Mapping Vanilla platform suggestions and features to each stage of the engagement journey—Engage, Nurture, Advocate, Feedback & Growth—can be accomplished as follows:
Engage
Welcoming customers into a space where they see immediate value and connection.
- Onboarding Automations: Use onboarding messages and automated “Welcome” prompts to greet new users.
- “New Here?” Widgets: Surface starter content and introductions in a dedicated area to orient new members.
- First Comment Badges: Automatically award badges (e.g., ‘First Comment’) to encourage first-time participation.
- Guided Tours: Deploy platform tours or walkthroughs to help users navigate and find early value.
- Featured Posts/Discussions: Highlight key posts and conversations to show new members where to engage.
- Polls and Quick Surveys: Encourage easy participation with low-barrier polls, building early interaction.
Nurture
Creating meaningful opportunities that align with their goals and encourage deeper participation.
- Topic Subscriptions & Newsletters: Encourage subscriptions to relevant topics and send regular newsletters featuring trending discussions.
- Gamification: Introduce levels/ranks, ongoing badges, and custom incentives that reward deeper participation.
- Events & AMAs: Host regular events, Ask Me Anythings, or webinars to offer direct value and learning opportunities.
- Resource Libraries: Provide curated knowledge bases and resource stores tailored to different member goals.
- Discussion Contests: Organize challenges or contests around product feedback, ideation, or user stories.
Advocate
Empowering members to lead, share their stories, and elevate others.
- Advocate Programs: Set up formal advocacy programs with leaderboards, special roles, or “Superuser” designations.
- Custom Badges & Recognition: Award contributor, mentor, or “Top Helper” badges for valuable activity.
- Featured Member Stories: Highlight member case studies or success stories on the home page or in newsletters.
- Moderator/Volunteer Roles: Invite power users to moderate discussions or lead topic areas.
- Nomination & Referrals: Allow members to nominate peers for recognition or refer new members into advocacy opportunities.
Feedback & Growth
Closing the loop by using community insights to improve products, services, and the member experience.
- Ideation Modules: Collect, upvote, and comment on new feature or product ideas directly in the community.
- Surveys & Feedback Forms: Deploy regular community pulse surveys and targeted feedback forms.
- Analytics & Automation: Use built-in analytics and engagement automation to track community sentiment and trends, surfacing actionable insights for the organization.
- Feedback Discussions: Create discussion areas specifically for feedback, ensuring members see their ideas acknowledged and acted on.
- Showcase Improvements: Announce changes, releases, or improvements inspired by community feedback to demonstrate impact.
What would you add to the list?
