How Do You Know if Your Community is Healthy?

Heather Wendt
Heather Wendt HLV Staff
in Talk Community #1

I have had a lot of conversations with community professionals, and one of the biggest common areas of interest (and often frustration!) is knowing what the data actually tells us about the health of our community.

Discussions, comments, comments per discussion, page views, active users, new users…I can track all of that and see what is happening in my community…but is my community measuring up to what others are seeing? Big fish, small data pond syndrome is so common!

Do you have any go-to benchmark metrics that you are using to compare your community?

What are the necessary filters to have in place to make sure you are comparing apples to apples (as much as any community can be compared)?

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Comments

  • Tmetcalf
    Tmetcalf Vanilla Seedling
    #2

    Hi @Heather Wendt -
    Establishing and reviewing key metrics prove Community health, content popularity, member engagement, and identify opportunities for improvement. All short-term metrics are reviewed monthly, quarterly, and annually; the survey will be deployed quarterly.

    Short-term Metrics

    Community Growth: Consistent membership growth provides insight into the potential reach of messaging and marketing efforts. 

    Community Engagement: Engagement is the power of community.

    • Community Visits
    • Unique Visits
    • New Discussions
    • Replies and Comments
    • Likes
    • Page Views
    • Time on Site
    • Monthly Active Users
    • Correct Answer Rate - % of questions with an answer marked correct
    • Engagement Rate - % of questions with at least 1 reply

    Popular Content: Content that captures and retains customer interest. These measure forums, blogs, and events.

    • Views of a question or a blog post
    • Comments posted to a question or blog post
    • Visits to a particular forum

    Event Attendance: Are community members attending live demos or online events? 

    Long-term Metrics

    Community Survey: Deployed quarterly, this survey generates sales leads and uncovers opportunities to amaze customers. The survey will also produce a valuable CSAT score to gauge Community value.

    • Why did you visit?
      • Looking for Support
      • Have a technical question
      • Access documentation
      • Connect with peers
    • Did you find what you were seeking?
      • Yes
      • No
    • How would you rate your community experience
      • 1 - 10

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