At StellarUp, we know that community engagement isn’t just a one-time task; it’s an ongoing commitment and vital responsibility for every community manager. While some organizations hope that members will naturally engage once they join, experience tells us that this rarely happens. That’s why having effective community engagement strategies and the dedication to implement them is crucial.
But you might wonder, why put in the effort ? Well, the benefits are immense! Prioritizing engagement helps build a strong community around your brand, fostering a sense of belonging and reinforcing brand loyalty. Engaged community members are more receptive to your customer acquisition efforts and provide valuable feedback when launching new products or services.
Even for non-commercial communities, engagement is essential. Whether you’re driving a social movement, creating a support group, or connecting people with shared interests, an active and engaged community is the key to achieving your goals.
Guiding Principles for Community Engagement
Before crafting your plan, it’s essential to establish guiding principles to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for your community members. These principles include:
Valuing Individual Voices: Encourage members to express themselves, knowing that their voices are valued.
Clear Community Guidelines: Set clear guidelines for community behavior and appoint moderators to enforce them sensibly.
Define Core Values: Establish and uphold your community’s core values in all interactions.
Be Responsive: Address questions and concerns promptly, showing that you’re there to support your members.
6 Proven Online Community Engagement Strategies
While the guiding principles lay the foundation for community engagement, the actual strategies aim to foster a participatory culture where members actively interact and forge meaningful connections.
Gamify Engagement: Create a gamified experience by awarding points for answering questions and posting content. Recognize the most active members with badges or a leaderboard, incentivizing further engagement.
Run Competitions: Organize contests that encourage user-generated content and participation. Announce winners within the community to amplify engagement.
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions: Use simple fill-in-the-blank questions to elicit responses and initiate discussions on diverse topics.
This or That Posts: Encourage members to choose between two options, sparking lively debates.
Host Challenges: Run longer-term challenges within the community, fostering a sense of camaraderie among members as they work together to achieve common goals.
Seek Feedback: Leverage your community as a valuable resource for feedback, whether it’s on product ideas, customer service, or content creation. Last week we went over the importance of feedback for organisations.
In conclusion
Understanding the importance of community engagement strategies and their successful implementation is pivotal for community managers. It’s not just about reaching engagement targets; it’s about creating a purposeful and connected community.
Engaged members will actively contribute to the community’s growth and success, making your collective journey towards sustained prosperity all the more rewarding. So, let’s engage and thrive together!
Sources:
SHRM. (2023). SHRM State of the Workplace Report 2023-24. https://theaawa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2023-2024-State-of-the-Workplace-Report.pdf
