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Part 9 – Platform & Community: Turn Customers into Collaborators

  • kitkat53
  • 6 days ago
  • 7 min read

Platform & Community: Turn Customers into Collaborators

Short version: a lively community is the best product development lab, marketing engine, and customer-service buffer you can build. This part shows you how to design membership value loops, recruit and reward ambassadors, run micro-products inside the community, and use volunteers and SOPs so the whole thing hums without you doing every small thing.

Why community matters

Communities increase LTV, reduce churn, and give you a reliable testbed for new products. But they only work if people trade something they care about (time, attention, money) for something real: connection, status, practical help. Design the exchange first, then the platform.

Quick roadmap — what you’ll get

  1. Community Canvas (fill-in template)

  2. Ambassador & affiliate pack (contract + onboarding emails)

  3. Five operational SOPs to run a calm, consistent community

  4. 12-week cohort template (content + email sequences)

  5. Launch & measurement plan + KPI cheat sheet

  6. Pricing & packaging ideas for membership + ambassador rewards

Community Canvas — fill-in template (use this to design the whole thing)

Name of community: Who it’s for (ideal member): Core promise (one sentence): — what changes for members in 90 days? Primary value exchange: What members give (time/fees/content) → What members get (community, templates, coaching, discounts). Membership tiers: (e.g., Free / Core $15/mo / Premium $49/mo) — list 3 features for each. Key rituals (repeatable events): (e.g., Monday check-ins, monthly Show & Tell, quarterly office hours) Micro-products inside: (e.g., $7 micro-challenge, $17 mini-class, $47 workshop) Ambassador roles & rewards: (e.g., Advocate = 5% commission + free month per 3 paid referrals) Platform(s): (Discord / Circle / Slack / Facebook / Mighty Networks) — choose primary & backup. Onboarding flow (first 7 days): Quick checklist (welcome email → orientation call → badge) Moderation rules (top 5): short, non-legal. MVP events (first 90 days): list 4 events to run. Top 3 metrics to watch: Activation rate, 30-day retention, referral conversion rate. One-sentence community tagline for marketing:

Fill this out first; it keeps design focused and saves you time.

Ambassador & Affiliate Pack

Why ambassadors?

Ambassadors amplify reach with far lower CAC. They’re your early adopters, trusted referrers, and content co-creators — if you give them clear asks and clean rewards.

Ambassador role types (pick 2 to start)

  • Evangelist (referral) — shares links, social posts; rewarded per sale + small monthly perk.

  • Creator Ambassador — co-creates content (IG Reel, Pin, case study); rewarded with free course seat + revenue share.

  • Local Host — runs small in-person meetups; rewarded with free ticket to retreat or affiliate fee.

Ambassador reward examples

  • $10 per paid referral OR 10% commission on first purchase

  • 1 free month for every 3 paid referrals

  • Unique discount code (trackable) + early access to products

  • Tiered bonuses (5 referrals → $100 gift or profit-share)

Ambassador contract — plain-English starter (paste-ready)

[AMBASSADOR AGREEMENT — Starter]

This agreement is between [Your Name / Brand] ("Brand") and [Ambassador Name] ("Ambassador"), effective [Date].

1. Scope: Ambassador will promote Brand via social posts, links, or events per the agreed brief (see Appendix A).
2. Term: This is a 6-month engagement starting on [Date]. Either party may end with 30 days’ notice.
3. Compensation: Ambassador receives $[X] per verified paid referral OR [Y]% commission on first purchase, paid monthly. Additional rewards (free products, credits) as agreed.
4. Tracking: Brand will provide a unique referral code or affiliate link. Only purchases using that code count.
5. Content Use: Ambassador grants Brand permission to repurpose promotional content for marketing (attribution given).
6. Confidentiality: Ambassador agrees not to share confidential product launch details before the agreed release.
7. Termination: If Ambassador violates Brand policies (spammy promotion, hateful content), Brand may terminate and withhold pending commissions.
8. Independent contractor: Ambassador is not an employee.
9. Signatures: [Brand sig] / [Ambassador sig]

Appendix A: Brief — specific deliverables (e.g., 2 IG posts + 4 stories + 1 blog mention per month).

Tip: Use this as a starter; for larger deals have legal counsel review.

5-email Ambassador onboarding sequence (paste-ready)

Email 1 — Welcome & Expectations (immediately after sign-up)Subject: Welcome to the [X] Ambassador Circle 🎉Body: Hi [Name] — Welcome! We’re thrilled. Quick starts: (1) Here’s your referral link: [LINK]. (2) Download your ambassador media kit [link] (images, short blurbs, hashtags). (3) Add your payout details here [link]. We’ll verify your first referrals and pay monthly. Questions? Reply — Kit

Email 2 — How to share (day 2)Subject: Three easy posts that work (copy/paste)Body: Hi — if you’re unsure what to post, use these three ready captions + images. Tip: personal story beats generic copy. Example captions attached. Post 1: “Why I love X” + link. Post 2: “My favorite quick win” + link & code. Post 3: “Join me in the challenge” + CTA.

Email 3 — Tracking & payouts (day 5)Subject: How referrals are tracked (and when you get paid)Body: Short explainer on codes, cookies, and monthly payout schedule. Example: purchases tracked via code; payouts on the 10th for the previous month. Link to dashboard.

Email 4 — Content ideas + co-creation (day 10)Subject: Want to co-create? Here’s how.Body: Invite them to pitch a collab (IG reel, mini-interview). If accepted we’ll provide a free seat + promo boost. Include a 1-click calendar link.

Email 5 — Community & feedback (day 21)Subject: Let’s check in — what’s working?Body: Ask three short questions (what worked; what didn’t; one idea). Offer a small bonus (free guide) for filling out the quick survey. Say thanks.

Five SOPs — paste-ready (short, actionable)

SOP 1 — Welcome Flow (new member first 7 days)

  1. Trigger: new member payment or free join.

  2. Immediately: Send Welcome email + orientation PDF.

  3. Day 1: Auto-invite to community platform + role assignment.

  4. Day 2: Nudge: “Say hi — introduce yourself” thread pinned.

  5. Day 4: Send “How to get value” mini video (3 min).

  6. Day 7: Community manager DM to new member: ask how it’s going.

  7. Log activation (joined threads, posted) in dashboard.

SOP 2 — Moderation quick rules

  1. Use the “3-strike” rule for minor violations: friendly nudge → private warning → temporary mute.

  2. Remove content that breaks community safety rules immediately (harassment, spam).

  3. Escalate legal or safety issues to founder immediately.

  4. Weekly: moderator review meeting (15 min) and log top issues.

  5. Keep a public “Community Guidelines” pinned; make them short and humane.

SOP 3 — Event Runbook (for live workshop / AMA)

  1. 2 weeks before: create event page + pinned post.

  2. 7 days before: reminder post + email.

  3. 24 hours before: host checklist (slides, mic, backup link).

  4. 10 minutes before: open room, welcome early arrivals.

  5. During event: moderator monitors chat, collects Qs in doc.

  6. After event: post recording, short summary + action items, request 2–3 testimonials.

SOP 4 — Content Calendar & Delivery (monthly cadence)

  1. Weekly themes set each month on the 1st.

  2. Content calendar: Week 1 — teach; Week 2 — workshop; Week 3 — member examples; Week 4 — open office / feedback.

  3. Assets due 7 days before publishing: copy, images, links.

  4. Scheduler: upload and schedule in platform plus crosspost to social (if allowed).

  5. Monthly analytics snapshot: top posts, new members, churn reasons.

SOP 5 — Volunteer / Leader Onboarding (badges & duties)

  1. Invite top volunteers after 60 days active engagement.

  2. Provide a short role brief (3 duties) and orientation call.

  3. Assign badge & limited permissions.

  4. Compensation: free month or small stipend + 10% of any referrals from their events.

  5. Quarterly review with founder & community manager.

12-Week Cohort Template — structure & sample emails

Cohort design principle

Cohorts are short, communal, and action-oriented. Each week includes one short lesson (10–20 min), one micro-assignment, and a live (or recorded) group session for feedback.

12-week scaffold (topic examples: building + monetizing a signature product)

Week 0 — Pre-work & onboarding

  • Deliverable: intake form + 3 short pre-work videos.

  • Email: Welcome + how to prepare.

Week 1 — Clarity: Promise & Audience

  • Lesson: 20 min — One-sentence promise + avatar.

  • Assignment: Draft promise & share in thread.

  • Live: Kickoff Q&A.

Week 2 — Productize: 3 Mini-Products

  • Lesson: extract tripwire, workbook, mini-class.

  • Assignment: Create one tripwire outline.

Week 3 — Quick Offer: Lead Magnet + Page

  • Lesson: landing page anatomy.

  • Assignment: draft lead magnet & page copy.

Week 4 — Funnel Basics

  • Lesson: Tripwire→Core flow.

  • Assignment: build funnel map.

Week 5 — Creative: Hero Asset & Pins

  • Lesson: visuals that sell.

  • Assignment: create two pins + one video thumbnail.

Week 6 — Sales: Webinar & Pitch

  • Lesson: 20-min webinar script + pitch structure.

  • Assignment: record 3-minute promo.

Week 7 — Launch: Test & Iterate

  • Lesson: low-budget ad tests & organic seeding.

  • Assignment: run a $5 pin test; report.

Week 8 — Membership & Retention

  • Lesson: onboarding & retention hooks.

  • Assignment: draft onboarding email 1–3.

Week 9 — Licensing Primer

  • Lesson: packaging IP for small wholesale.

  • Assignment: prepare one-page license pitch.

Week 10 — Partnerships & Promo

  • Lesson: co-markets and affiliates.

  • Assignment: identify 3 potential partners & outreach script.

Week 11 — Systems: SOPs & Delegation

  • Lesson: what to delegate first & how.

  • Assignment: write 1 SOP for a recurring task.

Week 12 — Final: Sales Week & Next Steps

  • Lesson: wrap, offer & next steps.

  • Assignment: final pitch + action plan for 90 days.

Weekly email templates (short — use for each week)

Weekly email (send Monday)Subject: Week X — [Topic] (Cohort: [Name])Body: Short greeting, link to lesson, assignment bullets, time/date for live session + link to join. Ask members to post one thing to the thread by Wednesday. — Kit

Engagement nudge (Thursday)Subject: Quick check — how’s Week X going?Body: One-sentence nudge, link to where to post assignments, offer 10-min office hours sign-up.

Launch & measurement plan (first 12 weeks)

Launch plan (simple)

  1. Offer cohort as limited pilot (discounted).

  2. Invite active community members & email list.

  3. Run a 20-minute webinar or live Q&A as launch event.

  4. Close sales in 72 hours; onboard immediately.

Metrics to watch (KPI cheat sheet)

  • Activation rate (new cohort members who complete week1 assignment) — target 65%

  • Weekly engagement (posts/comments per active member) — target 2–3 per week

  • Referral rate (members who referred at least one) — target 10%

  • Churn (monthly) — aim <6% for early cohorts

  • Revenue / cohort and LTV uplift (compare members vs non-members)

Pricing & packaging ideas (practical)

  • Community core: $9–$19/mo — for ongoing access and monthly mini-workshops.

  • Premium cohort: $297–$697 — cohort-based, includes 12 weeks + feedback.

  • Ambassador program: Free membership + commission OR waived fee for 3 referrals.

  • Micro-products: $7–$47 — live inside the community as quick buys.

Quick launch checklists (copy/paste)

Community soft launch (first 30 days)

  •  Fill community canvas.

  •  Prepare welcome pack + orientation video.

  •  Schedule 4 MVP events (kickoff, workshop, demo, AMA).

  •  Recruit 3 volunteer moderators.

  •  Create ambassador one-pager & invite 5 superfans.

Cohort launch (next 60 days)

  •  Draft 12-week curriculum.

  •  Build landing page & checkout (StanCart).

  •  Schedule webinar launch + email sequence.

  •  Hire Content Ops for onboarding tasks.

  •  Track results & collect testimonials.

Final thoughts — pep & practical next step

Communities are slow to seed and fast to compound. Start small: one ritual, one cohort, one ambassador pilot. Iterate based on what members actually use. If you build systems and give people clear, repeatable ways to contribute — you’ll get a living platform that grows beyond your daily grind.


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