Best Of

I joined the AI Study group call with @Nicole and @MariusCiortea yesterday (future events here https://success.vanillaforums.com/search?domain=event&query=study%20group&scope=site&source=community) )

Marius introduced the group to MCPs and we talked about how people are using AI with their Vanilla communities.

I wanted to share how I'm using it, in case it sparks some ideas for you.

1. Custom HTML Widgets: super easy, I tell Claude what I need, share my colors, branding guidelines, and the links or copy I need and it delivers the exact code I need for Vanilla. (I also mention I'm creating a Vanilla Community Custom HTML Widget, so it will look for the information on how to do this).
   
2. Assign Badges: Claude taught me to turn on terminal, access the vanilla api and create and run scripts to give all of our employees a badge.
   
3. Send Private Messages to new users: Claude helped me set up a script to run when I want to send the newest members a welcome message. This went through terminal as well.
   
4. Researching Vanilla documentation: I tell Claude (or any AI LLM) what I'd like to do in Vanilla and it helps me find ways to create a solution for what I'm trying to do.
   
   1. Group Directory search: Right now I'm using this approach to build a group search for the new group directory page.
      
5. Widget Builder: We have access to the widget builder so I turned our new Resources sidebar widget into a global widget by asking Claude to code it for the Widget Builder. Now, instead of copy/pasting the same code over and over, I select Custom Widget and choose this sidebar widget from the list.
   
6. Compare member lists for badging & invites: I've downloaded my members list and compared it to the list of badges and cross referenced it with our new Ambassadors list to see who is badged but hasn't joined (for outreach opportunities).
   
7. Browser Automation: I sometimes use Claude in browser to:
   1. help me makes lists of members (such as the badged members that have no export option),
   2. answer questions,
   3. figure out what CSS I need to change, etc.

Finally, I'm looking forward to this event with Marius, https://success.vanillaforums.com/events/163-how-ai-is-changing-the-way-community-teams-work to learn how we can use future MCPs for our communities.

How are you using AI with your Vanilla community?

Good day Community, and thank you @Kirstie Macfarlane.
Normally I am asking questions, today I am sharing :-)

As Community Managers, we build trust, strengthen brand loyalty, educate clients, reduce formal tickets, and minimize churn. How do we achieve these goals, prove community value, and its impact on the organization? The answers lie in data. Dashboards are the ultimate tools to demonstrate community health, uncover member insights, and identify growth opportunities. In this blog, I’ll share three dashboards that highlight community health metrics, measure content popularity, and identify potential advocates.

1. Community Health Dashboard

Understanding your community's health is essential to proving its value. Month-over-month growth in these metrics demonstrates that your community and engagement are growing. Tracking Accepted Answer Views highlights how the community serves as a self-sustaining knowledge base, reducing the need for formal support tickets while improving the customer experience. By visualizing this data, you can provide leadership with a clear picture of how the community drives value and supports broader business objectives.

2. Content Popularity Dashboard

Too often, brands create content based on assumptions about what their audience wants. I want to identify which topics resonate most with community members. By analyzing blog views and engagement rates, you can work with your content creators to help them understand content your customers value (and what they don’t). For instance, if you notice a spike in interest around a particular topic, you can collaborate with internal experts to create more of what your audience is asking for. This data-driven approach ensures that your content strategy aligns with your members’ needs, fostering trust and long-term loyalty.

3. Potential Advocates Dashboard

Every vibrant community depends on its advocates: those passionate, knowledgeable members who go above and beyond to contribute. This dashboard highlights key behaviors such as:

• Visits by Customers
• Searches by Customers
• Questions asked by Customers
• Comments provided by Customers vs Employees
• Questions Answered by Customers vs Employees
• Customers with the Most Accepted Answers

Identifying these contributors allows you to engage with them on a deeper level. Reach out, thank them for their efforts, and make them feel valued. Their participation strengthens the community while providing valuable insights into how customers use and perceive your product. As the movie Apollo 13 taught me, customers care about what your product was designed to do (internal knowledge) AND what it can do (external knowledge). By nurturing these advocates and encouraging their contributions, you create a powerful blend of internal expertise and external experience that benefits the entire community.

Let’s Collaborate

I hope these dashboards inspire you to think about how data can transform your approach to community management. I’d love to hear about the dashboards you’ve created and the insights they’ve uncovered. What metrics do you prioritize? How do you present your findings to stakeholders?

If you have questions about why I’ve chosen these dashboards or want to collaborate on new ideas, let’s have a conversation. Together, we can continue to unlock the full potential of our communities.

Cheers,

Toby