Turn your quiet community into an active, engaged space where members show up daily. Learn the exact tactics that work in Skool, Circle, and Mighty Networks communities.
You've built your community. Members joined. And then... crickets.
Low engagement kills communities. But here's the good news: engagement is a skill, not magic.
This guide covers 11 proven strategies to increase engagement in any online community platform (Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks, etc.).
Engaged communities = successful communities. Here's why:
The #1 engagement killer is inconsistent posting.
The reality: Members can't engage with content that doesn't exist. If you post sporadically, members stop checking in.
How to implement: Schedule posts in advance using a tool like StickyHive. Batch-create a week's worth of posts in one session, schedule them, and they publish automatically.
The easiest way to increase engagement: ask questions in your posts.
"Here are 5 tips to improve your cold outreach: [wall of text]"
Why it fails: There's nothing to respond to. Members read it (maybe) and move on.
"What's the #1 challenge you're facing with cold outreach right now?"
(Then respond to comments with the 5 tips tailored to their specific challenges)
Why it works: Simple question = easy to answer = members engage.
Question types that work:
When members post in your community, they're taking a risk. If no one responds, they feel ignored and don't post again.
Every single member post should get a response within 48 hours - ideally within 24 hours.
Who should respond:
What to say: Even a simple acknowledgment works: "Great question!", "I see you!", "Congrats on the progress!"
Why it works: Members who get responses come back and post again. Members who get ignored ghost your community.
People love recognition. Use it strategically.
Result: Members who get spotlighted become more active. Members who see others spotlighted want that recognition too.
Most members who ghost your community do it in the first 7 days. Fix the onboarding.
Day 1: Welcome message + "Introduce yourself" post
Day 2: Send them a quick win they can implement today
Day 3-4: Invite them to comment on an active discussion
Day 5-7: Personal DM asking how their first week went
Why it works: Members who take 3+ actions in their first week are 10x more likely to stay active.
Lower the barrier to engagement.
Why it works: Requires 5 seconds to participate vs 5 minutes to write a thoughtful comment.
Posting at 3am when your members are asleep = zero engagement.
Step 1: Check when your community is most active (most platforms show this in analytics)
Step 2: Schedule posts to go live during those windows
Typical high-engagement windows:
Tool tip: Use a scheduling tool (like StickyHive) to post at optimal times even if you're busy.
Predictable = habit-forming.
Why it works: Members know when to show up. "Oh it's Wednesday, time to post my win."
Engagement dies when communities get spammy or off-topic.
Why it matters: High-value members leave communities that feel low-quality or chaotic.
How to scale: Use AI moderation tools (like StickyHive) to flag posts for review automatically.
People engage more when they see their contributions matter.
Result: Members see that contributing = recognition and impact.
Sometimes people just need permission to engage.
Why it works: Many members want to engage but feel unsure. Direct invitation gives them an opening.
Implementing all 11 strategies manually is overwhelming. Here's how to systematize it:
Monday (90 minutes):
Daily (15-20 minutes):
Friday (30 minutes):
Result: What used to take 2-3 hours daily takes 30-45 minutes.
Low engagement usually stems from: inconsistent posting, lack of conversation starters, slow response times to member posts, or members not feeling heard. The solution is consistent presence, active moderation, and strategic prompts that make it easy for members to participate.
Most active communities post 1-2 times daily. Consistency matters more than volume. It's better to post once daily at the same time than to post 5 times one day and zero the next. Schedule posts in advance to maintain consistency.
Questions, polls, challenges, and member spotlights consistently drive engagement. Posts that require a simple response (emoji, one word, quick answer) get 3-5x more engagement than posts requiring long thoughtful responses.
Start with low-barrier engagement (polls, emoji reactions). Send personal DMs asking what they're interested in. Tag them in relevant discussions. Make it explicit that participation is welcome and valued.
With consistent implementation, you'll see measurable improvement in 2-4 weeks. Members need to see the pattern change and develop new habits of checking in.
Yes. AI tools can help schedule posts, suggest responses to members, flag content for moderation, and identify members who need attention. But AI doesn't replace authentic human connection - it just makes it scalable.
You now have 11 proven strategies to increase engagement. Here's how to start:
Schedule posts, automate moderation, track engagement • 14-day free trial