Building Community To Decrease Customer Churn

Most companies try to scale by sprinting after new buyers and wonder why their churn spikes. I give them the Sustainable Growth Framework instead. Three focus areas. Total alignment. Real momentum. After helping subscription businesses grow and retain their members, I’ve learned this: scaling isn’t about speed. It’s about direction. Here’s the framework that keeps your growth steady and your subscribers loyal. 1. Relationships over transactions Don’t chase one-time buyers. Build long-term trust. When you focus on relationships, you create members who stay not because they have to, but because they want to. 💡 Example: If you’re a fitness app, build habits with your members. Send progress updates, celebrate milestones, and personalize recommendations. Growth happens when people feel seen, not sold to. 2. Freedom over friction Don’t lock people in. Make it easy to leave or stay by choice. Subscribers value autonomy. When you respect that, they reward you with loyalty. 💡 Example: If you’re a streaming service, a clear cancel button and transparent pricing signal confidence. The trust you gain outweighs the short-term retention dip. Ease builds credibility. Credibility builds staying power. 3. Outcomes over offerings Don’t pile on features. Deliver results that matter. Your best subscribers don’t want more. They want better. Example: 💡 If you’re a learning platform, don’t add hundreds of new courses. Focus on completion rates, results, and community feedback. Outcomes drive word of mouth far more than volume ever will. The magic? Only you know who your best subscribers are. Serve them well, and growth follows naturally. Because in subscription businesses, scale isn’t about adding more. It’s about deepening what works. +++++++++++ 👋 I'm Robbie, I'm a consultant, author, and speaker covering all things subscription businesses. +++++++++++ 🛎 Tap the bell under the banner on my profile to catch the next post. ++++++++++++

𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. It erodes one friction point at a time. Most brands think they have a retention issue... What they actually have is an 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞. Customers want to feel part of a 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦. They want emotional connection, not a transaction. They want clarity, momentum, and 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐛𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. When the experience works, the customer walks away thinking one thing: 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄. Friction shows up when the journey feels heavy. It shows up: ➡️ in messaging that makes them think too hard ➡️ in handoffs that require repetition ➡️ in checkout pages that stall instead of guide. ➡️ in loyalty programs that feel complicated instead of effortless. Loyalty should be simple to join, simple to use, simple to understand. Remove the pressure. Provide the information. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. At the shopping cart, offering thoughtful complementary options is not upselling. It is service. When the additions make sense, UPT rises. Average order value rises. 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝. Feeling understood builds community. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫. In my experience, the fastest path to conversion is reducing effort for the customer. So we recorded the 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝. No calendar friction. Engagement increased. 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝. At a sustainable e-commerce business, we eliminated hesitation with 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬. Not as a tactic. As conviction. We launched a virtual model tool to reduce sizing anxiety. Conversion increased. Average order value increased. 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐑𝐏𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. 𝐑elationships remove repetition. 𝐏urpose removes confusion. 𝐌ission creates consistency. When marketing, product, and experience align, friction fades. When friction fades, loyalty compound𝐬. And when loyalty compounds, 𝐂𝐀𝐂 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐓𝐕 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. The real unlock happens when you start 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 with your teams. When cross functional champions work holistically toward shared outcomes, the experience smooths out and the metrics begin to move together. Growth becomes predictable because the 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭. 📌 Customers leave because you add friction. If this resonates, check out my book 📕 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 (𝐌)𝐚𝐬𝐬!. The entire book is about removing friction, understanding consumer behavior, honoring real human insight, and building experiences that feel natural instead of forced. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧.

Over the the first 12 months of business, we saw an average of 27% churn each month. Yep, that's right. TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT. It was completely unsustainable. Now, that number is under 5%. That's an 81% reduction in churn in just 1 year. Here's how we did it ⬇ 𝟭. 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝟭:𝟭 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 At the beginning, I wanted to make The Starters as hands-off as possible from a support perspective. Yes, I was always there when someone reached out, but I wasn't proactive about: - Proper onboarding - Making sure our members knew how the platform worked - Tracking & making sure brands found talent That perspective changed when I saw churn through the roof. After speaking to some of our members, I decided to create a dedicated Slack channel for each brand we brought on board, where they have direct access to me for ANY questions, profile recommendations, etc. We also keep track of platform activity, and proactively reach out within a few days if brands aren't reaching out to talent or gaining traction on their searches. 𝟮. 𝟲𝘅'𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 Ultimately if people churn, they don't find your core product enticing enough to stay. For us, that core product is our talent. I launched this business with 75 Starters... which for a while, was okay. But we quickly outgrew it, and more and more brands had trouble finding someone with availability on the platform. After realizing that, I made a commitment to continuously onboard new talent to ensure we always have enough supply to meet demand. At the same time, we monitor for Starters who no longer have bandwidth and temporarily pause their profile, leading to fewer "dead ends" in searches. 𝟯. 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 V1 of The Starters was... cringey, but I did what I could with it. I spent $5,000 developing the V1 of the platform to just get something "workable", but it wasn't easy to: - Search and filter - View rates - Reach out to talent Over the course of the last 14 months, I've been working to overhaul the usability to make it quicker and easier than ever to find great talent and have invested over $100,000 behind the efforts. Today, I'd put some of our usability features on par with (or better than) platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. It takes mere seconds to find relevant talent on the platform, and just a few more to start an instant message with them. *** Retention isn't about gimmicks. It's about figuring out WHY customers are coming to you and making sure you're EXCEEDING those expectations. Instead of working on retention "hacks", we focused on the root cause of our churn problem and improved the core product offering multiple fold as a result I'm happy that the business is in a MUCH more sustainable position moving forward, and while we have more work to do, I'm so happy with where we are now.

Building a Successful Customer Community: More Than Just a Forum A well-run customer community isn’t just a place for discussions—it’s a strategic asset that builds deeper relationships, strengthens product adoption, and creates a sense of belonging among your customers. A thriving community can: ✅ Drive retention – Customers who feel connected to a brand and their peers stay longer. ✅ Enhance product adoption – Peer-to-peer learning helps customers use your product more effectively. ✅ Create organic engagement – Customers help each other, reducing support burden and strengthening loyalty. What Makes a Customer Community Successful? 1️⃣ Clear Purpose & Value 🔹 What’s in it for customers? Whether it’s networking, product knowledge, or industry trends, a great community serves a defined purpose. 2️⃣ Strong Onboarding & Early Engagement 🔹 Communities fail when members don’t know how to participate. Structured onboarding, welcome guides, and initial engagement prompts are critical. 3️⃣ Diverse Participation Opportunities 🔹 Not all members engage the same way. Offer different ways to participate, such as: 🔸 Discussions & Q&A threads 🔸 Live virtual and in-person events & expert AMAs 🔸 Exclusive beta groups & insider content 4️⃣ Encouraging Organic Conversations 🔹 A common mistake? Over-moderation. Let members shape discussions while providing light guidance to keep engagement strong. 5️⃣ Recognition & Incentives 🔹 Gamification, ambassador programs, and member spotlights keep engagement high while rewarding contributors. 6️⃣ Measuring Community Impact 🔹 Successful communities don’t just “feel good”—they drive real business impact. Here's what you can track: 🔸 Retention & renewal rates for engaged members 🔸 Reduction in support ticket volume 🔸 Peer-led referrals & advocacy participation 🔸 Expansion growth A well-structured community provides a unique, scalable way to engage customers, making them feel valued while strengthening their connection to your brand. When customers learn, share, and grow together, everyone benefits. What’s the most valuable community you’ve been part of? What made it work? #CustomerCommunity #CommunityBuilding #CustomerEngagement #CustomerSuccess #B2BMarketing #RetentionMarketing

The key to creating a brand that people can't stop talking about? 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲. But it’s not just about creating 𝘢𝘯𝘺 community. It’s about creating one that feels 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞. Your community should reflect a purpose, a cause that resonates and drives everything you do. So, how do you do this? 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭.  ↳ Instead of just posting on social media, organize virtual or in-person events that align with your brand values.  ↳ For example, if you're a sustainable fashion brand, host clothing swap meetups or upcycling workshops.  ↳ This gives community members a chance to connect with each other and your brand in meaningful ways. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞.  ↳ Involve your community in the creation process.  ↳ Use polls, focus groups, and beta testing to let them influence product decisions.  ↳ Share the journey from ideation to launch, crediting community input. ↳ This not only improves your offerings but also gives members a sense of ownership and pride. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦.  ↳ Create a structured program where community members can earn increasing levels of recognition and perks based on their engagement and advocacy.  ↳ This could include exclusive product drops, BTS access, or even advisory board positions for top-tier members.  ↳ This incentivizes active participation and creates aspirational goals within the community. People don't want to be talked at. They want to be part of something real. Build a genuine community, and you won't just have customers. You'll have passionate advocates.

When you treat your existing customers like inconveniences instead of your greatest growth opportunity, you’re leaving money on the table. I recently overheard two business owners talking in a coffee shop. One described elaborate plans for acquiring new customers. The other asked about their existing customers. The first owner dismissed the question entirely. His priority was solely attracting new business.  I've witnessed this misguided thinking throughout my career. Companies invest heavily in wooing prospects while neglecting those who already trust them. It’s like filling a bucket without noticing the holes at the bottom. This obsession with acquisition over retention is one of the most expensive mistakes I see leaders make. This is like treating strangers better than friends. Your existing customers quietly hold the keys to your growth. - They already trust you enough to have chosen you once - They cost virtually nothing to "acquire" again - They have insights about your product or service that new customers don't - Their networks are an untapped goldmine When I work with clients who are struggling with growth, I don’t examine their acquisition funnel first. I look at their retention strategy, or often, the lack of one. At one company, I walked into a leadership meeting where they were celebrating hitting their new customer targets while ignoring their rising churn rate. When I suggested reallocating resources toward existing customers, I was met with resistance. I challenged their perspective, educating them on the true value of customer relationships. Eventually, I helped shift their marketing resources toward enhancing the experience for existing customers through thoughtfully designed touchpoints. The results surprised everyone. Their churn dropped dramatically, existing customers began spending more, and referrals increased substantially. They grew significantly that year while spending less on marketing. The acquisition treadmill is exhausting and expensive. Creating experiences where customers feel genuinely valued eliminates the need to constantly replace them. Think about the businesses to which you’re loyal. I've been a regular at the coffee shop I mentioned earlier for four years. They remember my preferences, occasionally surprise me with something new they think I’d enjoy, and create an environment I want to bring friends to. They don’t ask for referrals. They earn them by creating an experience worth talking about. In the race for growth, your existing customers aren’t the finish line. They’re the starting block.

Getting out of good relationships is hard. In my Atlas article for InternetRetailing's #SubscriptionX newsletter last week, I extolled the virtues of member communities for retention and building customer lifetime value. Not a new topic, but one often paid lip service to. Three of the points in the article: 1. Psychological factors, not discounts, drive retention. 2. Communities require product thinking, not a range of perks. 3. Trust and authenticity, especially in a world with increasing AI slop, are non-negotiable. As Atlas Abi Spooner says, “Successful subscription and membership is all about building long-term relationships with your customers. Understanding their motivations and needs is central to this. "You need to build your community informed by insight about its members: Who they are, why they’re there, and what they’re getting from you, rather than (simply) access to your product. "Authenticity is essential in relationships, and by building your community you’re opening yourself up to a conversation, too. "Your most engaged members will tell you what they think you should be doing, and those conversations might not always be positive. But if you listen and acknowledge them, you not only gain feedback to strengthen your proposition, you also deepen the community relationship and the value that comes from it.” The article is here: https://lnkd.in/en6jMpaH #subscription #membership #communities Mark Pigou Rob Prevett Ian Jindal Hannah Rogers Marvin Roberts Amanda Whyte Julian Thorne Steve Price Edward Craggs Lucy Davis That Coalition That Narrative