When I think of the combination of community + Fall, I can’t help but think of the Leaf Raker’s Society (LRS)! This digital space was created by Starbucks for the pumpkin spice latte (PSL…gotta know the lingo) lovers of the world, and even though this group is focused on their love for all-things-Autumn, they’re actually active year-round. With more than 42K members, this community is doing truly unique things to connect Fall fans around the world.
What I love:
If there’s such a thing as the digital equivalent of sitting on my couch with a cozy blanket, the fireplace on, and the leaves changing/falling right outside my window while I sip on my PSL, then this community is accomplishing just that! Everything from the messaging to the media is in line with the Fall theme, and I’m here for it. Even the About section is written in a clever seasonal-focused way!
LRS Fall Day. This annual day celebrates the kickoff of the season, and it’s an excellent example of creating a ritual that is going to be central to your members’ interest and needs. The calls-to-action for Fall Day help to spur the excitement for the upcoming official start of this beloved time period. I see so much possibility for even MORE engagement associated with this special day in the future!
Topics. This is a feature in Facebook Groups that I really really like. It allows the community team to pin certain hashtags (topics), which then provides a convenient experience for members to filter down into those topic posts only. As a new member to the community, there’s also an added benefit of being able to view all of these topics to better understand the prioritized conversations happening.
My wish list:
Incentives. I’d love to see some of these in place to reward members for time spent, or number of posts, or level of helpfulness (just to name a few possible behaviors). I would imagine that a coveted reward would be a Starbucks gift card for the most active users…would you agree? Or perhaps some form of rare Starbucks swag? Still, I’m super impressed with the level of activity happening without incentives today.
Events. I can see that there used to be an active Events section, but the last one was held in 2019. Consistency in holding Events is something that can make a community a true destination. I would encourage the Starbucks community team to ask their membership what events they would like to see for 2022 and then start planning for that. Now is a great time!
What do YOU like most about the Leaf Raker’s Society?
**Now please excuse me while I go sip on my PSL.**
Community Podcasts
Shoutout to Deb Schell, another consultant in this space, for putting together THE MOST comprehensive list of community podcasts that I’ve seen yet. (And there’s a lot of them out there now.) Do you know of any she should add to the list?