I posted this on community a while ago but it's also good "Roast my Lesson material, so I'm reposting it here" ----------------------------------------
Most commmunities fail at engagement for one simple reason: they don't explain to their members how they should do it.
---> Here are some basic tips:
- Branding: My whole brand is built around what people can do inside, and not on what I will do. That makes a huge difference.
- Welcome DM: I welcome my members giving them specific instructions on the posts they can make as soon as they join. I make it personal by checking their community and profile. So they usually post right away.
- I use post categories as a way to show people the kinds of posts they can make. And if that's not clear enough, my onboarding process has a link with detailed explanations of each categories.
- I have clear rewards for people who engage.
--> Here are some activities you can give to people for engagent:
- Competitions, challenges, gamification: great if you have a clear prize and rules that are easy to understand
- Support: give clear instructions on how people can come to you for help and commit to answer every post
- Accountability: follow up people on their goals and how they are at each step
- Shoutouts: share the wins of your members with the community
- Exposure opportunities: have clear rules that allow people to promote their work (or for you to promote them) without making your community a spam fest.
- Regular live events (where people do more than just listen to you)
- Posts for people to have fun and know eachother: if your community feels like work for you it will feel like work to everyone. And no one wants extra work.
- Feedback (the whole premisse of my community): instruct people to make posts asking for feedback on their work.