Creating “Surprise and Delight” Moments for Your Community Members
In my time working in the community profession, one thing that has been made clear to me is that building a strong community is about more than just bringing people together and fostering relationships. If you’re building a community without thinking about creating an experience that exceeds expectations and leaves a lasting impact on its members, there is definitely room to grow. One way to do this is by incorporating “surprise and delight” moments into your community strategy. These encounters are unexpected, personalized experiences that show members that they are valued and appreciated.
“What are “Surprise and Delight” Moments?” you may ask.” These encounters are moments of unexpected joy and excitement that are designed to exceed what they were expecting from their experience. They can take many forms, from a simple message of gratitude to a more elaborate and personalized gesture. The key is to create an instance that is unique and thoughtful, even better if it’s tailored to each individual.
Creating these unanticipated experiences are important for community building because they help to build stronger relationships and foster a sense of belonging among members. When members feel appreciated and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, active, and committed to the community. These moments also help to create a positive and memorable experience for members, which can encourage them to share their experiences with others and bring new members into the community. Read on for a handful of ways that you can start creating these experiences for your community.
How to Create “Surprise and Delight” Moments in Your Community
Get to Know Your Members
The first step in creating these experiences is to get to know your members. This means taking the time to understand their interests, goals, and what makes them unique. You can do this by encouraging members to share their stories, asking questions, and paying attention to what they say and do in the community.
Personalize the Experience
Once you have a better understanding of your members, you can start to personalize the moments of spontaneous joy. This might mean sending a personalized message of appreciation or recognizing a member’s achievements in a public way. You could also create a special event or activity that is tailored to the interests of your members. The more you can personalize the experience, the more impactful it will be.
Make it Unexpected
“Surprise and Delight” events are most impactful when they are unexpected. This means taking the time to create unique and creative experiences in your community. You could send a special delivery, create a scavenger hunt, or host a virtual event that is out of the ordinary. The goal is to create an instance that is memorable and special, something that members will talk about for years to come.
Show Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful tool for building stronger relationships and creating a sense of belonging. Take the time to show your members that you appreciate them and the contributions they make to the community. This could be through a simple message, public recognition, or a more elaborate gesture. Whatever you choose, make sure that it is genuine and heartfelt.
Measure Your Success
Finally, it’s important to measure the success of your efforts with this strategy. This will help you to understand what is working and what needs to be improved. You can measure success by looking at engagement metrics, such as the number of comments, likes, and shares, as well as feedback from members. This will give you valuable insights into what is resonating with your community and what you can do to improve.
How is my team creating these unexpected joyful moments? One way is that each person on my team has a small monthly stipend to spend on putting kindness back into our community. This may look like sending flowers to someone who has had a personal loss or a food delivery gift card to someone who just had a baby. It has also looked like sending a money tree to a member who had crossed a sales milestone or a box of swag to people who we see being a positive influence within the community. The point is that my team members each get to help recognize moments in the community that feel important. Since they’re unexpected, they’re often experiences of surprise and delight for the recipients.
By now I’m sure you can see why “Surprise and Delight” moments are an important aspect of community building, as they help to build stronger relationships and foster a sense of belonging among members. By getting to know your members, personalizing the experience, making it unexpected, showing gratitude, and measuring success, you can create events that leave a lasting impact on your community.
Incorporating more unexpected moments into your community strategy will not only improve the overall experience for your members, but it will also set your community apart from others and make it a more memorable and enjoyable place to be. Remember, the goal is to exceed expectations and leave a lasting impression, so be creative, thoughtful, and above all, genuine.
With the right strategy and execution, incorporating more spontaneous moments of joy into your community-building strategy can help to build stronger, more engaged, and more dedicated communities. So why not start today and start creating memories that will be talked about for years to come?
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About Adiel Cloud Nuesmeyer
Hi, I’m Adiel (she/her)! I’m a Sr. Director of Community Development, leading a team of 13 to connect with our customers — as well as form connections between them. My professional superpower is being able to glean insights and features from engaging 1:1 with customers — because I truly care about them and the community.
When I’m not leading the charge (and teaching others how to lead their *own* charge), I can be found driving my kids to umpteen gymnastics practices, tending to a literal indoor jungle of household plants while watching the Utah Jazz — and pretending I don’t see my husband talking about buying a 5th grill. Yes, a *5th* grill, lol. I’d love to connect with other passionate professionals and mission-driven organizations on LinkedIn!
