How do you leverage a community of passionate users and consulting partners in your go to market approach?

Having a passionate community of users was one of the things that made me sure that Airtable would be a great company to join. If you see a product that has a huge group of people who are invested in it, love using it, and want to provide whatever feedback they can to make it better, that’s when you know you’re onto something special.

The Airtable Community is made up of our most active and engaged users from very small solopreneurs to employees at large enterprise companies. Right now, we leverage the community to get a pulse on what these customers are thinking about, the product suggestions they have, and where they are blocked by or frustrated with our product. Our team hops in to answer questions and give guidance, but we really see our community as a place for our customers and advocates to interact with one another, find inspiration, and connect. What's incredible is that a lot of our Community's success has happened due to customers, rather than internal efforts.

That said, we have a huge business opportunity with the Airtable Community to leverage the positive feedback in our acquisition efforts, to use the helpful tips and tricks provided in the Community to help new customers get onboarded, and to partner more closely with Airtable specialists and experts as they look to create business opportunities for themselves in training and onboarding new Airtable customers. Solutions partners and developers who build on the Airtable Platform will be hugely important in our Community efforts and we’ll want to be sure we create special programs and incentives for them as they spread the word about Airtable and bring in new business.

We’d also love to parlay our online Community efforts into in person events and meetups when the time is right and this global pandemic is over (hopefully soon!) so we can create real, personal connections with our advocates.

Great question. The key to leveraging a community of passionate users and consulting partners, is to view them as force multipliers for your go-to-market efforts.

Let's start with user community

- Beta testing & feedback: Why? Because your users are the ultimate product experts. They understand the real-world challenges and use cases better than anyone. Involving them early on ensures you're building a product that truly meets their needs, reducing development costs and increasing the likelihood of market success.
- Evangelism: Why? Because authentic, peer-driven recommendations are far more persuasive than any marketing campaign. People trust people, especially those they perceive as similar to themselves. Using the enthusiasm of your user community creates a powerful network effect that amplifies your organic growth.
- Content: Why? Because user-generated content builds trust and credibility. It's authentic, relatable, and often more engaging than branded content. Users who share their knowledge and experiences, create a rich library of resources that attracts and educates potential customers.
- Community-led support: Why? Because it creates a sense of shared ownership and reduces reliance on your internal teams. When users help each other, it not only lightens the load on your support team but also creates a stronger sense of belonging.

Now to think through consulting partners.

- Extending the reach of your sales channels: Why? Because partners provide access to new markets and customer segments that you might not be able to reach on your own. They often have established relationships and expertise in specific industries, allowing you to tap into their network and credibility.

- Implementation & Integration: Why? Because complex products often require specialized expertise for successful implementation. Partners can bridge THAT specific gap, making sure there is a smooth onboarding experience. This is particularly crucial for enterprise customers who have unique needs and complex systems.

Leveraging your existing user base can be done in a number of ways, but if I could highlight only one thing it would be this: have someone dedicated to it full-time. 

You can moderate communities on Slack, Discord, LinkedIn, etc. But it's a lot of work to not only deliver value on a daily basis, but also foster a culture where the majority of folks are willing to contribute. There's nothing worse than having a "community" with thousands of people but no active chatter. Much better to have a community of 20 active folks!