What’s ONE Thing You Do Regularly To Keep Your Community Active?
Running a community isn’t just about the platform.
What’s one small thing you do consistently to keep members engaged?
Examples:
🔹 Weekly posts
🔹 Polls
🔹 Events
🔹 Member shoutouts
🔹 Challenges
Share your tactic 👇
Engagement has been my biggest challenge. I would like to hear from experts in the house
Bryan William Anyone with a real life won't and shouldn't spend much time in an online community. That's why they don't really "work", especially if the community topic is more of a mature nature - mine is mind and life development. One wishes there was more, but those two I think are incompatible. And, the more serious the topics, the more private and reserved people tend to be.
Bottom line: just because some technical wizardry exists, doesn't mean it'll work. Also, any community software needs to cover the whole range of communication channel options with a fine-grained approach to notifications.
Just my 2c.
Helmar Rudolph This line hits hard - Anyone with a real life won't and shouldn't spend much time in an online community.
Bryan William I know. I've set up my own, but have come to the conclusion that it won't become a hit, because those I appeal to do have a real life.
Helmar Rudolph what is "real life" to you in 2026? All I see is people perpetually online on their phones.
Many people with very real lives spend many hours in online communities.
I'm struggling with this take Helmar I'll be honest 😄
Ross FCA Hehe, I know. But let's face it: the more the tech evolves, the more the pendulum swings back to ... nature. The more we yearn for real life interactions. Online communities will still be around, but I doubt that they will be profitable for the majority of hosts. Just my 2c.
Helmar Rudolph oh for sure. Major cultural swing away from major tech. I'd be happy if many people land on nature as an alternative. With 8 billion people though there will be millions who turn to smaller niche human orientated online communities. My take is the opposite to yours in that respect.
The thing about niche communities are if you're not in the niche you don't see them. But they're there, I promise you!
Why do you want to keep your members engaged?
The way to have people engaged in a community is specialise in a subject that is 1) unique (not covered elsewhere or only by forums with poor user experience); 2) broad enough that you can create different spaces and topics; 3) still useful and relevant considering that most people now ask questions to AI and use social media comments section to interact on niche topics
My community will gather foreign language learners and each space will muster learners of the language. There will also be spaces that will be open to everybody regardless of the language they are learning that will prompt the members to share their language learning journeys, milestones etc. That way, everybody will be able to interact and take inspiration from each other even if they aren't on the same journey. (level, language learnt, background)
4) Another essential point to drive engagement is to have enough people in the community already. That's why mine will collect people's details before I open the platform (made a waiting list with specific questions). Nobody will want to engage in a community that is dead with no clear identity.
5) Patience is key: Your community should look thoughtful and complete and not half-baked.
I've been building my community brick by brick for months and I won't release it to the public until it's ready.