In the digital age, customer experience is the bedrock of a successful business, and companies are continuously seeking innovative ways to engage and support their customers. One such trailblazer in the realm of customer-centricity is Sonos, the world’s leading sound experience company.
Sonos has taken customer support and engagement to new heights by leveraging Gainsight’s Digital Hub to build a comprehensive and centralized community that caters to customers’ self-service needs, consolidates valuable resources, and fosters user engagement. Sonos’ community is a vibrant ecosystem where customers come together to share their passion for audio and their experiences with Sonos products. With a member count of 500,000 and counting, this community has become a hub of knowledge, problem-solving, and brand advocacy.
In this blog post, we’ll take you on a VIP tour through the Sonos Community with Ditte Solsø Korsgård, Community Manager at Sonos in a special webinar hosted by Remco de Vries, VP of Global Demand Generation at Gainsight, to uncover how the Digital Hub has become a cornerstone of Sonos’ community and Customer Success strategy.
Empowering Customers Through Self-Service
In today’s fast-paced business world, customers expect quick and convenient solutions to their queries. The Sonos Community achieves just that by providing a self-service platform where customers can find answers to their questions, troubleshoot issues, and access helpful resources at their convenience.
By offering an extensive knowledge base, FAQs, and user-generated content, Sonos empowers its customers to become more independent and confident in using their audio products.
“We try to make the community more support-focused and be the place to go for support.” Solsø Korsgård says. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also reduces the burden on Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and Support teams, allowing them to focus on more complex issues.
Resource Consolidation for Enhanced Accessibility
One of the key strengths of Sonos’ community lies in its ability to consolidate valuable resources in one place. Instead of navigating through multiple channels, platforms, or websites to find relevant information, customers can access a wealth of content, including product guides, how-to videos, software updates, and more, all within the Sonos community.
This seamless consolidation creates a smooth customer journey and user-friendly experience, ensuring customers can easily access the information they need to make the most of their Sonos products.
Harnessing User Engagement
At the heart of the Sonos community is the power of user engagement. Customers actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and offer insights to fellow users.
The community has become a dynamic space where customers can connect with like-minded individuals, exchange ideas, and share their love for Sonos products. This sense of belonging fosters loyalty and builds a passionate user base that advocates for the brand organically.
As a result, Sonos’ customers are passionate about engaging with other customers, too. “More than 85% of the questions that come into the community are also being answered by other peers or other users in the community,” says Solsø Korsgård.
Leveraging user engagement as part of your community-led strategy is key to igniting the community-led growth flywheel.
Super User Program: Building Advocacy at Scale
A key feature that sets the Sonos Community apart is its Super User program. The program recognizes and rewards active and knowledgeable community members who go above and beyond to help others. Activating your Super Users plays a crucial role in driving advocacy at scale.
“[Super users] want to know more. They want to soak up all of that knowledge,” says Solsø Korsgård.” We give them discount codes. And we recently launched our leaderboard, which we call the Sonos Community Hall of Fame. We don’t just tell them what to do—we prefer to let them do what they do best and support them with everything that we have.”
By promoting positive engagement, sharing expertise, and offering support, Super Users become brand ambassadors, strengthening the bond between customers and the company.
Scalability and Future Innovations
The success of Sonos’ community lies in its scalability and adaptability. As Sonos continues to grow and introduce new products and services, the Digital Hub remains a flexible platform that seamlessly accommodates these changes for their community.
Moreover, the insights gathered from customer interactions and engagement within the community provide valuable data for Sonos to identify areas for improvement and opportunities for innovation. This customer-centric approach ensures that Sonos remains at the forefront of meeting customer expectations and delivering exceptional experiences.
Final Thoughts
Sonos has exemplified how the power of peer-to-peer support can drive community success and elevate the overall customer experience. The Sonos community serves as a testament to the value of building a community that empowers customers through self-service, resource consolidation, and user engagement.
With this approach, Sonos empowers customers to become more self-reliant, nurtures a thriving community of brand advocates, and lays the groundwork for future scalability and innovation.
As companies look to enhance their customer experience initiatives, the Sonos Community serves as an inspiring example of how to put customers at the heart of everything they do.
If you’re ready to take the next step towards customer-centricity and elevate your Customer Success efforts, take a cue from Sonos and leverage Digital Hub to build a community that becomes the heartbeat of your brand’s engagement with customers.
Want to learn more about Sonos’ community strategy? Check out the full webinar, Peer-to-Peer Power: How Sonos Drives Community Success for 500,000 Members.
