Put on Your Audit Hat
Change, as they say, is the only constant, and the same is true for communities. Your community will evolve; new faces will join, some may leave, and programs will come and go.
That's why it's crucial to regularly audit your community to get a better idea of your community's overall health, identify areas that need improvement, and ensure that you're still on track with your goals.
Let’s look at the key areas to consider when auditing your community
Community goals
Your goal (s) is where everything stems from and so it’s important that you begin with reviewing it.
What was the goal for the year?
Is everything you’re doing still aligned with that goal?
What has changed?
Do you need to realign or completely shift focus? If so, how can you make that happen?
Community Touch-points
These are the places where people discover your community- social media, websites, emails, etc.
Make sure all the information up-to-date.
Check for broken links
Include clear Call-To-Actions
Ensure the onboarding process is seamless
Community Guidelines
This is often embedded in the onboarding process, while some other persons strategically place them within the community. Either way, take a moment to read through them and make sure they're still relevant and up to date. You might also want to review how it is communicated.
Community Engagement
Evaluate your engagement strategies and how they're impacting your community.
What content resonates most with your community?
What strategies should be continued, discontinued, or modified?
What new strategies can be introduced?
Are members actively participating?
Community Members
Take a closer look at the people you've gathered. Using the data you have collected, analyze their demographics
Does the demographics align with who you want to target?
Have your criteria for members changed?
What recurring issues or concerns need to be addressed for members?
Do you have an updated data of all members?
Also, this is a good opportunity to gather feedback from your members.
Community Metrics
The metrics you track is greatly dependent on the goals you have for your community.
With the goal set at the beginning, what relevant metrics should be analyzed?
How did you do? What areas need to be worked on?
If your goals have changed, what metrics would be more important now?
Community Platform
This is often overlooked but it's crucial. The platform where your community is hosted is the final touchpoint for members, so give it the attention it deserves.
Is it easy for members to navigate through your platform?
Is there something members have been asking for- maybe a new feature or a way to connect better?
What channels are currently inactive? Can you reactivate it or just take it off completely?
Are there any outdated or irrelevant content that should be updated or taken down?
And there you have it!
Record your findings and use that as a reference point for future assessments .
How often should you put on your audit hat?
Well, this really depends on a few things like the size of your community, how lively it is, what you want to achieve, etc.
However, I’d recommend it at least once every six months. But where that is not possible, it can be done annually to evaluate the year and plan for the next.
Keep in mind that the key is to gather insights, identify areas for improvement, and keep your community on track.
Happy auditing!
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