Case Study: Launching Her Huddle. A Strategic Community Build
Introduction
We had the privilege of working with Kellie, the founder of Her Hudle, to help build and launch her community. Our collaboration focused on streamlining the logistics, removing roadblocks and creating a clear step-by-step strategy to ensure Her Hudle launched smoothly and successfully. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how we supported Kellie and the key strategies that made this community launch a success.
Her Huddle
The HER Huddle is more than just a community membership, it’s a movement designed to uplift and support female athletes in every aspect of their journey. By joining the HER Huddle, you become part of a dynamic and inclusive network of athletes, coaches, parents, and providers all working together to help girls reach their highest potential in both sport and life!
Understanding Kellie’s Needs
Discovery Call
Our journey with Kellie began with a 1:1 discovery call to understand her vision for Her Hudle, the challenges she was facing, and what she needed to bring this community to life. This call provided us with a strong foundation to tailor a strategy that addressed her needs and supported her in the most effective way possible.
Strategy Session
Following our initial discovery call, we determined that the best approach was a ‘done-with-you’ strategy session. This included a deep-dive strategy call, where we refined the community’s values, mission, and structure. After an hour and a half of brainstorming, we got to work on crafting a comprehensive strategy playbook, providing Kellie with a clear action plan to execute her launch confidently.
Crafting the Solution
Community Strategy
To ensure Her Hudle had a solid foundation, we developed a detailed strategy that optimised onboarding, engagement, and communication within the community. This included:
Community Blueprint: Aligning memberships and spaces with Kellie’s core offering.
Personalised Welcome Messages: Making new members feel valued from the moment they join.
Interactive Onboarding Tour: Helping members navigate the platform and engage from day one.
Welcome Checklist: Encouraging key steps like profile setup and introductions to foster immediate connection.
Automated Email Funnel: Ensuring members were reminded to jump back in, engage, and explore upcoming events.
Feedback Loop: Establishing a system to collect and implement member feedback for continuous improvement.
Content and Engagement
We worked closely with Kellie to refine Her Hudle’s content and engagement plan, ensuring it could sustain long-term community growth. Our recommendations included:
Content Calendar: Developing a structured plan with engaging rituals to maintain momentum.
Engagement Tactics: Introducing polls, Q&As, and challenges to keep members actively participating.
Member Spotlights: Showcasing community members to build connection and recognition.
Resource Sharing: Encouraging a culture of knowledge-sharing among members.
Theme Months: Creating themed discussions to drive engagement and align with community values.
Launch Preparation
The final phase focused on preparing for Her Hudle’s successful launch. We crafted a detailed launch strategy, covering email sequences and social media campaigns to drive anticipation and sign-ups. Our key recommendations included:
Building Anticipation: Creating buzz through sneak peeks and early access announcements.
Clear Communication: Ensuring all messaging was consistent and aligned with Her Hudle’s mission.
Leveraging Networks: Utilising Kellie’s existing audience and partnerships to spread the word.
Offering Incentives: Encouraging sign-ups through exclusive access and early-bird perks.
Staying Authentic: Maintaining the community’s voice and mission throughout the launch process.
What Kellie Had to Say
Kellie’s experience working with us speaks for itself:
“Serena helped me overcome the overwhelming logistics of creating a step-by-step strategy for my community build and launch! She took tasks off my plate and executed them seamlessly. Her support was invaluable in getting Her Hudle off the ground efficiently and successfully! She made the process feel organised and smooth, allowing me to focus on what I love and do best. And she was the BEST cheerleader through it all!”
Hot Community Launch Tips
Launching a community requires careful planning and execution. Here are some key takeaways from our work with Her Hudle:
🦆 Get Your Ducks in a Row: Set up your welcome process, onboarding experience, and content plan before launch.
💌 Create a Waitlist: Talk about your community at least a month before launch and build a waitlist to keep potential members engaged.
💼 Offer a Founding Member Window: Provide early adopters with exclusive perks to build excitement and urgency.
📩 Leverage Social Media & Email: Use a dedicated campaign to create buzz and drive sign-ups.
🎁 Provide Enticing Incentives: Consider launch bonuses like free coaching or exclusive content.
🤝 Tap Into Your Existing Network: Word-of-mouth marketing from your contacts and audience is invaluable.
🎉 Host a Welcome Week: Make new members feel at home with engaging launch activities.
Final Words
Supporting Kellie in launching Her Hudle was an absolute pleasure and her success story is proof that a well-planned community strategy leads to meaningful engagement and growth.
Launching a community can feel overwhelming, but with the right strategy and support, it becomes an exciting and rewarding journey. If you’re ready to build and launch your own thriving community, let’s chat!