Online communities are a goldmine for finding customer advocates who can supercharge your product launch - but too often companies rely on things like email blasts and paid campaigns, completely overlooking the power of engaged customers.

Within your own community are passionate advocates, ready to champion your product and influence others.  Leveraging these voices in a launch isn't just about buzz - it’s about creating credibility, driving adoption and igniting that word of mouth growth that sustains long after the launch.  

In this episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Kaavya Gupta, who currently leads a product marketing team at Reddit. Her specialty is caring for products that make it easy for anyone to find and engage with communities on Reddit.

In our conversation, Kaavya gives us the inside scoop on community-driven product launches and why they’ve become a model for most of her team’s launches.

Understanding the Role of Community in Product Launches

Kaavya believes that the true heartbeat of a successful launch lies not in what the brand dictates, but in what the users themselves express. Kaavya walks us through a recent launch that capitalized on community advocacy, demonstrating the importance of bringing users into the fold early through co-creation. The result was an enhanced product experience, validated and refined by the very community it was meant to serve.

The Process: From Research to Execution

For those wanting to replicate this community-driven model, understanding your audience deeply is the first step. Define who your product touches, quantify the impact and empathize with what matters to them.

Once you have this foundational understanding, Kaavya recommends outlining the key phases of your activation strategy: collecting user feedback, enabling internal teams and launching the product while always keeping an ear to the ground to gauge community sentiment. She steps us through the process of hypothesising, researching, segmenting and continually refining your messaging based on feedback from your community and stakeholders.

The Art of Messaging and Engagement

Kaavya emphasizes the crucial role that messaging plays in product launches. Messaging isn't just about the right words; it's about creating a narrative that resonates with your audience on a deeper level. This narrative acts as the backbone of your strategy, guiding the advocates to communicate the product’s value effectively. By crafting messages that speak to emotions and needs, you empower your advocates to become true evangelists of your brand.

Remember, at the heart of groundbreaking product marketing is the passion and authenticity driven by your community. Kaavya shares so many valuable insights with us, and  I hope this episode leaves you with inspiration in taking the next step in your own PMM journey!

LINKS

Connect with Kaavya:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaavyag/

Connect with Elle:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elle3izabeth/