How to Build a Community That People Actually Want to Join

Ever been added to a WhatsApp group without warning? Or sign up for something, only to find yourself lumped into a “community” you never asked for?

That’s not a community.

That’s just a list of names.

An honest, thriving community isn’t about arranging people into a space and hoping they stick around.

It’s about creating something people are naturally drawn to, something that makes them feel like they belong.

If you want people to engage genuinely, they need to feel a connection, not just to you, but to a bigger purpose.

Stop Pushing. Start Pulling.

Your email strategy isn’t a pull, but your story is.

Even more so, your community member’s stories are magnetic.

They pull new members towards the community because they’re authentic.

Each time your community shares their story, another magnet is deployed.

It’s important to let your community have a voice.

Your job isn’t to be their voice, but to amplify others, like all leadership.

How can we effectively create places and spaces to share stories from your community or brand?

1) Reviews

There are 101 ways to ask your community for reviews, which are a fantastic way to build credibility and trust with those browsing.

The most important thing, however, is to start early and often. It’s best not to shy away from asking but to give a clear form or method for collecting reviews.

2) Content co-creation

Are you set up to co-create? Or is your community only designed for content to come from one place?

How could you create frameworks and tools to allow others to contribute and have a voice?

3) Clear direction

I firmly believe in letting your community ideate and act on it. It’s not your job as the leader to run everything; however, setting clear boundaries and goals is critical.

It always feels like a good idea to give a review window to all new initiatives; “let’s try this for 3 months and review based on X, Y and Z criteria to see if that worked”