ONLINE COMMUNITY · ENGAGEMENT · 50+ articles
Engagement systems that keep members coming back.
Patterns and tools to keep members active beyond launch: notifications that don't annoy, content sparks, gamification, group dynamics.
What you'll find here
- Notification strategy: cadence, channels, opt-outs
- Gamification that actually moves retention (not just badges)
- Group dynamics: small groups, leaders, rituals
- Content sparks: weekly prompts, AMAs, member spotlights
Our take
Engagement isn't a feature, it's a system. The tactics here come from running engagement experiments on client communities ranging from 200 to 200K members.
Latest in online community · engagement
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The One-Percent Lie: TAM, SAM, SOM For Course Businesses
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Fitness Has A Giant Market. Thats The Trap.
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Your Brand Communitys Market Is Capped. Thats A Gift.
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Finished Work Is The Perfect Invitation. It Just Never Leaves.
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The Best Raw Material For Virality, Mostly Wasted
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Your MRR Chart Can Hide A Second Burn Rate
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Almost All Evergreen Course Burn Happens Once, Up Front
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Why Cohort-Based Courses Burn Fastest Of Any Model
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Burn Rate For Online Course Businesses
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Your People Are Already Gathered Somewhere Else
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In-Person Energy Doesnt Transfer Online For Free
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Your First Cohort Is Your Founding Community
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Why Certification Courses Play A Different Rule of 40 Game
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How Recurring Revenue Changes Both Sides Of The Rule of 40
A membership academy looks like the best of both worlds, recurring revenue instead of one-time sales. Churn quietly sits on both sides of the Rule of 40 at once, and most owners...
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The Quiet Plateau Every Evergreen Course Hits
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The Rule of 40 For Online Course Businesses
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The AARRR Funnel For Online Communities
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The Growth Loop Hiding In Every Fitness Community
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The Certificate That Recruits Your Next Student For Free
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Why Most Brand Communities Have No Growth Loop At All
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The Growth Loop Your Community Doesn’t Have
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