Building Community Around Customer Experience

There’s a difference between customer advocacy and collecting logos. Too many early stage SaaS companies still think the game is: ☑ Get a big name logo ☑ Put it on your homepage ☑ Job done (Dare I even say one of our competitors' site has quite a few logos that aren't their customers, some are even ours 🤷 ) ...and I think buyers are wising up to this... Same goes for influencers. If they’re not using the product or if they’re not mentioning you without being paid to, you’re not building brand. You’re renting inauthentic attention. At trumpet 🎺 we’ve started leaning heavily into real advocacy. The kind that isn’t bought, briefed or branded. What it looks like: → Users looping in colleagues offering great case studies → Our Slack channels getting DMs oh how users are getting results and telling us excitedly → Prospects mentioning us before we’ve even reached out → Champions posting about us unprompted on LinkedIn → Customers recording walkthroughs for their wider team → Referrals landing in our inbox with a one-line intro That’s the gold. It doesn’t just drive pipeline. It compounds. If you want to actually use advocacy beyond a throwaway customer quote on your site, here’s what we’ve found works: 🔁 Give them a reason to share. Make the product so damn useful (or delightful) they want to talk about it. Most advocacy is a reflection of product quality, not just marketing effort. 🧠 Involve them early. Co-create features, roadmap check-ins, share sneak previews. People advocate for what they help shape. 📦 Re-Package the advocacy. Turn casual quotes into killer social proof. That Slack comment? It can become a slide. That LinkedIn post? It can become an ad. But only if it’s genuine. 🙋 Celebrate the humans, not the logos. Spotlight your champions. Not the company they work for, but the person who took a bet on you. They’re the ones who’ll take you into their next company. We're not perfect at this yet - but it’s the main kind of “marketing” that doesn't need large budgets and that everyone can do. Logos are easy. Advocacy is earned.

CX professionals must aspire to be evangelists not iconoclasts. Unfortunately, too often we are the latter not the former. 👨⚖️ Iconoclasts point out what’s wrong. They stand outside the mainstream, calling out contradictions and what’s not working. While noticing and calling out bad ideas is valuable, ONLY pointing out deficiencies is not. It’s tiresome. I should know. I’ve been guilty of doing that in my career. To be fair, it can be seductive. Think about it. Are there plenty of customer experience flaws to point out at your company? Undoubtedly. But focusing only on the negative is not a formula for changing minds. Far better to have a compelling story for people to be persuaded by – a picture of a better tomorrow that you’re asking your colleagues to embrace. 🌄 Telling that story is the behavior of an Evangelist. ⛪ And #CustomerExperience Professionals must be evangelists - sharing the good news about customer experience. Because, like true believers in any discipline, #CX pros make great evangelists. We truly believe that everything is better in a world where all companies have embraced customer-centricity. 📈 So we should be only too happy to travel far and wide to tirelessly spread the word of the good works of customer experience. 🗺 What should be in your story? 1. The huge business benefits that come from improving customer experience. 📈 2. The benefits to employees and the company culture when delivering great CX becomes a priority. 👩💼 3. The value of the work your customer experience team does. 🎇 4. Tangible results from work you’ve already completed to show that what you’re advocating for is doable. 📊 In my experience, many CX pros don’t include all those elements when they tell the story. I include myself in that, this post is motivational self-talk as much as anything. The other important element of being a good evangelist for CX is not just telling the right story but telling it often enough. 💡Tell your story, tell it again. Be happy at every chance you get to tell the story. Quoting my colleague Danielle Rojas, “Say it until you feel like you’ve said it enough, then say it 5 more times.” 💡So let’s be evangelists for the value and importance of customer experience, rather than Iconoclasts standing on the side, throwing rocks. What have you found to be most persuasive when you tell your CX story? 

I often see people who misinterpret social media as a community building tool. It can be used as such, but very tough to do. (and most people who think they are doing it right are just building another distribution outlet — which is great, but different from building a community) It requires a slightly different approach than the average social strategy. Social Platforms (like X & LinkedIn) • Open networks • Content dependent • Great because people are usually spending lots of their time there • Tough to stand out since you’re competing against the algorithm, other creators, brands, and everyone else in the feed Community Platforms (like Discord, Slack, Circle) • Usually closed networks • Dependent on user engagement • Great for consolidating your core group of members • Very tough to maintain over time since you need people to come back to your specific group (even tougher if engagement is declining) Ok, so how do you use social platforms top build an online community? 1/ Define your community 2/ Share it on your social accounts, in your bio, etc. 3/ Align your content around this community and what they love 4/ When you create your content, keep this specific community in mind 5/ Share updates publicly just like you would within a Discord channel 6/ Allocate a good chunk of time per day to community management 7/ Nurture your most engaged followers by supporting their content 8/ Make introductions directly in the feed wherever possible 9/ Use your platform to elevate others in your community 10/ Introduce group language that people can use How do you know when you’re doing it right? • People will use your account to discover others with similar interests • People will use your language and phrases in their posts • People will use the comments section of your posts like a forum • People will host meetups or connect with one another IRL at events • People will often tag you in content related to your community In closing, Yes, you can use social platforms like X & LinkedIn to build an online community. But it requires much more effort than just posting content about your brand or the problem you solve. You’ve got to constantly keep the community you’re serving top of mind, put in the time to nurture your members, and be consistent over a long period of time.

Since 2017, I have been part of different communities and also managing my own. In Lebanon, I co-led a community of developers and tech professionals that started as a Meta-affiliated group, grew to more than 7000 members, and later continued under the name TechCircle. Across this journey, we organized more than 56 activities — from the first Facebook Tech Week in Lebanon to TechCrunch MENA, international hackathons, masterclasses, panels, and tech talks. I am often approached by people who want to start their own communities, seeking advice from almost a decade of experience in the space. Here are my two cents: 🔹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. Communities thrive when there are no hidden agendas. If you genuinely care, the process becomes rewarding in itself and members feel that authenticity. 🔹𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. I co-led this community with Salah Awad, my husband, and we treated it as an equal partnership. We split responsibilities based on our strengths and complemented one another’s skills, which allowed us to sustain the effort over years. Beyond the practical side, it also helped challenge stereotypes around women in tech. Having a visible woman leader, supported by her partner, created space for more women to join. By 2019, 37% of our members were women. 🔹𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁. Leaders need credibility to set rules, foster respectful communication, and build meaningful partnerships. Members should see you as mentors, at least in some areas, to trust the direction you set. 🔹𝗕𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. For a community to stay alive, every member should feel valued and part of the journey. This went beyond participation — we aimed for inclusivity when shaping the roadmap of activities themselves. By listening to different needs and making sure the activities reflected the diversity of the community, members could engage in ways that mattered to them and feel that their contribution truly counted. 🔹𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Some of the most powerful outcomes came from simple networking. Many members found opportunities, collaborations, and lasting connections by meeting peers who shared their interests. Community leadership is demanding, but when guided by care, inclusiveness, and credibility, it becomes one of the most rewarding ways to create real impact. #community #impact #tech #technology

Almost every Product leader I speak to shares about being interested in having an impact. It's fascinating to note that impactful changes don't always necessitate grand visions. They can be achieved through incremental steps, one customer at a time, by fostering inclusivity in our product development processes. Annie Jean-Baptiste shares "Product Inclusion is the practice of applying an inclusive lens throughout the entire product design and development process to create better products and accelerate business growth." In my journey, I've found that significant enhancements often result from incremental adjustments: 💡 Inclusive Research: Ensure our research is inclusive and we are learning from diverse customers. Even incorporating one additional dimension of diversity into our research approach can render our products a tad more inclusive. 💡 Harms Modelling: Prior to commencing product development, conducting a pre-mortem exercise focused on mitigating potential harm to our customers can significantly enhance inclusivity in our products. 💡 Diverse teams: Cultivating diverse teams fosters a rich diverse set of perspectives, thereby enriching our product development process and ensuring inclusivity is woven into the fabric of our product development. 💡 Testing with diverse customers: Leveraging diverse customer cohorts for testing enables us to identify and rectify potential biases or exclusions, resulting in products that cater to a broader audience. 💡 Building with diverse customers: Involving diverse customers in the co-creation process empowers us to tailor our products to their unique needs and preferences, fostering a sense of ownership and inclusivity. 💡 Accessibility Integration: Incorporating features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and adjustable font sizes can significantly improve accessibility and inclusivity. I found that testing accessibility before launching is a great way to minimize negative impact. #productinclusion #productmanagement #productleadership

Question: If you had a bad experience with a company or product, would you buy from them again? The answer is "no" right? For disabled people, 75-80% of customer experiences are failures. That means that 75-80% of transactions for our community aren't repeated. That's pretty bad right? The impact of a negative experience resonates far beyond a single transaction. It can influence a customer's decision-making process and brand loyalty for the long term. In striving for improvement, businesses must recognise the importance of inclusivity and accessibility. By investing in accessible design, empathetic customer service, and continuous feedback loops, we can create an environment where every customer feels valued and understood. Here are some actionable steps to enhance the customer experience for everyone: * Prioritise accessibility: Ensure your physical and digital spaces are accessible to disabled people. This includes wheelchair ramps, accessible websites, and accommodating customer service practices. * Educate your team: Educate your staff to the diverse needs of customers. Training programmes that emphasise empathy and understanding can go a long way in fostering a positive and inclusive customer experience. * Feedback mechanisms: Establish channels for customers to provide feedback easily. Actively seek input from disabled people to understand our unique challenges and implement necessary improvements. * Adopt universal design: From product packaging to online interfaces, adopt a design philosophy that considers the diverse needs of all customers. Universal design benefits everyone and creates a more positive overall experience. * Transparent communication: Be transparent about your commitment to inclusivity. Communicate the steps you are taking to improve accessibility, both internally and externally. This fosters trust and demonstrates your dedication to positive customer experiences. Remember, creating a truly inclusive business environment not only improves the lives of disabled people but also enhances the overall customer experience for everyone. It's a win-win strategy that builds lasting connections and fosters brand loyalty. #InclusiveBusiness #CustomerExperience #AccessibilityMatters

You want engagement? Don't ignore those who are already engaging. Most people treat comments like background noise. I treat them like they matter. Because they do. Every like. Every reply. Every DM That's someone choosing to listen to you. And if you don't respond? They stop showing up. Because you didn't. If you want to build a community here, do this: 1. Respond to 75% of your comments → Not just the questions. → The emojis. The "this!" replies. People remember when you see them. 2. Match energy → If someone drops a thoughtful comment, give more than "Thanks!" → Treat it like a conversation, not a transaction. 3. Don't ghost your DMs → If someone asks for help and you can help, show up. → Even if it's a voice note or one quick insight. → That's how you build trust without selling. 4. Comment on other posts intentionally → Not "great post." Not "thanks for sharing." → Drop thoughts. Ask questions. → Micro-content builds macro-visibility. 5. Treat comments like content → Your replies are windows into how you think. They add up. They compound. If you're not supporting the people already in your corner, why should new people want to join you? Build community first. Business follows. How do you manage your comments and DMs? Any personal rules you follow?

If I were to start over today in customer experience, I would not begin with surveys, nor with likeable characters, nor with immaculate journey maps that live in presentations and die in operations. I would begin by unlearning. Unlearning empty frameworks, dashboards no one consults when real pressure hits, promises of instant empathy that have trained us to do the right things, but not necessarily the things that transform. And yes, this truth can be uncomfortable. CX has become an accessory, something that is communicated, but not governed. A “look how beautiful our journey is” while the decisions that truly matter are taken elsewhere, based on entirely different criteria. If I were starting today, I would do this differently. And it is what I recommend to any leader who doesn't want to lose time: 1️⃣ I would start with blocks action, not with the customer: Organisations love collecting preferences, but customers do not decide based on taste; they decide based on friction. If you do not understand what enables or blocks an action, everything else becomes analytical vanity. The driving force behind the business is not what we would like it to be. It is the unresolved micro-pains that no one takes into account when making decisions. 2️⃣ I would design the system before the experience: There is no consistent experience when decision-making is inconsistent. This is why I developed CUSTOMER™, to move CX away from being a collection of initiatives and turn it into: → a prioritisation guide → a shared business language → a real backbone for sustainable growth 3️⃣ I would speak more clearly and more humanly: In CX, empathy is discussed endlessly. Uncomfortable conversations are avoided. If I were starting today, I would choose the right friction: the kind that opens eyes, not the kind that looks good in a handbook. Because the future of experience does not depend on more data, but on more truth. And the truth is that many organisations do not need new tools. They need more courage. More decisions taken from the customer’s perspective, at the right moment, with accountability for impact. CX is not a deliverable. It is a way of leading. And when it is genuinely adopted, it changes the entire business. If I were starting from scratch today, I would choose to help organisations move: → from decoration to design → from noise to intention → from linear to living systems → from tactical execution to true strategy Save this post if you are rethinking your CX strategy for 2026.

Your "followers" won’t buy from you... because they 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 actually care. Your audience ≠ Your community Most people build an audience. Few build a community. An audience listens. A community participates. An audience consumes. A community contributes. An audience watches. A community advocates. And that’s the difference between being followed… And being fought for. Having 100,000 followers means nothing if they’re just scrolling past your content. Let’s break it down, shall we? Only 1–3% engage → 1,000–3,000 people Of those, maybe 5% truly care → 50–150 real advocates The average conversion rate is 1–3% → 0.5–4 sales That’s why a big audience ≠ big business. Community does. Want to turn your audience into community? Start here. 1. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 Stop broadcasting. Start interacting. Ask questions. Spark debates. Make people feel heard. 2. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 People don’t just want access. They want 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨. Inner circles. Private groups. Masterminds. 3. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗲𝘀 Your brand isn’t the star, your community is. Cheer for them. Put them in the spotlight. DM them. 4. 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁—𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 A newsletter is good. A live roundtable is better. A podcast is great. A mastermind is next level. 5. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 People crave status. Give them roles. Contributors. Ambassadors. Champions. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦? Attention fades. Algorithms change. But a strong community sustains your brand... no matter what. That’s why personal branding 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮. Not an audience. Not followers. 𝘈 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. P.s. how many people are there in your core community?

Hard truth: if you can’t tie CX to business outcomes, you'll be treated as overhead. Lately, I’ve noticed CX professionals suddenly talking about how CX needs to drive growth. Here's what's interesting: this isn't new insight; it's always been true. CX leaders have always needed to focus on growth. Yet many have been so focused on perfecting CX practices that they lose sight of why those practices matter—solving the problems that keep executives awake at night. That's what gets them sidelined or eliminated. It's an ongoing challenge for CX professionals: we must create measurable value for the C-suite if we want to be seen as strategic partners. Here's the disconnect: The Problem: Many CX professionals over-focus on journey maps and satisfaction scores, while executives lose sleep over growth and churn. Journey maps are valuable tools—but they're not outcomes. We're speaking different languages. The Reality: The C-suite cares about customers. They simply refer to it as revenue, retention, and competitive advantage. They don't need another presentation about "customer-centricity." They need transformation strategies that use CX as the lever. Example: Instead of "We improved CSAT by 15 points," try "We identified friction in checkout that was costing $2M annually in cart abandonment. We fixed it, recovered 60% of that revenue, and here's the roadmap for the rest." The Evolution: Thriving CX leaders aren't just customer advocates—they're business transformation strategists. They lead with: "Here's how customer friction is costing us $X in growth, and here's our plan to fix it." The Truth: If you can't connect your CX initiative to the business outcomes that keep leadership awake at night, you won't be seen as a strategic partner. You'll be seen as overhead. It's time for CX leaders to become change catalysts who happen to specialise in customer experience, not the other way around. Honest question: Is your CX team driving measurable transformation, or are we still documenting problems without owning solutions? #CX #CustomerExperience #BusinessTransformation