A Founders Guide to Community on Dovetale

Since day one, we wanted Community to be a powerful resource for DTC founders. We think that there is something really special happening in e-commerce and founders are at the heart of it.

As a platform, Dovetale’s goal is to support founders, merchants, and teams. For merchants, there are no tools that help teams build advocacy and community. Dovetale is more than a recruiting, affiliate, gifting, and payments tool. In this article we breakdown our top tips for Shopify founders when building their Community on Dovetale.

As a general reminder, Community not just for established merchants it’s also for first-time sellers. Also, here are some suggested readings before you dive in:

• 7 Community Building Strategies
• Setting up your Community Strategy
• How to Effectively Recruit Community Members

Tip 1: Schedule Regular Check-Ins

Your community is only as strong as your members. Establish rules and values of the group and stick to them. Don’t compromise. Create regular check-ins to reinforce the mission, vision, and values of your community. By setting regular monthly meetings with your community members, you will show them that you are invested in the process and people will reciprocate. People want to know you. They want to hear your thoughts and philosophies. They want to give you feedback. They want to hang out with you and they want to tell their friends that they know you. Community is about word of mouth and you can fan the flame.

Tip 2: Engage Community Members in Unique Ways

Small things go a long way. Here are some ideas:

• Write a handwritten letter to high performing community members
• Give them shoutouts on social media.
• Send small gifts of appreciation
• Invite members to exclusive events (digital and in-person)

Tip 3: Interview Top Members

If you want to scale your community, you need to figure out what is working and what isn’t. As you grow your members, asking the right question is the most important thing to do. Getting members on a quick Zoom call will pay dividends if you conduct the right interview. Here are some questions and suggestions:

• Why did you join our Community?
• What can we do better?
• 5 whys (technique)
• What is the best part of our community?
• What are your goals and how can I help you achieve them?

Community is hard to foster and easy to lose when you have it. That being said, great communities will pay dividends and help your company grow considerably. We hope these tips were helpful.