12 tips to encourage activity in an online community

Setting up a successful online community does not happen overnight. Your platform can look great, but if its participants and members do not use it, it misses its mark. One of the factors that measures the success of an online community is the level of activity. Do users post messages, do people react to them, do new members join? In short, do people know how to find each other? In this article, we will give you some tips to boost activity in your online community.

1. Be an expert

By presenting yourself as an authority, you cultivate pride and identity in every member. This way, community members see that they are part of something bigger than themselves. And in this way, you set the tone for the community. But how do you position yourself as an expert?

• Put important issues on the agenda and facilitate discussion on them.
• Discuss topics from multiple perspectives (not only from your own organisational interest).
• Offer experts on certain subjects a platform within your community.

2. Shape your organisation’s identity

Is it clear to everyone what your organisation and your community stand for? Is it clear what higher purpose you have within your organisation and your community? If there is a common purpose, members will find more meaning in the activities they carry out every day that are linked to the brand identity. It is in human nature to want to be part of the bigger picture.

3. Make it easy to participate

Offer members multiple ways to participate in the community. From sharing practical examples to answering questions, not everyone is comfortable with all modes of participation. So offer multiple options to choose from.

4. Welcome and encourage newcomers

Make new members of the community feel welcome and at ease. A good foundation for this is one-to-one contact with the community manager. Thank members for their contributions, suggest content they might appreciate or point out new events. This is how you build a long-term relationship.

• For example, create a ‘welcome group’ that reaches new members, including an instructional video on how to get the most out of the community.
• Also, make sure the purpose of the community is clear to every new member.
• Be clear and transparent about how members can join and encourage them to start posting and connecting to others.
• If necessary, also post a tutorial on how a full profile helps them get the most out of the community.
• Or have an ambassador showcase new members to other members on a weekly basis. For example, by interviewing new members and posting the highlights on the homepage.

Also read: How do you get your online community to engage?

5. Create a ‘coffee corner’ in your community

Make your online community a place where people can also make light-hearted conversations with other members. Just like the coffee machine in an office is the place for small talk. This will make new members feel more comfortable sooner, and they may eventually dare to discuss more sensitive matters.

Just having a chat is an important part of a community, so make that possible.

6. Also engage with your community yourself

Interchange allows members to know that someone is listening to them. For example, organise events and be personally involved. This will also make members feel at home sooner.

7. Orchestrate the posting of inspiring content

You keep the community alive by encouraging regular publication of new content. Especially in the beginning, when there is still little coverage, it is necessary to orchestrate this. Do not post the content yourself, but help others to post content. This can be done, for instance, by asking participants to do so or by using ghostwriters. In any case, make sure that, as an organisation, you do not start broadcasting. It is all about the interchange between the participants. 

8. Ask questions that are important to the community

If you want to get the discussion on certain topics going, you can start with a question or statement yourself. Questions or statements only work if the content is relevant to your target audience. Therefore, take the time to understand what your members are responding to and start from there. Wondering whether something is relevant? Then ask a few members personally whether the question or statement resonates with them. Offer structure and also follow up the questions with answers or opinions.

9. Identify and cherish your power users

By collaborating with your power users as equals, you further encourage activity. This gives a power user a stake in the success of your community.

For example, ask members who post frequently to moderate a discussion on a specific topic they are specialised in. If these members are actively involved, it further builds engagement with others and encourages other members to show their expert status as well. They then see the recognition that this can bring and this is often very encouraging.

10. Display and promote user content

Be clear about the purpose of the community and desirable responses to posted content and conversations. This helps members figure out what is appropriate and feel more comfortable contributing. Clarity of purpose also helps to effectively track and measure results.

Encourage members to respond to newly posted content, especially if posted by a new member. Responding as a community manager is also possible, but nothing beats a response from other members. And you prevent killing the discussion because members see your response as the opinion of an authoritative figure. This unintentionally creates a distance.  

Showcasing and promoting community content encourages and motivates users, and helps get new contributors. Spotlight a member once a month based on the interesting content they posted. Put ‘top commenters’ and ‘top posters’ on your dashboard, on your homepage, in your newsletter or in other communication tools.

11. Reward contributions

Make sure you use a measurement method that combines posts, exchanges, the number of logins and the total time your members spend online into some kind of score. Give monthly prizes or rewards to the members who score the highest.

Or organise a contest with a random draw from all exchanges over a given period where contributors can win a great prize.

12. Drive the results with fun

Challenges and interesting content often create positive behavioural change and you also encourage more activity with this. Active, positive experiences increase your members’ commitment to the community. Be inspired by tips and ideas from other communities and best practices.

Want more tips on the opportunities and possibilities to encourage more exchanges in your community?

Feel free to contact us, we would love to brainstorm with you.