If you’re tired of guessing what your community actually cares about, you’re not alone. Most GTM (go-to-market) teams have plenty of data, but not much insight. This guide is for anyone who wants to use community data to actually drive smarter GTM moves—not just create another dashboard nobody looks at.
We’ll dig into how to get real, actionable insights out of Commonroom, without getting lost in vanity metrics or hype. Whether you’re in product, marketing, or community, you’ll leave with practical steps you can use and a few things you can ignore.
Why community insights matter for GTM (and what doesn’t matter)
Let’s get this out of the way: “Community-led growth” is real, but it’s not magic. You can’t just track how many people join your Discord or Slack and expect sales to skyrocket. What actually moves the needle is understanding who your engaged users are, what they care about, and when to act.
What matters: - Identifying your real advocates and potential buyers, not just the loudest voices. - Pinpointing pain points and themes that come up again and again. - Tracking shifts in sentiment around new launches or campaigns. - Surfacing product feedback you’d otherwise miss.
What doesn’t matter: - Obsessing over top-line member counts. - Chasing every new channel just because “everyone’s there.” - Reporting on “engagement” with no business context.
If you want to actually improve your GTM strategy, you need to separate the signal from the noise. That’s where Commonroom comes in.
Step 1: Set up Commonroom for your real GTM goals
Before you start clicking around, get clear about what you want to learn. Commonroom connects to a lot of sources (Slack, Discord, forums, Twitter/X, GitHub, you name it), and it’s easy to drown in data.
Ask yourself: - What questions do I need answered to make better GTM decisions? - Which community spaces actually matter for my audience? - Who do I want to track—customers, prospects, partners, or all of the above?
Pro tips: - Start with your top 1–3 channels. Don’t plug in everything just because you can. - Pull in CRM or product usage data, if possible. This lets you see who’s not just active, but valuable. - Label audiences up front (e.g., “Current customers,” “Prospects,” “Champions”). You’ll thank yourself later.
What to ignore:
Don’t just sync every integration. More data isn’t always better. If you’re not using Reddit, don’t add it “just in case.”
Step 2: Surface meaningful conversations and recurring themes
Once you’ve got your sources connected, resist the urge to stare at the activity feed. Instead, dig into what people are actually saying.
How to do it: - Use Commonroom’s search and topic filters to find recurring keywords (e.g., “integration,” “pricing,” “bug”). - Tag posts or threads that come up often or seem to spark debate. - Look for spikes in certain topics after a launch or announcement.
What works: - Setting up automated alerts for keywords tied to your GTM goals (think “trial,” “renewal,” “cancel”). - Using sentiment analysis—but only as a starting point. The AI can miss sarcasm or context, so always sanity-check.
What doesn’t: - Relying on generic “top posts.” Just because something got a lot of replies doesn’t mean it’s strategic.
Real-world tip:
If you see the same complaint three times in a week, that’s more valuable than 100 “great job!” comments. Don’t get distracted by volume—focus on patterns.
Step 3: Identify your true advocates (and detractors)
Not every active user is a potential champion, and not every critic is just a troll. Use Commonroom to map out who’s actually influencing your community.
How to spot them: - Filter for members who consistently help others, answer questions, or share thoughtful feedback. - Look at who’s mentioned by name or tagged by peers—these are your trusted voices. - Check engagement over time, not just one-off spikes.
Features to use: - Member profiles: See cross-channel activity and tags. - Influence scoring: Use it, but don’t treat it as gospel. Some “low influence” folks might be key buyers.
What to ignore: - Vanity leaderboards. Don’t just reward whoever posts the most. - “Power users” who don’t match your ICP (ideal customer profile). High volume ≠ high value.
Pro tip:
Sometimes your best advocates are quiet in the community but loud in product feedback or referrals. Cross-reference with CRM data if you can.
Step 4: Turn insights into GTM action
Here’s where most teams stop—they have reports, but nothing changes. The real value is turning what you learn into tangible GTM moves.
How to do it: - Share recurring pain points with product and marketing, not just community managers. - Use advocate lists for targeted beta invites, testimonials, or case studies. - Time your campaigns around real user interest (e.g., launch a feature when conversation spikes).
Examples of actions: - If you see lots of questions about integrations, run a webinar or update your docs. - If sentiment drops after a pricing change, get ahead of churn with direct communication. - If new users are confused in the first week, rework onboarding or send targeted tips.
What works: - Closing the loop: Letting the community know you’re acting on feedback builds trust. - Focusing on quick wins, not just big projects. Sometimes fixing a tiny bug spotted in the community makes a bigger impact than a new feature.
What doesn’t: - Waiting for “statistical significance.” Community insights are about direction, not data science. - Treating community feedback as a one-off event. This is an ongoing process.
Step 5: Measure what matters and ignore the rest
It’s tempting to create a fancy dashboard, but most of the numbers won’t tell you much. Focus on metrics that actually tie to business and GTM outcomes.
Metrics to track: - Engagement from target segments (not just total engagement). - Number of high-value conversations surfaced (e.g., product feedback, buying signals). - Conversion rates from community to trial, signup, or referral. - Sentiment shifts around launches or campaigns.
What to skip: - Total member count. It’s a vanity metric unless you’re selling ad space. - “Impressions” or “reach.” Unless you’re a media company, these are mostly fluff.
Pro tip:
Set up a simple monthly review with your GTM team. Talk about what you learned, what changed, and what you’ll try next. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Final thoughts: Keep it simple, stay skeptical, and iterate
Community insights are only as good as the action you take. Don’t get lost in dashboards or try to boil the ocean. Start with a few real questions, connect the right channels, and focus on what actually helps your GTM team make better decisions.
Ignore the hype, skip the vanity metrics, and get comfortable with “good enough” iterations. The real magic isn’t in the tool—it’s in using it to actually understand and help your people. Keep it simple, review often, and be ready to change course when the data says so.