Building your 2025 Sustainable Community Growth Strategy

It’s tempting to measure success by the number of new members joining your community — bigger feels better, right?

But chasing growth without prioritizing member engagement is like throwing the world’s biggest party and forgetting to invite the DJ.

A community with 10,000 silent members is like a ghost town with Wi-Fi. Shift your focus to meaningful engagement. What’s the point of having more members if nobody’s sticking around for your community karaoke night?

Without a clear and sustainable growth strategy, those dreams often turn into frustrations. Members stop engaging, leaders feel overwhelmed, and the community’s potential starts to fade.

The good news? You’re not alone in these challenges, and there’s a path to success. Let’s break down some of the most common mistakes, fears, desires, and symptoms leaders like you face when growing a community — and how to move past them.

Creating content based on assumptions is a lot like buying a gift for someone without checking their wish list — you end up with socks when they want a PS5.

If your members crave bite-sized tips but you’re rolling out hour-long webinars, it’s time for a course correction. Think of it as being less like a mind reader and more like an enthusiastic barista — “What can I whip up to make your day better?”

In an effort to provide value, many leaders add too many features, platforms, or tools at once.

The result? Confusion and frustration for members who don’t know where to start or how to navigate the community. (Keep it simple)

A complicated experience often leads to disengagement rather than the excitement you’re hoping for. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to creating clarity and value.

We get it, bells and whistles are fun! But too many at once, and your community feels like they’re trying to learn calculus at an amusement park.

Remember: simplicity wins. It’s easier to engage when members don’t need a degree in rocket science just to find the discussion thread.

Don’t let fears keep you up at night

You’re terrified of members leaving, like they’ve found a cooler lunch table in the cafeteria of life. But adding shiny new features or initiatives without strategy is like slapping glitter on a bad craft project — it doesn’t solve the underlying problem.

Juggling content creation, member support, event planning, and keeping your plants alive is a lot. Feeling like a one-person band on a unicycle is understandable. Spoiler alert: nobody looks graceful in that scenario.

You’re investing so much time, energy, and resources into your community. But what if it doesn’t work? The fear that your efforts won’t lead to tangible results — whether it’s financial success, member satisfaction, or personal fulfillment — can be paralyzing. It’s easy to fall into a cycle of second-guessing your decisions.

What You Actually Want

You want a community so alive that your members are practically sending fan mail to each other. Think lively discussions, inside jokes, and the kind of loyalty that rivals Taylor Swift’s fanbase.

Running a community shouldn’t feel like running a marathon uphill… in the rain… with a backpack full of bricks. Streamlined tools and clear strategies are the name of the game here.

You want clarity in your approach — a plan that aligns your community strategy with your broader business goals and your members’ needs. With this alignment, every action you take feels purposeful and leads to meaningful outcomes for both you and your members.

You’ve worked hard to attract members, but they’re not showing up in the way you’d hoped. Posts go unnoticed, events have poor attendance, and discussions feel one-sided. This lack of engagement can leave you questioning whether your community is truly valuable.

Without a clear strategy, it feels like you’re constantly throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. You may find yourself pivoting too often, second-guessing your choices, or feeling stuck in analysis paralysis. This lack of direction can be incredibly draining.

You’re wearing too many hats and trying to do it all: answering every question, planning every event, and creating every piece of content.

The workload is unsustainable, and you’re starting to feel resentment toward the very community you wanted to love and nurture. Burnout is real, and it’s a warning sign that something needs to change.

Move Forward and Achieve Real Results

If any of this resonates with you, know that there’s hope. Building a sustainable community growth strategy isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most.

Here are some actionable steps to help you turn things around:

• Focus on deepening the connections within your existing community before chasing new members. Host smaller events, spotlight member stories, or run a contest where the prize is bragging rights (and maybe a virtual trophy).
• Take the time to truly understand what your members want and need from your community. Use surveys, polls, or one-on-one conversations to gather feedback. Then, deliver content that makes them feel like you’ve been reading their minds (without the creepy undertone).
• Marie Kondo your tools and processes. If it doesn’t spark joy (or engagement), it’s gotta go. Start by focusing on one or two key initiatives that deliver the most value, and build from there. Remember: simplicity creates clarity, and clarity builds trust.
• Robots are your friends — let them handle repetitive tasks. Also, recruit a trusty team who can help carry the load so you can focus on being the visionary leader your community needs.
• Develop a roadmap that aligns your community’s purpose with your business goals. Break it down into manageable steps, and regularly review your progress to ensure you’re staying on track.

Remember, building a sustainable community is like crafting the perfect burrito — it takes balance, the right ingredients, and a little bit of love. Are you ready to create a community that’s the guac to your members’ chips?

Let’s start the conversation. Share your biggest challenge in the comments, or reach out directly — I’d love to help you create a strategy that works for you.