Starting a running thread: what actually moved engagement in your community this month? No theory, just things you tried and saw work (or flop).
I'll add mine in the comments over the next few days. Please jump in with yours, even the small ones.
3. Retiring two categories nobody posted in. Fewer empty rooms made the place feel busier, with the same number of posts.
4. Swapping "tell us about yourself" for one concrete intro question: what are you building right now? Intros got longer and much easier to reply to.
5. Thanking moderators publicly once a month. It costs nothing, and two of them told me it's part of why they stayed on.
Someone asked me privately whether any of this works past a few hundred members. Honestly, the first-reply habit gets harder. That's where a small welcome team helps, so it isn't all on one person.
Still keen to hear what's worked for you, even small things. I'll collect the best ones into a post for Friday's coffee chat.
3. Retiring two categories nobody posted in. Fewer empty rooms made the place feel busier, with the same number of posts.
4. Swapping "tell us about yourself" for one concrete intro question: what are you building right now? Intros got longer and much easier to reply to.
5. Thanking moderators publicly once a month. It costs nothing, and two of them told me it's part of why they stayed on.
Someone asked me privately whether any of this works past a few hundred members. Honestly, the first-reply habit gets harder. That's where a small welcome team helps, so it isn't all on one person.
Still keen to hear what's worked for you, even small things. I'll collect the best ones into a post for Friday's coffee chat.