Marketing feels like shouting into the void
Find your superfans and give them tools to spread the word. A community of advocates is more powerful than any ad campaign.
When to use
You have users who genuinely love your product and some are already recommending it organically.
Hypothesis template
If we create a [community program] for our most engaged users, they'll bring in [target] new users because passionate users are the best marketers.
Method
The problem: Your marketing efforts feel one-directional. You talk, but nobody listens or shares.
What Notion did: Built a community ambassador program where passionate users created templates, tutorials, and local meetups. These ambassadors became Notion's most effective growth channel.
Why it works:
- Peer recommendations > company marketing (people trust people)
- Ambassadors create content you'd never think of
- Local communities tap markets you can't reach
- It's sustainable—community compounds over time
How to build it:
- Identify superfans: Who already talks about you without being asked? Check social media, support tickets, NPS scores
- Create a program: Give them a title, a private channel, early access to features
- Arm them: Templates, swag, referral links, talking points
- Empower, don't control: Let them create their own content and events
- Recognize them: Feature their work, give them credit, send surprises
What ambassadors do:
- Create tutorials and templates
- Answer questions in forums
- Host local meetups or webinars
- Write blog posts and reviews
- Provide product feedback
Start small: 10-20 ambassadors who genuinely love your product beats 200 people who signed up for free swag.
Success metrics
- •Ambassador signups
- •Content created by ambassadors
- •New users from ambassador links
- •Ambassador-referred user retention
- •Community engagement
Prerequisites
- A product people genuinely love
- Way to identify superfans
- Community platform (Discord, Slack, etc.)
- Time to manage the program
Common pitfalls
- •Recruiting people who don't actually use the product
- •Over-controlling what ambassadors say
- •Not recognizing their contributions
- •Scaling too fast before the culture is set
Source: Notion. Community ambassadors drove massive organic growth.
Suggested ICE scores
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