Having the right tools and expertise to run a beta test is only a piece of the puzzle. You also need targeted beta testers to try out your product and provide feedback. At Centercode, we have a growing community of over 100,000 profiled beta testers called Betabound. We use this community to find the perfect testers for the beta projects we run, but we also allow other companies to leverage our community to find testers for their betas.
For some insight into how we manage our community and how other companies can leverage it, we sat down with Betabound’s Community Manager Brad Day to talk about Betabound, the role it plays for Centercode, as well as what’s in store for this growing community.
Brad, in your own words, what is Betabound?
Betabound is our community of 100,000 beta test candidates from around the globe. Through the Betabound homepage, tech enthusiasts can join our community, apply for new beta testing opportunities, and participate in beta tests run by our managed betas team. As part of the sign-up process, we profile our community members on a variety of demographic and technical factors, making it easy for us to reach out to the right segment of our community when a customer needs beta testers.
Where do Betabound testers come from?
We’ve been growing our community organically since Centercode was founded in 2001. Most of our testers have come to us through word of mouth from other excited members of our community. The Betabound team is also continuously looking for ways to add diverse members to our pool so we can help our customers find even the most specific testers.
How do Centercode’s clients benefit from the Betabound community?
Betabound helps Centercode’s clients in a few ways. For our managed betas clients, we recruit highly targeted testers directly from the community to find the right testers for their products.
Companies that license the Centercode platform can request an announcement for their beta tests and we’ll email the members of our community that fit their specific requirements. We’ll also post their beta test opportunity on the Betabound homepage with a special “Partner” tag to attract interested testers.
We’ll even announce the beta tests of companies that aren’t Centercode clients on the Betabound homepage, because we feel it’s important for all companies to have access to great beta testers. It also gives our members additional opportunities to give feedback on exciting, new products.
What is your role with Betabound?
As Betabound’s Community Manager, I have two basic goals. The first is to keep Betabound growing. We want to be the go-to place for people that are interested in beta testing, and to do that we’re constantly looking for more beta testers and companies to join the conversation.
My second goal is to keep our current community engaged. It’s my responsibility to make sure everyone in the community has some channel for voicing their opinion and feels their voice is appreciated. I’m always looking to provide more ways for our members to stay involved.
Where is Betabound headed?
Our goal is to grow the Betabound community with more diverse members and provide them with more exciting beta testing opportunities. We want companies to be able to turn to our community with their most challenging and specific recruitments, so they can find exactly the testers they’re looking for with every beta test. We’re well along that path, but there’s still more work to be done.
The future for Betabound is very bright, I am very excited about the work we’re doing now and where I think it will take us in the future. I am confident that as the community grows Betabound can become an even better resource for our clients during their most challenging recruitments.
