Community Engagement Techniques

“I am a Community Manager; of course, I sometimes struggle with engaging my community members.” Put your hands up if you can relate to the statement above.

Please don’t tell me I am the only one that has experienced this. You know that awkward moment in your community channel where you are the only one asking questions or talking, and the quiet channel echoes your question back to you? Trust me, I mean every community manager out there has experienced this at least once in their career. This can be very frustrating, especially when dealing with a diverse audience.

That is why I have taken the initiative to write about these things and how I have handled them. Please note that my methods may not be the best out there. I am only sharing things I implemented that have worked in the various communities I have had the opportunity to build.

Community engagement is a crucial aspect of building and maintaining a thriving community, which applies to online and onsite communities. Effective community engagement techniques can develop a sense of belonging, encourage participation, and drive positive change. Here are some practical examples and strategies I have followed for successful community engagement:

Understand Your Community

In my last article, I highlighted the importance of understanding your community members. What is that community about? What are you building the community for? What are the success metrics for that community? What kinds of interactions do you want to see happen? What are your community members interested in? In finding out what your community members need, you do not need to call a family meeting or do some Voodoo. Surveys and polls are excellent tools for understanding your community members’ needs, preferences, and concerns. They can be conducted online, and the participants can participate from their homes.

Let’s say, for example, you are trying to figure out exciting activities or event themes that your community members will find interesting or valuable at that time. You may want to come up with specific questions or ask an open-ended question to allow them to express themselves. Another way I use to get instant feedback is to throw a question at the community with intent, and then the responses will start coming in.

There is a difference between issuing orders from your rule book and allowing people to set these rules with you. Over the years, I discovered that carrying my community members along (some if not all) in majority of my decision making process has created that sense of belonging, it makes them feel valued and that their opinions are valued too. Let’s say you are trying to set new guidelines, you can throw some questions open in the community let people share with you what and how they think things should be handled. In the real sense, you may not necessarily take some or all of them because of conflicting opinions, but it will give you an idea of how receptive they are and what they are willing to tolerate. Aside from getting them to contribute, it makes them feel appreciated and heard. Simply put, carrying your community members along will make them comfortable, and they end up being the ones to drive conversations without you saying jack.

Keep Them Informed

Constant communication keeps misinformation and misunderstanding away. And honestly, you do not have to do too much here. Regular check-ins, ask how you can help, and publish newsletters. Newsletters are a great way to keep community members informed about upcoming events, important announcements, and opportunities for involvement., discuss unrelated things it could be what’s happening in the world at the moment e.g Football etc. You can do so many things to give your community members a hint that they are up to date with the latest info. When this happens, you become their source of legitimate information. I mean, why go outside when your community has all the latest updates in your niche?

Volunteer Opportunities

Creating volunteer opportunities for your community members can increase engagement and foster a sense of ownership and pride in the community. Host online games or sessions and let your community members manage them or take on some responsibilities. They can even execute their ideas—in line with the vision and mission of that community, of course.

Acknowledge Achievements

After all the work has been done, what next? Everyone goes home? No, my dears. Recognizing the contributions of your community members can boost morale and encourage continued participation. This can be done through awards, certificates, public acknowledgments, or feature stories in newsletters. Aside from the joy that comes with it, it can give them visibility and boost their professional journey.

Celebrate Milestones

When you host that event you and your team have been planning for months, celebrate it! When you all get a new partner or sponsor, celebrate it! When a dedicated community member has a significant occasion, celebrate it! Celebrate community milestones, such as anniversaries, project completions, or significant achievements. Find the excuse to celebrate everything, even your failures cause it means progress. And when I say celebrate, I am not saying throw a party. It can be as simple as acknowledging these things publicly so others can celebrate, too, such as through virtual coffee chats, etc. Cultivating the habit of celebrating your community and members can strengthen community bonds and create a sense of shared history.

Educational Workshops

All play and no learning make community members what? Oh well, you know the rest. Offering workshops and training sessions on relevant topics related to that community can empower community members with knowledge and skills, encouraging active participation. For Instance, you are managing a community of developers using Golang. Organize sessions and activities to enable them to learn new methods of writing clean codes or collaborating with other teams in a product development cycle. Aside from hosting sessions, create an open-sourced resource hub where your community members can share resources that have helped them in their careers. This will not only promote active participation; it will be a safe space for beginners to get started if they want to kickstart a career.

Inclusivity and Accessibility

When people ask me how I managed over 40+ Friends of Figma Communities in Africa, with over 30% speaking French, I tell them it was a combination of inclusivity, accessibility, and a sprinkle of patience.

You can’t just escape Inclusivity and Accessibility if you want your community to grow even though it’s an all-English-speaking community. First off, you need to ensure that all community members, regardless of age, race, gender, or ability, have the opportunity to participate and be heard. Allow them participate in meetings, if they don’t speak your language, use translation tools, collaborate with them on a document and have them still share their ideas. Ensure your techniques always cater to diverse needs and abilities; you never can tell who will join your community and stay cause of how accessible and inclusive the community is. Always ensure that events and communications are accessible to people with disabilities. Use translation tools, infographics, captions, etc.

Regular Feedback Mechanisms

After implementing all these, what next? Establish regular mechanisms for receiving and acting on feedback from the community. You can choose times to do this (Monthly, Quarterly, etc.). Use the feedback received to continuously improve your engagement strategies.

Remember, effective community engagement is an ongoing process that requires understanding, communication, participation, and continuous improvement. By employing various techniques and remaining adaptable to your community’s needs, you will foster a strong, engaged, and vibrant community.

If you are a Community Manager reading this, are there other engagement techniques you currently use that work for you? I would love to hear from you in the comments. Hopefully, I will be able to open-source these articles soon so that all community managers can contribute. Anyways, Ciao, Amigos!

Till I write to you again, xoxo Lady Bella