It’s tempting to measure success by the number of new members joining your community. Bigger feels better, right? But chasing growth without prioritizing member engagement is like throwing the world’s biggest party and forgetting to invite the DJ. A community with 10,000 silent members is like a ghost town with Wi-Fi. Shift your focus to meaningful engagement. What’s the point of having more members if nobody’s sticking around for your community karaoke night? Without a clear and sustainable growth strategy, those dreams often turn into frustrations. Members stop engaging, leaders feel overwhelmed, and the community’s potential starts to fade. The good news? You’re not alone in these challenges, and there’s a path to success. Let’s break down some common mistakes. We’ll discuss fears, desires, and symptoms you face as a leader when growing a community. We will also explore how to move past them. Creating content based on assumptions is a lot like buying a gift for someone without checking their wish list — you end up with socks when they want a PS5. If your members crave bite-sized tips but you’re rolling out hour-long webinars, it’s time for a course correction. To share value, many leaders add too many features, platforms, or tools at once. The result? Confusion and frustration for members who don’t know where to start or how to navigate the community. (Keep it simple) A complicated experience often leads to disengagement rather than the excitement you’re hoping for. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to creating clarity and value. We get it, bells and whistles are fun. But too many at once, and your community feels like they’re trying to learn calculus at an amusement park. Remember: simplicity wins. It’s easier to engage when members don’t need a degree in rocket science just to find the discussion thread. Do you want to read more? Deb Schell Community Strategist, Business Development Coach, Writer, Author P.S. My website has been down for a while. As I work to get it up, I’m sharing my work via Medium and LinkedIn, as this is where you can find past posts.Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! 🥂 Happy New Year 🥂 |
