Planning Stage
- Product specification with emphasis on viral elements.
- Positioning and highlighting the product’s exclusive features.
- Characterizing prospective target audiences.
- Mapping out the needs met by the product.
Launching Stage
- Viral marketing and use of social media to generate buzz and awareness.
- Locating influentials: identifying, nurturing and empowering opinion leaders.
- Creating special-purpose communities: social networks and wiki tools directed at a target audience.
- Planning and kick off of alpha and beta plans: testing the product among the target audiences and analyzing feedback.
Maintenance Stage
- Maintaining the communities on an ongoing basis: content and management.
- Motivating members to manage community activities on their own.
- Strengthening ties between community members by means of visual elements, rituals and symbols.
Miscellaneous
- Business development: creating collaborations with various entities to leverage the product.
- Public Relations: dispatching PR messages to key persons.
- Raising capital: forging and managing ties with investors.