Let's Talk About Engagement

You've heard it before. Having an online community will increase engagement within the organization which helps us retain members which helps our bottom line. If you're not the person tasked with building this online community for the sake of engagement, this might make sense. If you are the lucky community manager who has been given this directive with little to no other context, you are likely left scratching your head in confusion/bewilderment/insert other sentiment here.The belief that "if you build it, they will come" does not apply to most things in life and it certainly doesn't apply to online communities. More importantly, when you think of the word engagement, it's important tot take a few things into consideration before you spend money and allocate resources for something you're not 100% clear on.Identify the desired behaviorWhen we're talking about engagement (especially through online communities), we need to be really clear about what we are asking members to engage around. Inviting them to a site with the expectation that they will magically want to buy your membership or apply for a certification is not the right approach. Instead, think about the behaviors you want members to exhibit when they visit that will offer value for them and for the organization. Will they be connecting to one another to solve problems? Is this a forum to get their feedback on your offerings? Is the online community a tool to usher members toward other organization benefits that will serve their needs? What is it that you want them to do within the online community and what is the value that it will drive? Once you've figured out the desired behavior, you will know how to measure whether or not community members are engaging in the ways you expect them to and where adjustments will need to be made, if not.Understand how to influence those behaviorsOnce you've identified the desired behaviors, identify who is not only in a position to model those behaviors, but who will likely exhibit them after prolonged exposure to the community. In other words, figure out who this community is meant to serve. If you have champions within your community who believe in your cause, they will naturally be advocates for the community's purpose and start conversations that foster those desired behaviors. They then become a shining example for other community members to do the same. For instance, if the behavior you want members to exhibit is the purchase/renewal of membership, offer a "freemium" community model where there are basic features/content that is available for all registered users and certain content held for paid members only. The value in allowing continued participation in your community sans membership is that those who are not paid members will start to get curious about what your community/organization offers that they don't have access to. If the curiosity is strong enough, they may just purchase membership to take advantage of all that your organization provides as it meets their needs. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. You can still gain incredibly valuable insight from those who never perform that desired behavior simply by the conversations that they are having.Give your community something to engage aroundAs I said before, just building an online community is not going to attract an audience. Offer something they can't get anywhere else or, if they can get it somewhere else, the quality of that interaction is much higher as part of what you offer. What sets your online community apart? Do you offer content and thought leadership that members can't find anywhere else? Is there an offline element that helps grow relationships between the organization and members? How are you repurposing content to keep the story going? Online communities should never be a dead end. There should be a connection with other parts of your association that keep your members engaged. Connect them back to local chapters, live events, professional development opportunities, or other benefits and features within the association as a whole that will help them understand what's unique about engaging in your community versus in a random group on Facebook.As I've said many times before, there is nothing inherently special about an online community in and of itself. Anyone can start an online community. But when you are clear on how the online community will deepen engagement (valued behaviors) with the members who choose to get involved, that's when the real magic happens. It should never be all about what you can get from them, but what you can offer that will enhance their experiences with you and meet their needs. Otherwise your field of dreams will be just that...a dream.How do you define engagement within your online community? What behaviors do you measure and perceive as adding value to member interactions? Tell us in the comments below!