Advocacy Programs

Program types

Application template

Use this template for ambassador/champion applications:

[Community Name] Ambassador Program - Application

1. Your name and community username:
2. How long have you been a member?
3. What do you do professionally?
4. Why do you want to join the ambassador program? (2-3 sentences)
5. What would you like to contribute? (Select all that apply)
   [ ] Create tutorials or guides
   [ ] Host or co-host events
   [ ] Answer questions and mentor members
   [ ] Represent the community at external events
   [ ] Create social media content
   [ ] Help with community moderation
   [ ] Other: ___
6. How many hours per month can you commit?
   [ ] 2-5 hours
   [ ] 5-10 hours
   [ ] 10+ hours
7. Link to 1-2 examples of your community contributions (posts, answers, etc.)
8. Anything else you'd like us to know?

Selection criteria scoring

Score each application on a 1-5 scale across these dimensions:

Minimum qualifying score: 3.5/5.0 weighted average. Interview candidates scoring 3.5-4.0. Auto-accept candidates scoring above 4.0 (still conduct a welcome call).

Onboarding new advocates

Week 1 - Welcome

• Welcome call (30 min) with community lead
• Add to private advocate channel
• Share advocate handbook (see below)
• Pair with an existing advocate as a buddy

Week 2-3 - Ramp

• Shadow an existing advocate at an event
• Complete first contribution (one post or one Q&A session)
• Attend advocate-only sync meeting

Week 4 - Independent

• Lead or co-lead their first activity
• Check-in call with community lead (15 min)
• Set goals for first quarter

Advocate handbook outline

Create a handbook covering:

1. Program overview - Mission, values, what success looks like
2. Expectations - Monthly minimums, meeting cadence, response time expectations
3. Benefits - Complete list with how to access each one
4. Resources - Brand assets, content templates, talking points
5. Communication channels - Where to ask for help, report issues, share ideas
6. Content guidelines - What they can and cannot say publicly on behalf of the community
7. Offboarding - How to step down gracefully, alumni status

Benefits menu

Offer a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic benefits:

Recognition (intrinsic)

• Public advocate profile on community website
• Special badge/role in community platform
• Featured in monthly community newsletter
• LinkedIn recommendation letter from community lead

Access (intrinsic)

• Direct line to product team (private channel or monthly call)
• Early access to new features or content
• Input on community roadmap and program design
• Invitation to internal company events (virtual or in-person)

Tangible (extrinsic)

• Annual swag package (quality over quantity - one good item beats five cheap ones)
• Conference ticket sponsorship (1-2 per year for top advocates)
• Gift cards or stipend for content creation expenses
• Reference or portfolio material for career development

Quarterly review process

Every 90 days, review each advocate:

1. Activity check - Did they meet monthly minimums?
2. Quality check - Was their content/support high quality?
3. Engagement check - Are they active in the advocate channel?
4. Satisfaction check - 5-minute survey: "How's the program going?"

Possible outcomes

• Thriving - Exceeding expectations. Offer expanded role or additional benefits.
• On track - Meeting expectations. Acknowledge and encourage.
• Declining - Below expectations. 1:1 conversation to understand why. Offer support or reduced commitment tier.
• Inactive - No activity for 30+ days. Check in personally. If no response in 14 days, move to alumni status with an open invitation to return.

Measuring advocacy ROI

Track these metrics to justify program investment:

Scaling the program

Graceful offboarding

When an advocate leaves:

1. Thank them publicly (with their permission)
2. Grant "Alumni" badge/role
3. Keep them in a lighter-touch alumni channel
4. Ask for exit feedback (what worked, what didn't)
5. Leave the door open: "You're welcome back anytime"

Engagement Frameworks

The engagement ladder in practice

Each rung of the engagement ladder requires different nudges:

Onboarding sequence

Day 0 - Welcome message

Welcome to [community]! We're glad you're here.

Here are 3 things to do in your first 5 minutes:
1. Introduce yourself in #introductions - tell us what you're working on
2. Read our community guidelines: [link]
3. Check out this week's discussion: [link to active thread]

Questions? Ask in #help or DM any moderator. We don't bite.

Day 2 - Value message

Hey [name], hope you're settling in!

Here are the 3 most popular resources our members love:
- [Resource 1] - [one-line description]
- [Resource 2] - [one-line description]
- [Resource 3] - [one-line description]

Found something useful? Share it in #general - others will thank you for it.

Day 5 - Connection message

Hi [name]! Quick heads up - we have [event name] coming up on [date].

It's a great way to meet other members and [specific benefit]. No prep needed.

RSVP here: [link]

See you there!

Day 14 - Check-in

Hey [name], you've been with us for 2 weeks now!

Quick question: what's one thing you wish was easier to find in this community?

Your feedback helps us make this space better for everyone.

Event formats

Weekly recurring events

Monthly events

Quarterly events

Gamification patterns

Use gamification sparingly. It should amplify existing value, not replace it.

Points system (if applicable)

Avoid: giving points for low-value actions (reactions, logins) - this creates noise.

Badge system

Design badges around behaviors you want to encourage:

• Welcome Wagon - Replied to 5 new member introductions
• Problem Solver - Had 10 replies marked as answer
• Storyteller - Published 3 original posts or guides
• Connector - Introduced 2 members who then collaborated
• Veteran - Active member for 12 consecutive months

Leaderboards

Use leaderboards cautiously:

• Reset monthly to prevent permanent hierarchies
• Show top 10 only (avoid shaming the bottom)
• Rotate the metric being ranked (helpfulness, content creation, event attendance)
• Supplement with "most improved" recognition

Engagement recovery campaigns

When engagement drops (>20% decline in MAM over 2 months):

1. Diagnose - Survey lapsed members: "We noticed you've been less active. What changed?" (3 questions max)
2. Content refresh - Audit top-performing content from past 6 months, create updated versions
3. Event blitz - Run 3 events in 2 weeks (variety of formats) to create energy
4. Personal outreach - Have moderators personally reach out to 20 recently-lapsed regulars
5. New blood - Run a targeted invite campaign to bring in fresh perspectives
6. Measure - Track recovery over 30 days. If MAM doesn't recover, the issue is structural (platform, relevance, or competition) and needs a deeper strategy review.

Content calendar template

Plan community content on a weekly cycle:

Keep weekends unstructured - let organic conversation happen.

Feedback Systems

Feedback collection methods

Structured feedback channels

Unstructured feedback signals

Survey templates

Monthly pulse survey (5 questions)

1. How would you rate your experience in [community] this month? (1-5 stars)

2. What was the most valuable thing you got from the community this month?
   [Open text, optional]

3. Is there anything that frustrated you or felt missing?
   [Open text, optional]

4. How likely are you to recommend [community] to a colleague? (0-10 NPS)

5. What topic should we focus on next month?
   [ ] Option A
   [ ] Option B
   [ ] Option C
   [ ] Other: ___

Post-event survey (4 questions)

1. How would you rate today's [event name]? (1-5 stars)

2. What was the most useful takeaway?
   [Open text]

3. What would make this event better next time?
   [Open text]

4. Would you attend a follow-up session on this topic?
   [ ] Yes, definitely
   [ ] Maybe, depends on timing
   [ ] No, I got what I needed

Annual community survey (10-12 questions)

1. How long have you been a member? [Multiple choice: ranges]

2. How often do you visit the community? [Multiple choice: daily/weekly/monthly/rarely]

3. What's your primary reason for being in this community?
   [ ] Learning and professional development
   [ ] Networking with peers
   [ ] Getting help with specific problems
   [ ] Staying up to date with trends
   [ ] Contributing and giving back
   [ ] Other: ___

4. Which community activities do you find most valuable? (Select top 3)
   [ ] Discussion threads
   [ ] Events and webinars
   [ ] Resource library
   [ ] Q&A / help channels
   [ ] Networking opportunities
   [ ] Member spotlights / showcases

5. How would you rate the quality of discussions? (1-5)

6. How would you rate the responsiveness of the community? (1-5)

7. How would you rate the moderation? (1-5)

8. What's the ONE thing you'd change about this community?
   [Open text]

9. What topics or content would you like to see more of?
   [Open text]

10. How likely are you to recommend this community? (0-10 NPS)

11. Any other feedback?
    [Open text, optional]

NPS implementation

Calculating NPS

• Promoters: respondents scoring 9-10
• Passives: respondents scoring 7-8
• Detractors: respondents scoring 0-6
• NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors (range: -100 to +100)

NPS benchmarks for communities

NPS follow-up strategy

• Promoters (9-10): Ask "What do you love most?" and "Would you be interested in our ambassador program?" These are your advocate pipeline.
• Passives (7-8): Ask "What would make this a 9 or 10?" Small improvements convert passives to promoters.
• Detractors (0-6): Ask "What disappointed you?" and follow up personally within 48 hours. Detractor recovery has outsized impact on retention.

Feature request board

Structure

Set up a board (Canny, ProductBoard, or simple forum category) with:

• Submission template: Title, description, use case ("I want to [action] so that [benefit]")
• Voting: Members can upvote requests (one vote per request per member)
• Status labels: Under Review, Planned, In Progress, Shipped, Won't Do
• Admin response: Every request gets an acknowledgment within 5 business days

Prioritization framework

Score feature requests using:

Feedback routing architecture

Define where each type of feedback goes:

Community Feedback
|
|-- Feature Requests
|   |-- High vote count (top 10%) --> Product backlog (high priority)
|   |-- Medium votes --> Product backlog (normal priority)
|   |-- Low votes --> Monthly review queue
|
|-- Bug Reports
|   |-- Critical (blocking, data loss) --> Engineering on-call (immediate)
|   |-- Major (broken feature) --> Engineering triage (48 hours)
|   |-- Minor (cosmetic, edge case) --> Engineering backlog
|
|-- Sentiment Signals
|   |-- Positive trends --> Marketing team (testimonials, case studies)
|   |-- Negative trends --> Community lead + product lead (weekly review)
|   |-- Crisis signals --> Escalation to leadership (immediate)
|
|-- Strategic Insights
|   |-- Market trends --> Product strategy review (quarterly)
|   |-- Competitive intel --> Product + marketing (as received)
|   |-- Use case evolution --> Product roadmap input (quarterly)

Closing the feedback loop

The "You asked, we did" post

Publish monthly. Template:

# You Asked, We Did - [Month Year]

Here's what changed this month based on your feedback:

## Shipped
- [Feature/change] - Requested by [N] members. [Brief description of what changed.]
- [Feature/change] - [Brief description.]

## In Progress
- [Feature/change] - Currently being built. Expected [timeline].
- [Feature/change] - In design phase. Will share preview next month.

## Under Review
- [Feature/change] - [N] votes. We're evaluating feasibility.

## Decided Against (with explanation)
- [Feature/change] - After review, we decided not to pursue this because [honest reason].
  Alternative approach: [if applicable].

---

Keep the feedback coming! Submit ideas: [link]
Your input directly shapes what we build.

Quarterly roadmap preview

Share a high-level roadmap showing:

• What's planned for next quarter
• Which items were influenced by community feedback (call this out explicitly)
• Where members can provide input on prioritization

Feedback health metrics

Track monthly:

Moderation Playbook

Moderation is the operational backbone of a healthy community. This playbook covers staffing, escalation procedures, response templates, automation rules, and moderator well-being. Use it when writing or auditing community guidelines or when designing a moderation workflow from scratch.

Moderation team structure

Scale moderator coverage to community size:

Minimum team size rule: never rely on a single moderator. Any community over 200 members needs at least 2 people who can act, so coverage survives vacations and burnout.

Moderator selection criteria

Select moderators who demonstrate:

• Active community membership for at least 3 months
• Consistently constructive and positive tone in their own posts
• History of helping other members without being asked
• Ability to remain calm and neutral in heated discussions
• Availability for at least 5 hours per week
• Passed a brief scenario-based assessment (see below)

Avoid selecting moderators who are primarily motivated by status or who have a history of arguing with other members. Empathy is non-negotiable.

Moderator calibration scenarios

Use these during moderator selection and quarterly calibration sessions:

1. The popular rule-bender - A well-liked member consistently posts content that technically violates guidelines but generates high engagement. How do you handle it?

   • Good answer: apply the same standard as any other member; favoritism destroys trust faster than losing a popular member.

2. The escalating debate - Two respected members are arguing and the tone is deteriorating. Neither has technically violated rules yet. What do you do?

   • Good answer: intervene early with a de-escalation message in the thread before rules are broken, not after.

3. The angry appeal - You removed a post and the author DMs you claiming bias. How do you respond?

   • Good answer: acknowledge their frustration, cite the specific guideline, offer to escalate to the community lead if they disagree.

4. The dogpile - Multiple members are piling on to criticize one person's question. The original poster has not violated any rules. What action do you take?

   • Good answer: defend the original poster publicly, redirect the thread, message the pile-on participants privately.

Violation tiers and enforcement ladder

Tier 1 - Immediate removal (no warning)

Content in this tier is removed without warning and typically results in a permanent ban on first offense:

• Harassment, hate speech, or threats directed at any person
• Doxxing or sharing private information without consent
• Sexual content involving minors
• Coordinated spam or phishing
• Impersonation of staff, moderators, or public figures

Tier 2 - Warning then suspension

These violations receive a private warning on first offense. A second offense within 90 days results in a 7-day suspension. A third offense results in a permanent ban:

• Personal attacks or insults directed at other members
• Repeated off-topic posting after a redirect
• Deliberate spread of misinformation
• Undisclosed promotion or affiliate links
• Tone that is consistently dismissive or contemptuous

Tier 3 - Gentle redirect (no formal action)

These are addressed publicly with a redirect, not a warning:

• Low-effort posts or questions that belong in a different channel
• Duplicate questions already answered in the last 30 days
• Minor tone issues in otherwise constructive posts
• Posts missing required information (e.g., bug reports without reproduction steps)

Escalation response templates

Tier 3 - Gentle redirect

Hey [name] - great question! This topic is a better fit for [channel/thread].
I've moved the post there so it gets the right eyes on it. Feel free to continue
the conversation in the new spot.

Tier 2 - First warning (private message)

Hi [name],

I wanted to reach out about your recent [post/comment] in [location]. It doesn't
quite align with our community guidelines - specifically [cite specific rule with
a link to guidelines].

We want this space to work well for everyone. Could you [specific ask: edit the
post / adjust the tone / move it to the right channel]?

This is a friendly heads-up, not a formal action. If you have questions about the
guidelines, DM me or any moderator - we're happy to help.

Tier 2 - Second warning (pre-suspension)

Hi [name],

This is a follow-up to our conversation on [date] about [specific guideline].
We've noticed [describe specific behavior], which is a repeat of the same pattern.

Per our guidelines, a second warning triggers a 7-day posting suspension. You'll
still be able to read the community during this time.

After the suspension, we'd love to have you back as a contributor. If you'd like
to discuss this, please reach out to [community lead name] at [contact].

Tier 1 - Immediate ban notification

Your account has been suspended from [community name] for violating our community
guidelines regarding [specific violation type].

This action is effective immediately and permanently.

If you believe this was made in error, you may submit an appeal to [email or form
link] within 14 days. Appeals are reviewed by [community lead] and you will receive
a response within 5 business days.

Appeal response - upheld

Hi [name],

Thank you for submitting an appeal. We reviewed the moderation action taken on
[date] against your account.

After review, we have decided to uphold the decision. The action was taken because
[brief, factual reason citing specific guideline]. Our review confirmed this
assessment.

The suspension/ban will remain in place. You are welcome to create a new account
after [timeframe if applicable] provided you agree to abide by the community
guidelines going forward.

Appeal response - overturned

Hi [name],

Thank you for submitting an appeal. We reviewed the moderation action taken on
[date] and have decided to overturn it.

Upon review, we found that [brief explanation of why the decision was incorrect].
We apologize for the inconvenience. Your account has been restored.

We're committed to consistent and fair moderation. Thank you for bringing this
to our attention.

Automation rules

Automation handles volume; humans handle nuance. Set up these automated rules for communities above ~1,000 members:

Auto-remove triggers (no human review needed)

• Messages containing terms from a maintained slur list (review list monthly)
• Links to known spam or phishing domains
• Messages from accounts created less than 1 hour ago containing external links
• Identical or near-identical messages posted to 3+ channels within 5 minutes

Auto-flag for human review (within 1 hour)

• Content that has received 3+ member reports
• Messages containing keywords on a weekly-updated watch list
• First-time posters with messages over 500 characters in help or support channels
• Messages with more than 50% uppercase characters
• Links from domains not on an allowlist in channels where links are moderated

Auto-respond triggers

• New member joins: send welcome DM with guidelines link and "introduce yourself" thread
• First post in a help channel: prompt to include context/version/repro steps
• Question with no response after 24 hours: flag to moderator queue for attention
• Mention of specific keywords (e.g., "cancel", "refund", "legal"): route to staff

Moderation action log template

Log every formal moderation action (Tier 1 and Tier 2). Do not log Tier 3 redirects unless a pattern is developing.

Date:        YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM UTC
Moderator:   [username]
Member:      [username of affected member]
Action:      [redirect / warning / content removal / temp ban / permanent ban]
Tier:        [1 / 2 / 3]
Guideline:   [specific rule violated, quoted from guidelines]
Evidence:    [link to message or screenshot ID]
Prior log:   [link to any previous entries for this member, or "first offense"]
Notes:       [any context - tone of interaction, appeal risk, escalation path]

Review the log monthly for:

• Repeat offenders approaching the next enforcement tier
• Patterns in violation type (may signal unclear guidelines or a new bad-actor wave)
• Moderator consistency (similar violations should receive similar responses)
• Time-of-day or day-of-week patterns (may indicate coverage gaps)

Edge case guidance

Public figures and brand accounts - Apply the same rules as any other member. Do not give special treatment. If a brand is self-promoting without disclosure, warn them like anyone else. Document the interaction carefully.

Coordinated harassment campaigns - If multiple accounts target a single member in a short window, treat it as a coordinated attack. Escalate immediately to community lead. Ban the accounts. Consider a temporary post freeze on the affected thread. Contact the targeted member directly to check on them.

Controversial but on-topic discussions - Not every heated thread is a moderation problem. Disagreement is healthy. Intervene when tone becomes personal, not when the topic is uncomfortable. Pin a note at the top of volatile threads: "This is a sensitive topic. Please keep replies constructive and on-topic."

Moderator conflict of interest - If a moderator has a personal relationship with a member involved in an incident, they must recuse and hand off to another moderator. Log the recusal.

Moderator error - If a moderator makes a wrong call, acknowledge it quickly and publicly if the original action was public. Overturn the decision, apologize to the affected member, and update moderator training to prevent recurrence. Do not delete evidence of the error.

Moderator well-being

Moderation is emotionally taxing work, especially at scale. Protect your team:

• Rotate who reviews Tier 1 content - no single moderator handles all severe cases
• Hold monthly private moderator check-ins to debrief difficult situations
• Give explicit permission to step away and hand off when overwhelmed
• Recognize contributions publicly and privately - moderation is often invisible work
• Set a clear boundary between community hours and personal time; on-call schedules prevent the expectation of 24/7 availability from single individuals
• Provide access to the same mental health support resources available to staff