Top 5 B2B Community Building Ideas from The LoftOS Summit 2023

In September 2023, Innoloft transformed the Digital Church in Aachen into a sanctuary of innovation and collaboration for the annual LoftOS Summit.

A historic church turned digital hub, buzzing with tech enthusiasts, SaaS pros, and industry leaders. The air was thick with 'Aha!' moments, from interactive workshops to candid talks with our founders and team members.

If you were lucky enough to be there, this recap will serve as a delightful déjà vu. Missed it? Well, let's just say you'll want to clear your calendar for next year.

Here are the 5 great ideas from the LoftOS Summit 2023 that had everyone talking about B2B community building.

1. Building a Thriving B2B Community

Community building is more than just a catchphrase; it's a strategy, finely tuned by experts like Kevin Bruns.

Kevin, who manages 'innomatch,' has a unique approach to B2B community engagement. In this workshop, he shed light on the vital role of a Community Manager.

He emphasizes that this is not just a mere title, but a multifaceted responsibility of guiding the community's energy towards meaningful engagement. Kevin's approach of shared community management, where he teams up with select partners to co-create content, highlighting the significance of inclusivity.

His skilled approach transforms the platform into a collaborative hub, where everyone feels like they own it. It's all about that sense of shared ownership, that's what really helps create a tight-knit and engaged B2B community.

To accomplish this, Kevin leverages the 'packages' feature in LoftOS, by creating a partner
package with different access rights and granting selected partners the ability to publish content on the platform, fostering a shared community management approach.

One of the challenges of this approach, Kevin mentions, is to keep partners in the loop, making sure they don't feel left out. 

To tackle this as community managers, he emphasizes on the importance of making sure that no partner or stakeholder feels like you're working against them. Actually, what we want is to create a welcoming space where everyone feels valued and included.

Kevin’s talk highlighted the paramount importance of community building within an organization. It's not just about increasing numbers; it's about maintaining open lines of communication, and ensuring no partner feels alienated.

Overall, Kevin's insights on community building were a hit among attendees.

2. Maximizing User Experience in B2B Communities

Another hot topic at the LoftOS Summit was all about user experience (UX). With the rise of digital platforms and SaaS users, it's essential to create a seamless and satisfactory UX design.

In the workshop "How to Achieve Your Business Goals With LoftOS" We learned that user experience ismore than just a pretty interface; it's about making every interaction count in the realm of B2B community building. Sven, our CEO, led a session that was nothing short of a masterclass in maximizing user experience within a professional community.

The spotlight was on the 'Key Transactions Theory,' a concept that urges you to focus on what really matters when it comes to B2B community building. According to Sven, t he first step is to define your user groups. But don't stop there; identify that one key transaction that adds value to each group. Is it posting jobs? Matching with mentors? Whatever it is, make it the star of the show.

The next step is to streamline the user journey for that key transaction. Cut the fluff and get straight to the point on your landing page. The goal? Let users complete that key transaction with the fewest clicks possible. And don't forget to measure those KPIs; they're your roadmap to improvement.

The usage of LoftOS packages for a tailor-made user experience

The deep-dive session reiterated the immense potential of the LoftOS 'packages' feature as a strategic tool for enhancing user experience. 

Here are 3 key pointers discussed:

1. Earn money or leads: Packages provide an opportunity to monetize your platform. You may not be selling a physical product, but you can certainly sell value. Offering different packages such as 'Starter,' 'Premium,' or 'Plus,' each with unique features and functionalities, can attract a diverse audience. Whether you're generating direct revenue or collecting valuable leads, packages can turn your platform into a revenue stream.

1. Manage Access Rights: Just as Kevin exemplified in his community management approach, the package feature can also be applied to manage access rights. With LoftOS, you can customize the extent of access and control that each package offers, ensuring every user gets a tailor-made experience suitable for their needs and level of engagement.

1. Customize for each user group: The beauty of Packages lies in their adaptability. You can create a customized platform experience for each user group. This tailoring makes the platform more relevant and attractive to different users, thereby enhancing their overall experience and engagement.

The 'packages' feature in LoftOS is a strategic asset that can greatly level up your platform's user experience. It's all about making your users feel like they're getting the most out of your platform. In fact, this concept aligns with the Key Transactions Theory, which emphasizes the importance of optimizing user interactions to drive success.

3. Customization is King in B2B Community Building

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, customization is no longer a luxury but a necessity, especially in the context of building business-to-business communities. And this is where LoftOS shines - delivering a platform that is as unique as your needs. 

A standout session at the summit ran under the title "Tailor LoftOS to Your Needs: How Can I Further Customize the Platform?" Led by our founders Chris and Philipp B., this workshop provided a deep dive into the potential of Pages and the customization of Databases.

The first session on databases served as an eye-opener into the world of customization. In LoftOS, a database is essentially a specialized folder in each module where you can store specific types of data, such as job postings, or offers. Setting the stage for unparalleled customization in developing B2B networks.

Our founders showcased the power of Types and Attributes in LoftOS databases. Types can be assigned to specific databases and act like ultimate organizers, categorizing your data just the way you want it, while Attributes are the nitty-gritty details, capturing everything from multiple-choice questions to file uploads.

Attendees got a real taste of LoftOS by creating a "Job" database, a hands-on example that demonstrated how these elements make your platform not just organized, but also dynamic and interactive.

...And what about Pages?

Well...imagine developing your own web pages in record time without requiring coding skills .

In this session, attendees were able to learn how to tailor their web pages to match their specific needs and requirements, making the platform truly theirs. They were also shown its versatility by going through different use cases.

Whether you want to create landing pages, an event registration page, or a content publishing site, Pages is your no-code website creator tool perfect for establishing professional communities.

Pages also offers a cost-saving alternative to hiring a team of developers. With the ability to create and manage content in real-time, it's both efficient and cost-effective

To further illustrate the power of customization, take a look at how our customer Collaeb built a stunning event registration page for their Fempreneurs event using Pages. You can learn more details in our in-depth article about Pages.

4. Smart Monetization Strategies for B2B Communities

A breakthrough moment at the summit was the enlightening session on "Capitalizing on LoftOS: Envisioning Profitable Strategies for Your Platform". Attendees had a unique opportunity to delve deep into the monetization capabilities of LoftOS, engaging in vibrant discussions on prominent platform business models.

Chris and Philipp B. kicked off by discussing some general business models that are big in the platform world to provide a broader perspective on how platforms can monetize, like the marketplace model, where platform operators connect people to exchange products and services B2B networking group, and the reseller model, where operators manage supply and demand.

Second, they demoed LoftOS's first digital booking for a subscription-based business model in LoftOS based on Packages, which is the first of its kind in LoftOS and will be available by the end of this year. 

This was the real meat of the session, showing what LoftOS can do right now.

Participants also witnessed first-hand how some of these models have been successfully implemented by our clients. Notably, E-world, Europe's largest energy trade fair, pivoted to a hybrid B2B networking model in response to Covid-19. 

Similarly, Deutsche Telekom effectively employs a reseller model through its startup program Techboost. Curious to try out a reseller model for yourself? Check out our Reseller Platform Template to get started. Who knows? Your success story could be the highlight of our next summit!

Lastly, the floor was opened for a discussion about the future of LoftOS's capabilities. Attendees got to share their input on what they'd like to see next to make their B2B community building process ever more streamlined, making it a collaborative vision of the platform's future. This open dialogue underscored the potential of LoftOS as a powerful tool for business growth, rounding off an incredibly insightful session.

5. Event Planning Reimagined: Going Beyond the Basics

In the engaging workshop titled "Transforming Events With LoftOS," participants explored the world of event management. The highlight of this informative session was Kevin Bruns, who demonstrated how offline events could be enhanced with the concept of speed-dating in business-to-business networks.

Armed with a dedicated marketing budget, Kevin transformed ordinary speed-dating into an extraordinary experience. He introduced the idea of a "Speed-dating Kit," equipped with table numbers, name tags, and even whistles, which is a creative approach to building business-to-business communities.

Kevin takes it a step further by offering these kits to partners. The goal? To help them effortlessly host their own speed-dating events on innomatch, turning it into a ready-to-go solution for creating interactive and fun events that are sure to spark your community building initiatives.

These kits not only enlivened the discussion but also brought a tangible presence to an otherwise abstract concept.

Kevin introduced these 'Speed-dating' practical insights to the attendees:

First, we explored the strategic positioning of speed dating sessions within an event. According to Kevin, scheduling them either at the beginning or end ensured a much better response.

We also delved into the efficiency of smartphone registration. This system allowed participants to register and get their first partner pairing immediately, starting the speed-dating event without delay.

The final gem was Kevin's approach to managing unmatched participants - a challenge often encountered when participants fail to log in and check matches before the event. His smooth handling of such situations undoubtedly enhanced the overall event experience.

Why You Need to Attend Next Year

We hope that these key takeaways from the LoftOS Summit spark your curiosity and encourage you to redefine the boundaries of your potential B2B community building.

We're excited for what's to come, and even more so to have you be part of this journey. If you haven't taken LoftOS for a spin yet, why not start now? Create your platform, begin customizing, and experience the versatility and potential that LoftOS offers. And remember, we're here to support you every step of the way. We hope to see you at the summit next year, continuing this adventure together.