Great communities don’t happen by accident. They require care and, at times, some troubleshooting when problems arise.
Let’s talk about Frankie. He’s a lot like you. He started an online community for anime artists to grow together. At first, a few dozen members shared tips and reviewed each other’s work.
But as the community grew, off-topic chatter increased. Some members promoted their photography services aggressively. And a few ornery newcomers left rude comments that spoiled the supportive vibe.
Frankie felt overwhelmed trying to manually moderate discussions, boost engagement, and restore the welcoming culture he prized. But with the right community management tools, he got his forum back on track and thriving again.
Just like Frankie, even the most thriving online communities encounter hurdles as they evolve – stagnating activity, disruptive members, and more. But the leaders committed to cultivating healthy spaces don’t fear such problems. They view them as opportunities for growth.
Let us dive into the world of online communities and how they are rapidly changing.
Online Community Problems And Their Best Solutions
Let’s explore solutions for the most common community issues so you too, can confidently address challenges and nurture the positive culture your members deserve
1: Lack of Engagement
“No matter how much I encourage conversations, most members just stay silent,” said Jamal, a community-builder for food entrepreneurs. “The engagement is really dropping off.”
A slowdown in conversations and contributions is one of the most common community issues. When members disengage, inactivity spreads quickly. Inactivity begets more inactivity in a downward spiral. Members who once participated avidly drift away when the discussions become stale. This loss of member engagement is one of the most common issues communities face as they evolve.
Solutions:
- Host your community on platforms that members regularly use, like Whatsapp (which Nas.io lets you seamlessly manage)
- Host regular events like AMAs, trivia nights, and member spotlights to spur interaction.
- Send quick polls or icebreaker questions to spark discussions.
- Create leaderboards and badges celebrating active members.
- Personally recognize members who make valuable contributions.
Nas.io provides a variety of tools to help increase member participation. You can organize engaging activities and events directly within the platform, making it easier for members to get involved. Plus, the analytics feature allows you to track engagement levels and identify the most popular topics in your community.
2: Overwhelming Noise and Off-Topic Discussions
“I wish there were an easier way to keep discussions on track,” sighed Aishwarya after deleting yet another off-topic post.”
With growth comes more conversations, and soon, relevant discussions get drowned out by small talk and tangents. This noise makes it difficult to have meaningful dialogue and engage around core topics. Valuable insights get buried under the avalanche of disjointed posts.
Solutions:
- Create separate channels/threads for specific topics.
- Gently guide off-topic convos to the right channel.
- Set community guidelines around quality discussions.
- Give members conversation starter prompts.
To help manage discussions more effectively, Nas.io offers categorization features that allow you to create specific channels or threads for different topics. This ensures that relevant discussions are easy to find, and members can engage in conversations that interest them the most.
For focused topics, Nas.io’s discussions and community feed keep conversations organized and accessible. And the weekly engagement report generates beautiful chat summaries of your community to cluster discussions.
3: Excessive Self-Promotion and Spam
“So frustrated by members constantly posting links to their own content and services,” said Frankie. “It’s drowning out actual community conversations.”
Well-meaning members may flood feeds with self-promotional content. It’s natural for members to want to share their own projects and work. However, excessive self-promotion can become disruptive, making the community feel more like an advertising board than a supportive space for quality discussions. Too many promotional posts risk alienating other members and devolving into noise.
Solutions:
- Set limits on promotional posts – for example, one per week.
- Create dedicated channels/threads for sharing projects.
- Use a promotion approval process or auto-moderation tools.
With Nas.io’s moderation tools, you control what appears in member feeds and can easily block spam. Hence, you can control the visibility of promotional content, ensuring that it doesn’t overwhelm the community discussions. You can set guidelines for promotional posts and use the platform’s moderation features to review and approve content as needed.
4: Trolls and Toxic Behavior
“A few angry commenters are trying to pick fights and spread negativity in the community,” said Dev. “How do I get this under control?”
“Trolls” who antagonize members threaten community culture and safety. Some toxicity is inevitable with growth. Their disruptive behavior poisons discussions and upsets other members. Even a few toxic individuals can sow widespread negativity if left unchecked.
Solutions:
- Immediately remove offensive content using robust mod tools.
- Enable members to report inappropriate behavior easily.
- Set a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and harassment.
- Ban repeat offenders to maintain community standards.
Nas.io is equipped with moderation tools to help you quickly identify and remove any toxic content, maintaining a positive atmosphere within the community. Additionally, members can report inappropriate behavior, allowing you to take immediate action and uphold community standards.
5: Privacy Concerns
“Some members are hesitant to share openly because of privacy worries,” said Alexei. “How can I put them at ease?”
Members want to control how public their profiles and conversations are beyond the community. Trust is essential for community participation and vulnerability. When members worry about privacy, either due to data practices or public visibility, they may retreat into silence, stifling engagement. People want control over how public their activities and profiles are beyond the community walls.
Solutions:
- Allow anonymous usernames where desired.
- Make sub-groups private only to members.
- Let members hide their activity and engagement stats.
- Communicate frequently about security and privacy measures.
Nas.io understands the importance of privacy and provides customizable privacy settings, allowing members to control the visibility of their profiles and conversations. This helps in building trust within the community and ensures that members feel safe sharing and participating.
6: Reduced Exposure from Algorithms
“Despite posting regularly, it seems our updates rarely reach members now,” Priya lamented. “The algorithm has really throttled our reach.”
On some platforms, community updates rarely reach followers because of algorithms. Over-reliance on algorithms for distribution can throttle community growth. When platforms prioritize showing users content they already engage with, community updates rarely reach followers.
This compounds over time. Each post seen by fewer people receives even less engagement, signaling the algorithm to surface it less. Soon, posts hardly get exposure at all.
Solutions:
- Use an algorithm-free platform like Nas that gives you direct access to your members.
- Encourage members to turn on notifications so they don’t miss activity.
- Share previews of discussions on social media to drive traffic.
Unlike some other platforms, Nas.io ensures that your community updates are delivered directly to your members without the interference of algorithms. This guarantees better visibility for your content and helps maintain an active and informed community.
7: Cultural or Language Barriers
“Our community has members from all over the world. But cross-cultural misunderstandings are flaring up,” said Aisha.
With diverse global members, misunderstandings and assumptions can easily occur between cultures if communication norms aren’t established. This can breed discord, fragmentation, and inequities within communities over time.
Without purposeful intervention, members may self-segregate into homogenous splinter groups. Or worse, leave altogether when cultural disconnects result in alienation or conflict. Valuable diversity of thought and experience then diminishes.
Solutions:
- Offer country or language-specific subgroups when feasible.
- Recruit multicultural moderators familiar with translating nuances.
- Share guidelines for respectful cross-cultural interactions.
- Use translation tools to bridge language and regional dialect gaps.
Nas.io supports global communities with right-to-left languages and localized linguistics. As your community grows to include members from different parts of the world, Nas.io provides features that support multiple languages, helping bridge communication gaps. This ensures that all members, regardless of their background, can participate and feel included in the community.
The Ability To Adapt Is Key to Thriving Communities
While challenges arise, savvy community leaders don’t fear problems – they view them as opportunities for growth. By continually optimizing experiences based on member feedback, you build communities that stand the test of time.
The solutions discussed are a starting point. However, each community must find what works best for their unique needs. With the right tools like Nas.io on your side, you can cultivate healthy spaces where members feel safe, seen, and valued.
That ability to adapt is what separates mediocre communities from truly exceptional ones. Our team is proud to fuel those driving human connection and belonging online. Here’s to bringing people together in amazing digital spaces! Let’s do this. Start on Nas.io today for free.
