Are Super Consumers the Secret to Early Stage Community Growth?

If you're building a community and haven't started recognizing your "super consumers," you're wasting precious time and energy.

Knowing who the super-consumers are will allow you to learn critical insights faster and exponentially expand what you're building. Stop the ineffective internet detective work and start using your data and existing relationships to grow.

What's a Super Consumer?

Eddie Yoon (@EddieWouldGrow), sheds light on the power of these people in a recent HBR On Strategy Podcast.

“You start with superconsumers and ask them to figure out what would need to be true for you to pay double the price of what I sell you now today,” he explains. “If you ask any regular consumer, they’d say, ‘no way would I let you do that.’ But a superconsumer would say, ‘well, if you did this, this, and this; I would actually pay three times as much for it.’ Start with the passionate core, and let them do your work for you.”

Early Adopters are Your Community Consumers

Early adopters in your community are your super consumers. They are the first to engage, bringing enthusiasm and a willingness to take risks.

Their role is vital in setting the community's tone and culture, shaping it into a collaborative and dynamic space.

If you're just "happy to have" these people, you are missing out. The reasons behind why they chose you, why they signed up, why they agreed to pay you money, all of these are insights that will allow you to focus your message and find additional members.

The Message...

As Eddie highlights, the goal isn't just to cater to these super consumers but to use their insights to expand your niche.

But wait, you told me to make a niche!

That's 100% right. You need to know where you stand and so too do your members. But there are many things that are niche adjacent.

What else are these people into? What were the steps that they took to arrive at your digital doorstep? How do they apply what they're learning here outside of this space to improve their personal, professional and social lives?

Much of this is unknown to you and all you have to do is ask. Eventually, your community, your work, your project, your product will grow to a scale at which data can help you deliver much of these answers.

Until that point, it's incumbent upon you to invest in making sure you know as much about these early members and their habits as possible. But this goes beyond the preferences.

SCs help translate your message, making it relatable to a broader audience. This expansion is crucial for community builders, as it's these early, passionate members who will help attract more people to your vision.

...and then the Medium!

The actual act of engaging and uncovering more about these users will help your message evolve into something that is transmissible. It will help these new early adopters be able to communicate better.

With this knowledge, your super consumers will be able to better explain to the second- or third-order connections that are just outside the reach of what you're doing. These people would join if they could only see why it was important for them. And now they can.

How to Engage with Your Super Consumers: From Signup to Follow-up

The journey with super-consumers should progress from sign up into a more rich relationship. Here's a simple pathway.

• Sign Up
• Community Intro
• 1-on-1 Meeting
• Follow Up & Value

You probably already have the signup and community introduction part set. Now you need to add a one-on-one opportunity to meet with these members.

Even a 15-minute connection is an opportunity to start a meaningful relationship. And it's beneficial for your community as well, as you get a chance to explain more than just what the ones and zeros on the screen are trying to communicate.

The real magic is what happens after that meeting. This is in the follow up.

This follow-up is essential as it transitions the relationship from being solely within your community to broader online spaces. Engage your super consumers on other platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook. Build deeper connections, recommend content, and make introductions that enrich their experience.

The Final Word: Start with Your Super Consumers

For community builders, the message is clear: start identifying and engaging your super consumers now.

They are not just members; they are the catalysts for growth, the ones who will help you understand and reach others.

By serving them well, you strengthen your community's core and set the stage for broader expansion and success.