];
D --> E[Amplify Their Voice];
E --> A;
end
Identifying champions requires a mix of quantitative data and qualitative observation. Look at your community analytics: Who posts most frequently? Who receives the most kudos or accepted solutions? Who consistently responds to new member introductions? Complement this data by observing the quality of interactions. A champion is not just active; they are helpful, positive, and constructive.
Once identified, create a structured 'Champions Program' to empower them. This isn't about monetary reward. Instead, focus on intrinsic motivators:
- Status & Recognition: Award special badges, a unique role title, or a call-out in the community newsletter. This public acknowledgment validates their contributions.
- Access & Influence: Create a private channel for champions to communicate directly with your team. Give them early access to new products or features and actively solicit their feedback. This reinforces their sense of belonging and influence, a key tenet of McMillan & Chavis's (1986) Sense of Community Theory.
- Amplification: Feature their user-generated content (UGC) prominently. Ask them to co-host an event or write a guest blog post. This elevates their standing and provides high-quality, authentic content for the entire community.
Architecting Feedback Loops: Building a Responsive Community
As your community grows, so does the volume of signals and data. To maintain community health and ensure your strategy remains aligned with member needs, you must establish systematic feedback loops. A community that feels heard is a community that trusts the brand behind it. The goal is not just to collect feedback, but to create a transparent system where members see their input translated into action. This demonstrates that their participation has a tangible impact, which is a powerful driver of sustained engagement.
sequenceDiagram
participant Member
participant Community Team
participant Product/Biz Team
Member->>Community Team: Submits Feedback (Survey, Forum)
Community Team->>Community Team: Analyze & Synthesize Data
Community Team->>Product/Biz Team: Report Key Insights & Suggestions
Product/Biz Team->>Community Team: Confirm Actionable Changes
Community Team->>Member: Communicate Actions Taken ('Closing the Loop')
Member->>Member: Increased Trust & Engagement
Implement a multi-layered approach to gathering feedback:
- Formal Surveys: Deploy a quarterly Community Net Promoter Score (cNPS) survey. The core question, "How likely are you to recommend this community to a friend or colleague?" provides a vital health metric. Include open-ended questions about what members value most and what they would like to see improved.
- Dedicated Spaces: Create a specific forum channel or idea exchange for feedback on the community experience itself. Actively monitor and respond in these areas to show you are listening.
- Active Listening: The most valuable feedback is often unsolicited. Train your community managers to monitor conversations for sentiment, recurring pain points, and brilliant ideas shared in regular discussions.
Crucially, you must 'close the loop.' Regularly publish a "You asked, we listened" post summarizing recent feedback and outlining the changes you've made as a result. This single act is one of the most powerful drivers of trust and long-term community growth.
Scaling Content & Rituals: Fostering Member-Led Creation
Your final focus for this period is to scale engagement by codifying community rituals and encouraging more user-generated content. Rituals are recurring activities that create predictable patterns of engagement, making participation a habit (Eyal, 2014). They lower the barrier to contribution and provide a reliable rhythm for the community.
Examples of effective community rituals include:
- Weekly Wins: A Friday thread where members share their professional or personal achievements from the week.
- Showcase Saturday: A dedicated day for members to share projects they are working on.
- Monthly AMA (Ask Me Anything): A session with an internal expert, product manager, or a community champion.
These rituals serve as powerful prompts for UGC, shifting the content creation burden from your team to the community itself. Your role evolves from being the primary content creator to being the facilitator of member-to-member interaction and creation.
Key Metrics for Days 61-90
As you execute on these strategies, keep a close watch on the following metrics to gauge your progress in building momentum:
- Champion Activity Rate: Percentage of members in your Champions Program who are active weekly.
- UGC Ratio: The ratio of posts/content created by members versus those created by the community team.
- Member-to-Member Interactions: The percentage of posts that are replies to other members, indicating conversational health.
- cNPS Score: Your baseline score for member satisfaction and advocacy.
- Feedback Implementation Rate: The percentage of viable member suggestions that are implemented within a quarter.
References
- Eyal, N. (2014). Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. Portfolio/Penguin.
- McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.
- Millington, R. (2012). Buzzing Communities: How to Build Bigger, Better, and More Active Online Communities. FeverBee.
- Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon & Schuster.
- Vogl, C. H. (2016). The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.