Ep 111: Mastering Online Communities: From Building to Thriving with Bri Leever

Episode 111

What type of community should you build?

In this episode, Sarah Noel Block talks with community strategist Bri Leever about building impactful online communities that can transform and support business growth. Bri shares her approach to designing communities, from the types that work best for different goals (education vs. connection, free vs. paid) to strategies that avoid common pitfalls. With real-world examples and a step-by-step outline, Bri gives insights on launching, sustaining, and even monetizing communities. This episode is packed with actionable tips for B2B service business founders looking to create deeper, engaged relationships with their audience.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Types of Communities: Bri explains her community framework with four categories:

   • Transformative Communities (Paid, Education-Centric)

   • Networking Communities (Paid, Connection-Centric)

   • Nurturing Communities (Free, Education-Centric)

   • Collaborative Communities (Free, Connection-Centric)

   She gives examples for each, like paid mastermind groups for networking or nurturing communities for SaaS tools.

2. Avoiding Overwhelm in Community Management:
   Bri shares tips to keep community management from becoming overwhelming:

   • Start with one type of community and expand only after mastering it.

   • Use time-limited structures, like cohorts or challenges, to keep things manageable and engaging.

3. Launching a New Community:

   • Bri recommends building a waitlist or pre-sale interest group to ensure engagement before opening the doors.

   • Host a launch event to kick off the community, giving members the chance to connect immediately.

4. Leveraging Existing Audiences and Partnerships:
   To grow a new community, Bri advises working with existing audiences, running events, and reaching out to complementary brands or influencers. For podcast launches, she shares how "hype squads" can energize an audience pre-launch.

5. Common Pitfalls and Self-Sabotage in Community Building:
   Bri highlights common missteps, like offering free access to valuable community spaces, which can undercut a community's value and growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Thoughtful community planning can lead to engaged members and sustained growth.

• Begin with a clear goal and stick to one community type at first.

• To measure a community's impact, focus on member engagement and satisfaction, even if metrics can be hard to track.

Connect with Bri Leever:

• Website: Ember Consulting

• Podcast: Dear Bri

• Join the Tiny Marketing Club: If you’re a B2B service business looking to scale smarter, sign up for the waitlist to join the Tiny Marketing Club for personalized coaching, trainings, and actionable feedback.

Subscribe to Tiny Marketing for more actionable tips to grow your B2B service business!