The success of any community, whether on a forum or social media platform, depends on member participation. It follows that the more people participate, the better and more successful a community can be.
However, according to a recent study by the Nielsen Norman Group (2023), a staggering 90% of online community members never post. This phenomenon is known by many names, but many community leaders call it “lurking”. It presents a significant challenge to a community's growth and success and has the potential to derail it.
So, what can community leaders do to get new forum members engaging, knowing that about 73% of new members who post within the first week stay active long-term?
The Psychology of ParticipationView attachment 223
Before exploring specific strategies and options, we should understand why new members hesitate to participate.
Many experience what psychologists call "contribution anxiety". This is the fear of being judged or making mistakes in a new social environment.
In some cases, new community members do not know where to start, so they do not start at all.
By creating structured, low-pressure opportunities for engagement, community leaders can help members overcome these initial barriers and create an environment where they are comfortable to share and participate.
Start With a Simple Photo Introduction Challenge
Hubspot ran an experiment that showed visual content generates 2.3x more engagement than text-only posts. Community leaders can leverage this while also using it as an opportunity to give new members a softer introduction into their community.
It is a good idea to start with something simple, like asking them to post a photo of their workplace, favorite thing, or pet. This last one is always a winner, especially in a diverse community.
Community leaders should include prompts when creating such threads that make it easy for new members to post and for members to respond to each other’s photos. Doing this creates natural conversation starters they can use to seed their forum or platform, keep everyone engaged, and provide a good place for new members to get started if they are anxious about doing so.
Create a Skill-Share Directory
Anyone who understands people knows many of us like talking about ourselves. Community leaders can take advantage of this by building a searchable directory where members can share their skills.
They can use these threads or forum sections to encourage new members to list their areas of expertise, offer to help others who need help with something that aligns with these skills, or share resources they know about or like.
This approach creates value-based connections between members and encourages new ones to contribute from day one. They also open up opportunities for networking and business connections that members can leverage down the line.
Use Weekly Wins ThreadView attachment 225
Besides sharing our skills, experience, and expertise, many of us love sharing our wins. This has something to do with validation, but it is often a case of making oneself feel their accomplishments matter.
Community leaders can start or end each week by creating a dedicated wins thread where members can share their professional accomplishments, celebrate personal or professional victories, acknowledge each other’s accomplishments, and set goals for the coming week or the future.
By making it a ritual by creating a thread each week, members can return at a set time to see what others are up to. They are also more likely to share if they see others doing so. This has the double benefit of creating a stronger community and also giving new members somewhere to start if they do not know how.
Provide Micro-Volunteering Opportunities
Getting everyone involved is not just for older members because it is also a great way to make new members feel welcomed and that they are a part of the community. Community leaders can do this by creating bite-sized tasks new members can handle easily.
A good example is asking them to volunteer to welcome other members. When they do this, they will not feel so lost, they will have somewhere to start, and they will encourage members who join after them to post something.
Remember, members who post something on their first week are more likely to remain on the forum for the long-term and to return regularly.
Community members can also encourage members to share relevant articles or content, collect resources that benefit other members, and organize virtual events.
Create a New Member Spotlight Series
Creating a new member spotlight series is a creative approach to introducing and welcoming new community members to your forum or platform. This series allows interested members to present themselves in their unique voice and style, enabling them to share their expertise, aspirations, and expectations within the community.
The spotlight series can feature brief interviews or profiles. Each interview can focus on the new member's areas of expertise and help showcase their knowledge, skills, and experiences. This allows other community members to identify potential collaborators, mentors, or resources within the group.
Additionally, the interviews can explore what the new members hope to learn and achieve within the community. This information can provide valuable insights to community leaders and existing members, allowing them to tailor their interactions and support accordingly.
New members can also express how others can assist them in their different journeys, whether that is through mentorship, resource sharing, collaboration, or other ways.
Lastly, the spotlight series can offer new members an opportunity to voice their expectations and aspirations for the community. By understanding what they are looking for, whether it's networking opportunities, learning resources, or a sense of belonging, community leaders and existing members can work together to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment that fulfills these needs.
Ask a Question of the Day
View attachment 227A question of the day is another excellent option for sparking further discussion. Community leaders should ask questions that invite thoughtful responses and encourage community members to engage with each other.
They should avoid questions with one-word answers or predictable outcomes because these can lead to boring responses and threads. Instead, it is better to encourage open-ended discussions that allow members to share their diverse perspectives and opinions.
Each question should be easy to answer without the members having to do research. If members have to research answers, they are less likely to answer, which can lead to poor engagement.
Finally, each question should be relevant to the community’s interests. Start by thoroughly analyzing member interactions and feedback to identify topics that consistently drive meaningful participation.
As you do this, document recurring themes in different discussions, noting which topics generate the highest levels of member engagement. This data-driven approach ensures community leaders can create threads and conversation prompts in the future that align with the topics members are already interested in instead of assuming.
If you use this strategy, remember to implement a review process that helps you evaluate the effectiveness of thread topics and prompts. Key metrics like the diversity of the participants, the quality of responses, and the length of member participation and engagement can help you refine your content strategy and optimize future discussion topics.
Ready To Create an Engaging Community?
The key to successful community engagement and growth lies in providing multiple, diverse opportunities for members, both old and new, to participate. These opportunities should align with their comfort levels and interests. By implementing these strategies thoughtfully and consistently, you will create an environment where new members feel welcomed, valued, and motivated to contribute, ultimately leading to a better community and ensuring its success.
However, according to a recent study by the Nielsen Norman Group (2023), a staggering 90% of online community members never post. This phenomenon is known by many names, but many community leaders call it “lurking”. It presents a significant challenge to a community's growth and success and has the potential to derail it.
So, what can community leaders do to get new forum members engaging, knowing that about 73% of new members who post within the first week stay active long-term?
The Psychology of ParticipationView attachment 223
Before exploring specific strategies and options, we should understand why new members hesitate to participate.
Many experience what psychologists call "contribution anxiety". This is the fear of being judged or making mistakes in a new social environment.
In some cases, new community members do not know where to start, so they do not start at all.
By creating structured, low-pressure opportunities for engagement, community leaders can help members overcome these initial barriers and create an environment where they are comfortable to share and participate.
Start With a Simple Photo Introduction Challenge
Hubspot ran an experiment that showed visual content generates 2.3x more engagement than text-only posts. Community leaders can leverage this while also using it as an opportunity to give new members a softer introduction into their community.
It is a good idea to start with something simple, like asking them to post a photo of their workplace, favorite thing, or pet. This last one is always a winner, especially in a diverse community.
Community leaders should include prompts when creating such threads that make it easy for new members to post and for members to respond to each other’s photos. Doing this creates natural conversation starters they can use to seed their forum or platform, keep everyone engaged, and provide a good place for new members to get started if they are anxious about doing so.
Create a Skill-Share Directory
Anyone who understands people knows many of us like talking about ourselves. Community leaders can take advantage of this by building a searchable directory where members can share their skills.
They can use these threads or forum sections to encourage new members to list their areas of expertise, offer to help others who need help with something that aligns with these skills, or share resources they know about or like.
This approach creates value-based connections between members and encourages new ones to contribute from day one. They also open up opportunities for networking and business connections that members can leverage down the line.
Use Weekly Wins ThreadView attachment 225
Besides sharing our skills, experience, and expertise, many of us love sharing our wins. This has something to do with validation, but it is often a case of making oneself feel their accomplishments matter.
Community leaders can start or end each week by creating a dedicated wins thread where members can share their professional accomplishments, celebrate personal or professional victories, acknowledge each other’s accomplishments, and set goals for the coming week or the future.
By making it a ritual by creating a thread each week, members can return at a set time to see what others are up to. They are also more likely to share if they see others doing so. This has the double benefit of creating a stronger community and also giving new members somewhere to start if they do not know how.
Provide Micro-Volunteering Opportunities
Getting everyone involved is not just for older members because it is also a great way to make new members feel welcomed and that they are a part of the community. Community leaders can do this by creating bite-sized tasks new members can handle easily.
A good example is asking them to volunteer to welcome other members. When they do this, they will not feel so lost, they will have somewhere to start, and they will encourage members who join after them to post something.
Remember, members who post something on their first week are more likely to remain on the forum for the long-term and to return regularly.
Community members can also encourage members to share relevant articles or content, collect resources that benefit other members, and organize virtual events.
Create a New Member Spotlight Series
Creating a new member spotlight series is a creative approach to introducing and welcoming new community members to your forum or platform. This series allows interested members to present themselves in their unique voice and style, enabling them to share their expertise, aspirations, and expectations within the community.
The spotlight series can feature brief interviews or profiles. Each interview can focus on the new member's areas of expertise and help showcase their knowledge, skills, and experiences. This allows other community members to identify potential collaborators, mentors, or resources within the group.
Additionally, the interviews can explore what the new members hope to learn and achieve within the community. This information can provide valuable insights to community leaders and existing members, allowing them to tailor their interactions and support accordingly.
New members can also express how others can assist them in their different journeys, whether that is through mentorship, resource sharing, collaboration, or other ways.
Lastly, the spotlight series can offer new members an opportunity to voice their expectations and aspirations for the community. By understanding what they are looking for, whether it's networking opportunities, learning resources, or a sense of belonging, community leaders and existing members can work together to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment that fulfills these needs.
Ask a Question of the Day
View attachment 227A question of the day is another excellent option for sparking further discussion. Community leaders should ask questions that invite thoughtful responses and encourage community members to engage with each other.
They should avoid questions with one-word answers or predictable outcomes because these can lead to boring responses and threads. Instead, it is better to encourage open-ended discussions that allow members to share their diverse perspectives and opinions.
Each question should be easy to answer without the members having to do research. If members have to research answers, they are less likely to answer, which can lead to poor engagement.
Finally, each question should be relevant to the community’s interests. Start by thoroughly analyzing member interactions and feedback to identify topics that consistently drive meaningful participation.
As you do this, document recurring themes in different discussions, noting which topics generate the highest levels of member engagement. This data-driven approach ensures community leaders can create threads and conversation prompts in the future that align with the topics members are already interested in instead of assuming.
If you use this strategy, remember to implement a review process that helps you evaluate the effectiveness of thread topics and prompts. Key metrics like the diversity of the participants, the quality of responses, and the length of member participation and engagement can help you refine your content strategy and optimize future discussion topics.
Ready To Create an Engaging Community?
The key to successful community engagement and growth lies in providing multiple, diverse opportunities for members, both old and new, to participate. These opportunities should align with their comfort levels and interests. By implementing these strategies thoughtfully and consistently, you will create an environment where new members feel welcomed, valued, and motivated to contribute, ultimately leading to a better community and ensuring its success.
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