15 min read
15 Experts Tell You How To Grow an Online Community in 2026
If you want to grow an online community in 2026, you need more than just a Facebook Group or a Discord server. Today’s most successful communities are built on owned platforms, powered by AI-driven engagement tools, and designed to deliver genuine value. Whether you are running a membership site, a learning platform, or a brand community, the fundamentals remain the same: authentic connection, consistent value, and the right technology stack.
Building a robust, growing online community makes it easier for a brand to drive loyalty, generate leads, and create repeat customers from dedicated followers. In 2026, with tools like BuddyPress and WordPress, you can build a community platform you fully own, without depending on third-party algorithms that limit your reach.
Here we share advice from 15 community-building experts who hail from various fields and operate businesses across different industry verticals. Their wisdom, combined with modern 2026 strategies, will help you build a vibrant online community.
2026 Community Growth Strategies: What Has Changed
Before we dive into expert advice, let us look at the community-building landscape in 2026. Several major shifts have reshaped how online communities grow and thrive:
AI-Powered Community Moderation
AI moderation tools have become essential for scaling communities. Automated systems now handle spam detection, content filtering, and even sentiment analysis to flag potentially harmful conversations before they escalate. This frees community managers to focus on strategic engagement rather than manual policing. If you are building a community on WordPress, BuddyPress Moderation Pro offers advanced moderation features that integrate directly with your BuddyPress community.
Video-First Community Experiences
Video has become the primary engagement medium in online communities. Live streams, video discussions, and short-form video content drive significantly higher engagement than text-only interactions. Communities that integrate video features, such as live Q&A sessions, member spotlight videos, and asynchronous video threads, see higher retention rates and deeper member connections.
Owned Platforms Over Rented Audiences
The biggest lesson communities learned in the last few years is the risk of building on rented land. Social media algorithm changes, platform shutdowns, and policy shifts have pushed smart community builders toward owned platforms. WordPress with BuddyPress gives you full control over your community data, design, and member relationships. The BuddyPress Community Bundle provides everything you need to run a professional community on your own domain.
Niche Micro-Communities
Massive, general-purpose communities are giving way to smaller, hyper-focused micro-communities. Members prefer spaces where they can have meaningful conversations with people who share very specific interests or challenges. This trend favors tools that support sub-groups and focused discussion areas, something BuddyPress handles exceptionally well with its groups feature.
Data-Driven Engagement
Community managers in 2026 rely on analytics to understand member behavior, identify at-risk members who may churn, and optimize content strategies. Tracking active participation, response times, and content performance has become standard practice for growing communities.
1. Maya Delano: A Decade Of Community Engagement at NextSpace Santa Cruz
“My number one important thing is staying connected to your current members,” she states, which applies both to those working from home as well as those who are coming back into the space.
“Keep them informed and communicate with them regularly. We created a weekly video chat that we call ‘Reimagining NextSpace.’ Members can listen in, and we talk about our latest updates and what we’ve done to make the space safe.”
2026 Update: Maya’s emphasis on consistent communication is even more relevant today. With tools like automated newsletters, in-app notifications, and BuddyPress activity feeds, keeping members connected has never been easier. The key is creating regular touchpoints, whether weekly video calls, daily activity digests, or monthly community roundups.
2. Guy Kawasaki: Chief Evangelist of Canva and Bestselling Author
As one of the most recognized industry leaders, Guy Kawasaki has shared his valuable advice while explaining “The Art Of Creating an Online Community.”
“This is a repeated theme in my writing: the key to evangelism, sales, demoing, and building a community is a great product. Frankly, if you create a great product, you may not be able to stop a community from forming even if you tried. By contrast, it’s hard to build a community around mundane and mediocre crap no matter how hard you try.”
2026 Update: Kawasaki’s advice holds stronger than ever. In a world saturated with communities, only those built around genuinely valuable products or services survive. Before investing in community-building tools, make sure your core offering is solid. Then let tools like BuddyPress amplify the organic community that forms around it.
3. Mark Schaefer: Founder of Schaefer Marketing Solutions and Bestselling Author
Mark holds a unique view on starting a blog community: stop being nice. Mark addressed the leading bloggers when he was associated with social media in 2009. He believed that there “was an almost total lack of any meaningful debate or community” when he challenged the A-listers of the industry. Generating a debate helped Mark build momentum with his {grow} community.
To put it differently, Mark holds that if you want a “blog community that TALKS to each other, you’ve got to get out of nicey-nicey mode.”
In order to accomplish it, he advises that you:
- Display some passion
- Disagree about something
- Go for a risk
- Write a blog that only you can write
2026 Update: Mark’s philosophy of authentic debate is precisely what separates thriving communities from ghost towns. In 2026, communities that encourage healthy disagreement and real conversation outperform those filled with surface-level positivity. Use discussion forums and group features within your BuddyPress community to create spaces for meaningful debate.
4. Dave Kerpen: CEO of Likeable Media
“Growing an online community requires providing a lot of value and being responsive to that community. At Likeable, we’ve always tried to help marketers in our community, giving them articles, webinars, and ebooks. Not everyone has hired us, but more than enough have to make it worth our efforts.”
2026 Update: The value-first approach Kerpen describes is now the standard. In 2026, leading communities offer exclusive content libraries, live workshops, and peer-to-peer mentoring programs. WordPress platforms with BuddyPress integration make it straightforward to gate premium content for community members while keeping the broader community open and accessible.
5. Peg Fitzpatrick: Social Media Strategist and Bestselling Author
Peg’s perspective on community building is to be giving, helpful, and supportive without expecting anything in return.
She says, “I feel if you are kind and giving, people will remember it and do the same for you when the time comes. People who spend a lot of time asking others to share their content via direct message have failed in their growing online community and could be damaging their future community.”
For Peg, “Respect and reciprocation are earned bonuses from your community.”
2026 Update: Peg’s generosity-first philosophy has become the cornerstone of community-led growth. In 2026, the most successful community builders focus on creating value before asking for anything. This translates into offering free resources, mentorship, and support within your community platform.
6. Jay Baer: Bestselling Author and Founder of Convince & Convert
During a presentation at Social Fresh Conference, Jay explained how “social media is terrible at reliable reach” and the way to fix that problem. In Jay’s words, “reliable reach is the ability to send a message to a person who has asked to hear from you, and for that message to reach that person.” Examples of reliable reach include email, mobile notifications, and direct messaging.
Jay recommends that instead of applying a “rifle approach,” you must try a “shotgun approach” when connecting on social media with your audience. This includes sending more messages across more channels, because only a small percentage of your overall audience sees any single message in any specific venue.
2026 Update: Jay’s insight about reliable reach is exactly why owned community platforms matter in 2026. When you build your community on WordPress with BuddyPress, you control the notifications, the email digests, and the activity feeds. No algorithm stands between you and your members. The BuddyPress Community Bundle gives you built-in notifications, email alerts, and activity streams for reliable member reach.
7. Kim Garnett: Online Learning Community Expert
Tips offered by Kim Garnett for building learning communities:
“Firstly, make sure you invite your students and learners! Add a lesson to your welcome chapter, and include a link in the welcome email to join the group with a summary of what they can expect by joining. It will certainly take more work on your part at the start of building your online community. Posting prompts and encouraging interaction will land on you, at least until the community begins to grow and co-create more group content.”
2026 Update: Learning communities have exploded in 2026, driven by the creator economy and online education boom. If you are running a course or membership site, pairing your LMS with a BuddyPress community creates the ideal learning environment. Platforms like WordPress with BuddyPress allow you to create dedicated groups for each course cohort, fostering peer learning and higher completion rates.
8. Kathryn Aragon: Award-winning Copywriter, Consultant, and Content Marketer
As a content strategist at Crazy Egg, Kathryn was able to double traffic and triple subscriptions in one year. She offers plenty of insights on placing “control back into visitors’ hands.”
She says that one of her most important points was understanding that “creating the wrong impression can hurt your brand.”
Kathryn further explains, “The only way to know how your brand is perceived is to talk to your customers. Look for ways to get customer feedback, such as through surveys or one-on-one conversations.”
As Kathryn advises: “Whenever appropriate, invite responses. If people know it’s okay to communicate with you, you’ll get more customer emails, phone calls, and comments.”
2026 Update: Customer feedback loops are now built directly into community platforms. Polls, surveys, feature request boards, and open discussion threads give you real-time insight into how your brand is perceived. BuddyPress activity feeds and group discussions serve as natural feedback channels.
9. Shervonne Cherry: Director of Community and Partnerships at Spark Coworking
For Shervonne, what matters most is being human. “One, be a good human. Two, be a good partner.”
One of the strong points that consolidate their community is knowing what every member does and how Spark helps them accomplish it.
“Our lifeblood is digging into the side hustle,” says Shervonne. “What’s happening with our members? I have a sense of what everyone is doing, who just hired, what’s going on. We share that with our community and the local Baltimore area, which connects them with the outside space.”
This reveals that when members join Spark, they receive much more than a workplace. They gain resources, information, and networks that support them and their teams. Shervonne adds, “It’s personal too. Our members experience good and bad times. We celebrate the good and try to lift them during the bad. We want to be good humans.”
2026 Update: Shervonne’s personal approach to community management has become a model for 2026. AI tools now help community managers track member milestones, job changes, and growth signals, but the human touch in responding to those signals is what builds lasting loyalty. Use BuddyPress member profiles and activity tracking to stay connected with what your members are doing.
10. Garrett Tichy: Founder and Owner of Hygge Coworking
Garrett is a firm believer in helping people. He says: “Space isn’t that exciting. It’s who fills it that makes it exciting. I play a tiny role in seeing people grow; that is so exciting.”
Among the highest priorities at Hygge is wellness. They launched Hygge Wellness, featuring physical therapy, yoga, and group fitness programs. Wellness occupies a top spot in their mission.
“We were one of the first spaces to close, right on March 15th before the state mandated it, because this felt like our responsibility,” Garrett says. “Those decisions were tough. We are hurting like everyone, but it’s our duty to help people. We were applauded for this decision because we showed care and attention, and we saw an outpouring of support. For us, it’s about finding every way possible to help people.”
2026 Update: Wellness-focused communities are one of the fastest-growing niches in 2026. Garrett’s philosophy of caring for members beyond the transactional relationship is what separates thriving communities from those that fade. Building wellness check-ins, mental health resources, and supportive spaces into your online community drives deeper engagement and reduces churn.
11. Ryan Levesque: CEO, Author, and Founder of The ASK Method
Ryan believes that building a culture where every participant feels invited is critical. His online community expanded from 100 participants to above 2,000 within two years. He hired one paid “community advocate” for every 400 subscribers to start discussions, monitor interactions, and provide general assistance.
Levesque built a series of private onboarding messages for new members, motivating them to take one step each day with the community, like reading a specific blog post. The objective is to acclimatize newcomers to the group and develop the habit of participation, while assuring they do not suddenly overpower the site or trigger an “us versus them” response among long-time members.
2026 Update: Ryan’s structured onboarding approach is now considered best practice. In 2026, the most successful communities use automated onboarding sequences, welcome bots, and guided member journeys. BuddyPress supports custom onboarding flows, profile completion prompts, and new member introductions that replicate what Ryan built manually.
12. Christel Quek: Content Strategist and Community Builder
Christel Quek heads content development and marketing strategy across multiple regions. She holds these core values for investing in a community, which she terms the “Humanifesto for Community Building On Social Media”:
- C – Collaboration
- O – Openness
- M – Meditation
- M – Magnetic
- U – Utilitarian
- N – Nice
- I – Integrity
- T – Tact
- Y – Yield
2026 Update: Christel’s COMMUNITY framework remains a solid foundation for community values. In 2026, transparency and integrity are non-negotiable. Members expect clear community guidelines, fair moderation, and authentic leadership. Use BuddyPress Moderation Pro to enforce community guidelines while maintaining an open and welcoming environment.
13. Calvin Lee: Creator of Mayhem Studios
Calvin mentions that “Helping others and expecting nothing in return has always been my motto. I like helping by sharing useful resources on social networks.”
He shares links and blog posts with relevant information and believes in re-sharing them. Irrespective of whether they are brands, friends, or strangers, he shares valuable content freely.
Calvin says he shares from a trusted list he has compiled over the years. This way, new connections are made because people express gratitude and regard you as a specialist in your domain.
In his words: “The more you share, the bigger a community you will build. That’s my secret for getting people’s attention.”
2026 Update: Calvin’s content curation approach has evolved in 2026. Community builders now use content aggregation tools, curated newsletters, and AI-assisted content recommendations within their communities. BuddyPress activity feeds serve as the perfect hub for sharing curated resources with your community members.
14. Carla Young: Founder of MOMeo Magazine
Carla Young believes that you should constantly post what is relevant to your personal brand. She advises understanding your audience and discovering what excites or frustrates them, then incorporating that knowledge into your social media messaging.
She recommends allowing yourself to be known to your community. Forming a community involves cultivating reciprocal relationships built on authenticity.
2026 Update: Personal branding within communities has become even more important. In 2026, community leaders who show their authentic selves, including their struggles and failures, build stronger connections. Use BuddyPress profiles and activity updates to share your journey transparently with your community.
15. Emeric Ernoult: CEO of AgoraPulse
Emeric believes that developing a thriving community requires an awesome product or service. If no one cares about what you sell, the possibility of interacting on social networks with your audience is almost nil.
While launching your business, your product or service may not be excellent yet. But you have to remain patient to reach the point where it becomes compelling enough to draw an engaged community. Emeric says the foundation of a healthy online community lies in constantly presenting them with great content.
To quote Emeric: “It takes time and resources, but this is key.” He invests significantly in content each year, which he believes has delivered the best results for his business.
Emeric advises being present for your community, being helpful, giving timely responses, and ensuring a friendly response each time they engage with you. In his words, “As a CEO, I do a lot of this myself, and you have no idea how people feel when they get a personal message from the CEO. It certainly doesn’t scale, but in the early days, it will make a difference!”
2026 Update: Emeric’s investment in content and personal CEO presence is now amplified by AI tools. In 2026, community leaders use AI to help draft responses, personalize communications at scale, and identify the most important conversations to join personally. The combination of automation for efficiency and human touch for impact is the winning formula.
Taking the expert advice above and combining it with the latest 2026 community-building strategies, here is a practical roadmap:
Step 1: Choose an Owned Platform
Stop building on rented land. Set up your community on WordPress with BuddyPress so you own your data, your member relationships, and your content. Pair it with the BuddyX Pro theme for a modern, social-network-style community experience.
Step 2: Set Up Moderation From Day One
Use BuddyPress Moderation Pro to establish clear community guidelines and automated moderation. This keeps your community safe as it scales, without requiring constant manual oversight.
Step 3: Create a Structured Onboarding Experience
Follow Ryan Levesque’s approach: guide new members through a step-by-step onboarding process. Introduce them to key resources, connect them with existing members, and help them find value in the community within their first week.
Step 4: Deliver Consistent Value
Whether it is weekly webinars, curated content, exclusive resources, or peer-to-peer connections, make sure your community delivers ongoing value. As Guy Kawasaki says, start with a great product, and the community follows.
Step 5: Use Data to Optimize Engagement
Track which content types, discussion topics, and events drive the most engagement. Use analytics to identify at-risk members and re-engage them before they leave. The BuddyPress Community Bundle includes tools for tracking member activity and engagement metrics.
Step 6: Integrate AI Where It Makes Sense
Use AI for content moderation, personalized recommendations, and automated welcome sequences. But keep the human element for personal outreach, conflict resolution, and community leadership, just as Emeric Ernoult advises.
Step 7: Foster Authentic Connections
Encourage members to share their real stories, challenges, and wins. Create spaces for meaningful debate (Mark Schaefer’s approach) and generous sharing (Calvin Lee’s philosophy). The strongest communities in 2026 are built on authenticity, not polished marketing.
Here are the essential tools from Wbcom Designs that can help you build and grow your online community in 2026:
- BuddyPress Community Bundle – Complete suite of BuddyPress plugins for building a full-featured community on WordPress
- BuddyX Pro Theme – A modern, social-network-style WordPress theme designed specifically for BuddyPress communities
- BuddyPress Moderation Pro – Advanced content moderation and reporting tools for safe community management
- Developer Starter Pack – Essential BuddyPress extensions for developers building custom community solutions
Growing an online community is not an easy task, but the expert advice shared here provides a proven foundation. From Maya Delano’s focus on consistent member communication to Emeric Ernoult’s investment in great content and personal CEO involvement, the principles of community building remain timeless.
What has changed in 2026 is the technology available to execute these principles at scale. AI moderation, structured onboarding, video-first engagement, and owned community platforms make it possible to build thriving communities without the limitations of social media algorithms.
The most important step you can take today is to move your community to an owned platform. With BuddyPress and WordPress, you get full control over your community experience, your member data, and your growth trajectory. Start building your community on your terms.
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