How to Create an Engaging Experience and Boost Retention in Your Community
• 4 mins read
Most online communities struggle to keep their members active: according to community expert Richard Millington, average retention rates range between 5% and 20%. Many members log in only occasionally, which risks turning the community into a quiet space.
1. Build a Strong Onboarding Strategy
Onboarding is crucial to making new members feel welcome right from the start. Low retention often stems from users struggling to navigate the community.
A proven approach is to send a series of personalized emails that gradually guide newcomers:
Welcome message with links to key areas
Helpful resources to get started
Invitation to webinars or live events
Ask about their personal goals and offer support
Introduce your Community’s most active members to encourage participation
Customize this flow based on your audience and the community tone.
2. Truly Understand Your Users
To keep members engaged, you need to meet their real needs. How?
Analyze comments, feedback, and shared content
Collect insights through direct surveys
Track user behavior (ideally on your own platform)
Avoid relying solely on social media platforms, which provide limited data and control. Instead, choose a proprietary platform like SelfCommunity that offers full data ownership and in-depth analytics.
3. Use Personalized Push Notifications Wisely
Push notifications are a powerful tool to bring users back, but they must be used thoughtfully.
Send updates about new content or upcoming events
Remind users of important deadlines
Personalize messages based on user behavior and preferences
When done right, notifications boost loyalty and engagement; when overused, they risk annoying users and pushing them away.
In Conclusion
To increase retention in your community, focus on:
Personalized and welcoming onboarding
Deep understanding of your users’ needs
Strategic, moderate use of push notifications
A proprietary platform giving you full control and analytics capabilities
SelfCommunity is the ideal solution to manage all this, with a flexible, easily integrable platform equipped with comprehensive social analytics.
