This article comes from Jeni Asaba’s talk, ‘You built a community. Now what?’, at our April 2023 Customer Marketing Summit; check out her full presentation here.
After over a decade of building vibrant communities that connect engaged members, I often get asked: “What’s the secret?”
My response rarely satisfies those expecting some magical ingredient or marketing tactic. The truth is that communities thrive through consistent, thoughtful caretaking every step of the way.
Launching a space based on customer insights marks only the beginning of the journey—then the real work starts.
Managing successful member ecosystems over the long haul means staying attuned to needs, spotlighting value, addressing challenges, and respecting natural engagement cycles.
I’ve helped shepherd many communities from fledgling to flourishing states and sadly witnessed others fade out when leaders lost touch, so now I’m on a mission to make sure your community thrives!
In this article, I’ll outline tactical ways to sustain community relevance, excitement, and health based on key priorities I guide my team by every day.
I urge community builders everywhere to embrace these principles to create thriving, resilient member spaces that stand the test of time.
Now let’s dive in and secure your long-term community success!
1. Listen deeply to guide your strategy
Creating an engaged user community doesn’t end once you’ve built the foundations. The real work begins post-launch when you transition to nurturing the seeds you’ve planted amongst your loyal members.
This ongoing cultivation requires that you tune in even more attentively to your audience so you can shape initiatives that resonate.
As a Senior Community Engagement and Advocacy Manager who’s built many programs from the ground up, I make listening intently priority #1 post-launch.
Keep your ears open
Remember those initial conversations with potential members that guided your first community-building steps? As important as that insight was, don’t stop eliciting feedback now.
In my experience, the most successful managers stay connected day in and day out, so I constantly urge my team: “Listen to what's going on and your members will help you create your roadmap over time.”
Pay attention to what they say in community conversations, how they behave and participate (or perhaps disengage), and what types of content or activities tend to draw them in (or alternatively, turn them off).
Let your community guide your ongoing efforts through this organic, ever-evolving feedback loop.
Trust your vision while adapting tactics
You strategically built this community using customer insights gathered early on, so as the space matures, continuing to listen shows respect while avoiding unnecessary pivots.
I remind my colleagues to remember that “if you've built something awesome using member perspectives, trust that vision can sustain community relevance over the long haul.”
So incorporate feedback into improving programming or creating new initiatives, but don’t throw out your guiding principles altogether.
External opinions shouldn’t distract from your identified North Star unless a major shift has occurred, have confidence in the strategy that resonated so strongly out of the gate!
2. Spotlight value, customization, and surprise
Communities thrive when members feel seen, understood, and excited to participate. As a manager, I intentionally spotlight member’s talents and interests so everyone connects more deeply.
I also customize engagement channels to accommodate different preferences while interspersing unexpected moments of surprise and fun.
Find the treasure
Your members themselves are the most valuable gold any community contains.
As I always emphasize, continually showcasing the individuals in your community allows people to find others with common interests or experiences.
That sense of ‘Oh - you get me!’ connects them more to each other and a connected community is undoubtedly a successful one.
From skills to personal backgrounds, discover what makes members unique, and highlight different human voices through member spotlights, panels, mentorship programs, or introductions so everyone can bond over shared qualities or ambitions.
Make it comfortable
The pandemic underscored our basic human need for safety, understanding, and comfort, so tap back into that, what nurtures that sense of care amongst your members?
I advise managers to recognize that feeling comfortable and free to be oneself looks different for every personality.
Use your emotional intelligence to create opportunities for people to learn and engage in whatever ways feel most welcoming to them. Maybe that’s cameras-off listening for some folks, for others, it’s lively contributing in person.
Community managers have a responsibility to develop inclusive programming that helps a spectrum of members feel at home.
Do the unexpected
Surprises grab people's attention while creating shared moments of meaning.
For example, on a whim one Tuesday evening, I posted in our community Slack channel: ‘Hey, random ask: Do you have any cute pet photos you'd like to share for an upcoming talk?.’
The enthusiastic photo flood that ensued is what inspired this article.
Little sparks of surprise delight when done thoughtfully, so regularly intersperse unexpected moments that bring smiles, such as celebratory member highlights, informal polls, or relevant Internet oddities worth sharing.
Anything to add moments of collaborative surprise and fun!
3. Stay present to address struggling members
While positivity fuels communities, don’t overlook signs of dissatisfaction or disengagement.
By identifying pain points, you can transform struggles into growth opportunities that bring members closer over time.
Pay attention
I regularly repeat a fundamental mantra to my team that keeps us accountable to members: "Keep your ears open!"
This means actively listening across community touchpoints to notice confusion, frustration, or exclusion that may silently develop if you don’t tune in.
Pay attention to usage metrics but also read between the lines of what members do and don’t say.
Catch issues early before they jeopardize member trust, then address problems openly and compassionately.
Your community will mature through supportive transparency in working through common challenges together.
Be curious
To thrive long-term, dig regularly into how member opinions and needs evolve so you can realign programming accordingly. Ask outright what members currently value or want to change about the community experience.
Compare substantive answers to when you last gathered direct feedback - was it in the past week? Month? Year? However long, close the loop to show you truly listen.
Tactfully asking good questions demonstrates a commitment to understanding member growth - then respond to affirm you hear requests and explain resulting updates to address that constructive criticism.
Stay curious, listen honestly even when feedback feels uncomfortable, and respond transparently. Your members will reward vulnerability and the commitment it signifies to nurturing your shared space together.
4. Allow time for regeneration
While consistent community caretaking keeps your village vibrant, remember that managers and members alike need intermittent rest from always ‘being on.’
By embracing natural activity cycles, your program creates reasonable expectations that support long-term health.
Know when to rest
I often remind my team: “No community needs to be stuck on fast-forward”, it simply isn't sustainable for you or your members to constantly sprint at full speed!
Instead, tune into your audience’s unique rhythms. Engagement often fluctuates around major holidays, summer vacations, school seasonal changes, or other recurring life events your members share.
Rather than resisting these ebbs, expect and embrace them. I’ve found members appreciate when managers model reasonable participation expectations sensitively to what may occupy their attention outside the community during busier life patches.
Give yourselves—and members—breathing room to periodically recharge so everyone can freshly reconnect with renewed inspiration for the relationship ahead.
Final thoughts
By listening deeply, spotlighting value, addressing struggles, and respecting natural activity cycles, you can thoughtfully nurture community relationships that will sustain member participation over the long haul.
Stay alert and responsive using these key strategies so your members actively invest in collective success for years to come, and most importantly, have confidence in the vision you brought to life!
The work of a community builder is never complete, but all that ongoing caretaking fuels lasting relationships when pursued consistently and compassionately.
Here’s to thriving communities for the long haul!
