What we are asking here is a subset of the question "how to I advertise?," with the condition that we don't have existing users to use as an asset.
Seems to me there are two different issues to deal with:
1) How minimise the negative consequences of not having users ("ghost town effect").
- One option is to structure the product so that the number of users is not obvious. Since at this point there is little value to showing all the users of the system at once, or highlighting aggregate activity, perhaps it's fine to not include these features, or at least not make them prominent. So a UI like StumbleUpon might fare better than one like Digg, where the aggregate activity is shown prominently.
- Or, pick another MVP with lower critical mass, and then build the community later. Delicious was great because it was useful if only you are using it, but better with others. (though still no where as good as it could be.... Chad, i wish you luck!).
2) what assets can we use (or create) to acquire users efficiently?
Zince we don't have users to work on word of mouth, you have to have something else. Some options:
- A unique value proposition that will excite someone with influence to give you access to their audience.
- a unique product structure
- a quid pro quo for the influencer
- A "story" that will entice a blogger to want to talk about you.
- make it controversial (e.g. blippy )
- make it human interest ( e.g. man sells spot on iPad line using AirBnB).
- A unique marketing opportunity
- the greatest ever was when Facebook opened up their platform to intense viral (spammy) promotion.
- You may not find a gold vein that rich... but there are always more opening up. Perhaps you were early to find a burgeoning high quality community, and built a persona there with influence....
- find a news story and attach yourself to it. (reputation.com connected with people who had some crazy bad google results, to the degree they could get into the news. )
- An asset you have already. OK, you're probably not PG if you are reading this, but maybe you:
- Know a lot of people in area X (which is why that is where you should focus your community).
- Have a good story to tell, and can link it to your product
- Know ONE person who has enough influence to help you if your pitch is good. As a VC I felt like this was a role central to the job, whether I planned to invest or not... everyone loves to help someone that they think should and will succeed.
Seems to me there are two different issues to deal with:
1) How minimise the negative consequences of not having users ("ghost town effect").
- One option is to structure the product so that the number of users is not obvious. Since at this point there is little value to showing all the users of the system at once, or highlighting aggregate activity, perhaps it's fine to not include these features, or at least not make them prominent. So a UI like StumbleUpon might fare better than one like Digg, where the aggregate activity is shown prominently.
- Or, pick another MVP with lower critical mass, and then build the community later. Delicious was great because it was useful if only you are using it, but better with others. (though still no where as good as it could be.... Chad, i wish you luck!).
2) what assets can we use (or create) to acquire users efficiently?
Zince we don't have users to work on word of mouth, you have to have something else. Some options:
- A unique value proposition that will excite someone with influence to give you access to their audience. - a unique product structure - a quid pro quo for the influencer
- A "story" that will entice a blogger to want to talk about you. - make it controversial (e.g. blippy ) - make it human interest ( e.g. man sells spot on iPad line using AirBnB).
- A unique marketing opportunity - the greatest ever was when Facebook opened up their platform to intense viral (spammy) promotion. - You may not find a gold vein that rich... but there are always more opening up. Perhaps you were early to find a burgeoning high quality community, and built a persona there with influence.... - find a news story and attach yourself to it. (reputation.com connected with people who had some crazy bad google results, to the degree they could get into the news. )
- An asset you have already. OK, you're probably not PG if you are reading this, but maybe you: - Know a lot of people in area X (which is why that is where you should focus your community). - Have a good story to tell, and can link it to your product - Know ONE person who has enough influence to help you if your pitch is good. As a VC I felt like this was a role central to the job, whether I planned to invest or not... everyone loves to help someone that they think should and will succeed.