Gold by MangoMagic

CMO · Playbook · Advanced · Saves 70+ hours

Customer Community Launch Playbook

A playbook for launching and growing a customer community that drives engagement and retention.

Get coached on this — free

What's included

  • Community strategy framework
  • Platform selection guide
  • Launch plan
  • Content and engagement strategy
  • Moderation guidelines
  • Growth tactics
  • Success metrics

Best used when

  • Building customer community
  • Driving engagement
  • Reducing support burden
  • Creating peer connections
  • Scaling customer success

The template

The Template

COMMUNITY STRATEGY

Community Purpose Statement

The [Company] Community exists to [help customers/enable peers]
to [achieve outcome] through [peer connection/knowledge sharing/collaboration].

Community Goals

Goal Metric Target
Member acquisition Monthly new members
Engagement Monthly active members
Support deflection Questions answered in community
Retention impact NRR of community members
Advocacy generation Advocates from community

Community Type Selection

Type Best For Effort Level
Discussion forum Q&A, knowledge sharing Medium
Slack/Discord Real-time connection High
LinkedIn group Professional networking Low
Custom platform Full control, integration High

PLATFORM SELECTION

Platform Comparison

Platform Cost Customization Integration Best For
Discourse $ High Medium Discussion
Circle $ Medium Medium Course + community
Slack $ Low High Real-time
Discord Free/$ Medium Medium Tech/casual
Gainsight $$ High High Enterprise
Salesforce $$ High High Enterprise

Selection Criteria

Criterion Weight Platform A Platform B
Cost 15% /5 /5
Ease of use 20% /5 /5
Customization 15% /5 /5
CRM integration 20% /5 /5
Moderation tools 15% /5 /5
Analytics 15% /5 /5
TOTAL 100%

LAUNCH PLAN

Pre-Launch (4-6 weeks before)

Week Activity
1 Finalize strategy, select platform
2 Configure platform, create structure
3 Recruit founding members (10-20)
4 Seed initial content
5 Soft launch with founders
6 Iterate based on feedback

Launch Week

Day Activity
Mon Announce to customer base
Tue Email campaign to segments
Wed Social media push
Thu Host live kickoff event
Fri Thank yous, engagement push

Founding Member Program

Benefit Expectation
Early access Post 2x/week
Direct input on community Recruit 3 members
VIP recognition Give feedback
Exclusive swag 3-month commitment

CONTENT STRATEGY

Content Mix

Content Type Frequency Owner
Welcome posts Per new member Community manager
Discussion prompts 3x/week Community manager
Product updates As released Product
Tips and tricks 2x/week Customer Success
Member spotlights 1x/week Community manager
AMAs/live events Monthly Various

Engagement Prompts

- What's the best tip you've learned recently?
- How do you use [feature]?
- What's your biggest challenge this week?
- Share a win from this month!
- If you could add one feature, what would it be?

MODERATION GUIDELINES

Community Rules

  1. Be respectful and professional
  2. Keep discussions on-topic
  3. No spam or self-promotion
  4. Protect confidential information
  5. Share knowledge generously
  6. Report issues promptly

Moderation Response

Issue Response Time Action
Spam <1 hour Remove, warn
Off-topic <4 hours Redirect
Heated discussion <2 hours Cool down, mediate
Policy violation <1 hour Remove, warning/ban
Support request <4 hours Redirect to support

GROWTH TACTICS

Acquisition Channels

Channel Tactic Expected Conversion
Onboarding Invite in welcome series 10%
Email Dedicated campaigns 5%
In-app Notification/banner 3%
CSM Personal invitation 20%
Events Community promotion 15%

Engagement Drivers

  • Weekly email digest of top posts
  • Gamification (points, badges)
  • Member of the month
  • Exclusive content for active members
  • Live events with leadership

SUCCESS METRICS

Metric Definition Target
Total members Signed up
Monthly active members Active in 30 days >25%
Posts per week Total posts
Response rate Questions answered >80%
Average response time Time to first reply <4 hrs
Member NPS Community satisfaction >50

Frequently asked questions

What is the Customer Community Launch Playbook?

A playbook for launching and growing a customer community that drives engagement and retention.

Who is the Customer Community Launch Playbook for?

It is built for CMOs and their teams working on Customer Marketing. The AI coach adapts it to your company, stage, and goals.

How long does the Customer Community Launch Playbook take to use?

It saves roughly 70+ hours versus building from scratch. Our AI coach can tailor the playbook to your situation in minutes, then hand you a step-by-step plan.

Is the Customer Community Launch Playbook free?

Yes. You can read the full playbook and start getting coached through it for free. Sign in to save your tailored version and track your next steps.

How does the AI coach help with the Customer Community Launch Playbook?

The coach teaches you the framework, asks a few questions about your business, tailors the playbook to you, and gives you measurable next steps to execute.