Lauren Kelly, the Director of Membership and Community at ISTE+ASCD, shared their recent journey of overhauling their community strategy in 2023 in the State of Community Management 2024 report. Her organization made significant shifts in their community structure that not only aimed to enhance engagement but also to create a more inclusive space for all.
The Goal: A Community for All
ISTE+ASCD took a bold step by migrating their community to a new platform and opening the doors wider than ever before. It wasn’t just about retaining their existing pay-for membership; they wanted to create an accessible community where everyone in their audience could participate for free.
Additionally, they transitioned from a rigid structure of limited groups to a more dynamic model where individuals could opt into groups that truly resonate with their interests.
Tracking Success: The Community Scorecard
With a dramatically expanded community and a more complex structure, they realized the need for a refined method to measure the health and success of their community groups. They developed a community scorecard that would highlight critical metrics, allowing them to identify which groups needed more support and which might need to be closed or combined.
Their prioritized metrics include:
- Total group members
- New group members in the last six months
- New posts made in the last six months
- Unique user views from group members within that same timeframe
By calculating scorecards twice a year and incorporating additional metrics, such as posts per group member, they could assign scores that clearly indicate where each group stands in relation to their engagement categories:
- Exemplary Engagement- Maintain or Reduce Support
- High Engagement – Maintain Current Support
- Moderate Engagement – Additional Support Required
- Low Engagement – Immediate Action Required
This innovative approach empowered our team to more effectively direct limited resources toward groups that would benefit the most from their engagement efforts. Whether it was seeding discussions, encouraging participation, or organizing volunteers to enhance activity, they were able to target their support resources where it was needed most.
Their ultimate aim is to ensure that the majority of groups score in the High or Exemplary categories. They set an ambitious goal to increase the percentage of groups ranked as High or Exemplary from 60% to 80%, and early indicators suggest they are on the right track.
Advice for Success
Lauren shared this advice for other community professional:
For anyone looking to embark on a similar initiative, here’s my key piece of advice: there isn’t a “one size fits all” success metric for a community. The data you track and the metrics that define your success will be unique to your community’s purpose and goals. Understanding your community deeply will empower you to create a data-driven picture of its health. It’s not about achieving a certain aesthetic or impressing stakeholders; it’s about having a realistic and accurate measurement system that informs your decision-making process. As we continue to refine our scorecards and adjust our rubric in line with our community’s evolution, I’m excited about the impact we can make on our members’ engagement journey. Together, we’re not just building a community; we’re nurturing a thriving ecosystem of learners and educators, united by shared interests and a commitment to growth.
By harnessing the power of metrics and creating an adaptable structure, ISTE+ASCD is paving the way for meaningful connections, deeper engagement, and a vibrant community spirit.
