How Jasper AI Used Community to Become One of America's Fastest-Growing Companies
Why startups must use communities to scale in today's diluted tech space...
Jasper AI: an incredible tool, a revolutionary way to write and ideate, and a true leader in AI innovation.
But its generative AI copywriting capabilities aren't the only unique element.
There's something different about the brand - something that sets it apart from the pack.
It's the community. It’s following.
And that’s how brands win today regardless of the product or industry.
The power of community isn't just used by Jasper AI - it's a common theme in successful brands.
They build a cult-like following of like-minded people who go as far as battling competing brands and provide a mission-driven foundation for the company.
Brands like Nike, Apple, and even Tesla have used community to their advantage.
Nike vs. Adidas
Apple vs. Android
Tesla/Elon Musk vs. (seemingly) the world
Building a mission. A vision. A way of thinking.
And most importantly - a shared purpose.
A brand community is brand equity - for external and internal members - and the data doesn't lie:
83% of consumers say word of mouth influences their buying decisions.
Online communities can increase your engagement by 21%
68% of branded communities report that the community has helped them generate new leads
Businesses that invested in communities saw a 77% increase in workplace efficiency and a 52% increase in innovation speed
Customers prefer working with people - not businesses.
That makes relationships a prerequisite to success.
Building a community gives customers the ability to network and connect with like-minded people.
There's a massive push for community-building at Jasper AI, and it's paid off.
In a crowded marketplace with hundreds of Generative AI brands popping up and competing for attention, Jasper AI stands out and has quickly become one of America's fastest-growing companies.
Yes - they have a beautiful user interface and can push new developments and features at ridiculous speeds.
But UX/UI alone can't be sustainable in a competitive market.
How they've marketed the product through community, is what’s turned their customer and revenue charts into full-blown hockey sticks.
The secret to Jasper AI's success is leveraging its community.
They're the perfect example for a startup looking to make an impression on its target audience.
The company invested heavily in building relationships with its users early on, building a FaceBook group.
It had less than 10,000 members just a year ago.
Today, it has over 75,000 and grows daily.
So, how did Jasper AI grow its community to build a massive salesforce of brand evangelists?
Let’s dig in.
Building a user-driven product
A community provides a feedback loop like nothing else.
Jasper AI's customers are like family.
They're part of the process that drives their product development. User-submitted requests and iterations form the basis of many features implemented.
When something breaks - users are part of the conversation.
When something new launches - users are at the forefront of testing.
This feedback loop allows them to listen and understand what their customers want.
Takeaway: When customers feel significant, empowered, and heard, they become loyal and passionate. A brand community can become a sea of QA testers and product roadmap specialists - except they pay you!
Value-driven engagement
Whether live Q&As, training seminars, webinars, a live chat, resource docs, or the Facebook group, there's a channel to learn, grow, and connect with the Jasper team and other users.
Jasper AI has created an environment where customers can reach out to each other and the team - creating an intimate relationship.
And as the team at Jasper participates in the conversation on social channels like Facebook, it increases its grip on its user base.
Jasper AI knows that offering a great product with good customer support isn't enough.
It's their commitment to innovation through community that sets them apart.
Takeaway: Having an audience is one thing, but giving them a reason to stay and drive word-of-mouth sales is what counts.
Hosting events and meetups
As the community scaled, they strengthened those relationships, pulling the audience in even further with an in-person event: GEN AI.
Not only was it the first event of its kind, but it brought in over 1,200 people.
The Jasper brand led the organized interaction with AI enthusiasts and users to discuss the future of the technology.
It brought out valuable insights for the business while showing customers the value of their participation.
Takeaway: As a brand, when scaling your community, in-person events will transform your customer relationships - bringing them closer (literally) than ever before.
A customer-friendly CEO
Technology and data are great, but the real differentiator is often the CEO - the pioneer and visionary.
They're the leader of the pack, who everyone listens to wholeheartedly.
The Elon Musks, The Phil Knights, and The Steve Jobs of the world.
Their voices are loud and clear in the market.
Jasper AI's Dave Rogenmoser is a perfect example.
Dave makes himself visible and engageable.
He shares valuable insights and visions of the future and, most importantly, gets those around him to feel like they’re part of the mission.
He communicates on several channels daily, including LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook group, and speaks at related events and conferences.
Dave posts ideas, updates, and motivational messages and responds to users often - a friendly face and a beacon of trust.
It’s been made clear time and time again.
A CEO's engagement and proactive approach to community building can set the tone for a brand and its success with its customer base.
Takeaway: From the front-line customer support teams up to the CEO, every touchpoint and interaction contributes to creating an unforgettable community experience. Leadership typically seems intimidating to approach. But having a CEO and team regularly engage in a friendly, supportive way with your community members brings customer relationships to a new level.
Word-of-mouth marketing
Not enough brands have a strategy in place for word-of-mouth marketing.
A community is a perfect place to start.
It gives customers a sense of belonging and encourages them to discuss the product, share experiences and best practices, and create relationships.
As noted, 83% of consumers say that word of mouth influences their buying decisions.
Jasper's community of passionate customers not only uses the product but advocates for it.
It's a free salesforce that's just as excited about the product as you are.
By giving users a platform (like the FB group) to share their experiences, Jasper AI has allowed for a steady stream of organic referrals for their product - and saved them countless dollars in marketing and sales costs.
Not to mention AI-generative space is the perfect space for user-generated content - the product is what creates it!
By using and sharing their creations - blogs, articles, songs, stories, cartoons, and more - users are organically spreading the word about Jasper AI.
Takeaway: Word-of-mouth marketing should be part of any brand's overall strategy. Creating a space for users to engage with the product and each other and the company brings leads and stickiness at a cost-effective rate.
Jasper AI has set a standard for the exploding AI industry.
Its success stems from the sense of community, camaraderie, and relationships it's developed with its members - creating a memorable, incredible experience.
For any brand looking for a path to success, Jasper AI's playbook is one to follow.
Combining a valuable product, an incredible user experience, and intense speed-to-market innovations with a community of passionate users is the ultimate recipe for success.
Side note: Want 10,000 free credits to generate content on Jasper? Click here for a free trial ;)
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