Onboarding
Part of Community launch planning
Planning useful activity for a community's first month
Build a manageable first-month activity sequence with useful discussions, response owners and a review of what members actually need.
Plan the first month as a short sequence of member tasks, each with a host responsible for it. Prepare enough to give newcomers a useful place to start, then adjust the schedule when their questions show what they need. A few supported conversations are more useful than a full calendar of unanswered prompts.
Choose a small set of jobs for the month
Before opening, list the questions members are likely to bring and choose activities with different purposes. One topic might invite advice, another might let people compare experience, and a third might gather feedback on the space. Give each a clear owner and a response plan.
Do not fill every day with a new prompt. Members need time to notice a discussion, think and return. Set a pace the team can maintain while answering unscheduled questions. Leave room for a member’s useful question to displace a planned post.
Planned vs. Spontaneous Contributions
- Pros of planned activitiesProvides structure, ensures key topics are covered, helps new members know where to start.
- Cons of planned activitiesCan become rigid; may not respond to real member needs; risks overshadowing spontaneous but valuable input.
- Pros of spontaneous contributionsReflects actual member needs; fosters organic engagement; allows flexibility in response.
- Cons of spontaneous contributionsMay lack direction; harder to track; could leave gaps in critical discussions.
Build a working sequence
| Period | Host action | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Before opening | Publish a short welcome and one practical discussion; check that invitees can reach them. | Can someone tell what belongs and how to join in? |
| Opening days | Greet arrivals, answer the first questions and ask for missing context. | Are questions receiving useful replies? |
| Following weeks | Offer another topic where a need is visible; invite relevant participants into the conversation with their agreement. | Are members exchanging experience, or only responding to staff? |
| End of month | Summarise useful answers and unresolved questions; ask what members want next. | Which activity is worth repeating, and what should stop? |
This is a planning example, not a required posting frequency. If the community opens mid-month or members participate irregularly, keep the sequence and change the dates.
First Month Community Activity Sequence
- Before openingPublish a short welcome and one practical discussion; check that invitees can reach them.
- Opening daysGreet arrivals, answer the first questions and ask for missing context.
- Following weeksOffer another topic where a need is visible; invite relevant participants with their agreement.
- End of monthSummarise useful answers and unresolved questions; ask what members want next.
Give each activity a reason to exist
Before scheduling an activity, identify the member question, who can answer, what the host will do and what a useful outcome would be. “Share your thoughts” leaves too much work to the reader. A more focused example is: “What part of your first-week staff training is hardest to explain, and what have you tried?”
Make the first response useful. A host can acknowledge the situation, ask a clarifying question or point to a relevant existing answer.
If a member raises an account-specific concern, move it to the appropriate private route rather than asking for sensitive details in the discussion. Do not let scheduled posts consume the time needed to answer spontaneous contributions.
Keep an owner and a fallback
For each planned topic, name the person who posts it, the person who returns to replies and a backup for absence. Decide which questions need a subject specialist and how the host will reach them. If no one can support an activity, remove it from the calendar.
Check the space from a member’s point of view. Is the welcome easy to find? Can someone see an active question? Is the way to report a concern clear?
The exact controls depend on the platform. Confirm what is available in the chosen space.
Review usefulness, then set the next month
At the end of the month, read the exchanges rather than counting posts alone. Note whether members received answers they could use, whether conversations connected people with different experience and which questions remain open. Ask members what they came to do and whether the activity helped.
Carry forward a topic if it still serves a member need. Turn a repeated answer into a maintained resource when appropriate, adjust a weak prompt or stop an activity that takes effort without helping anyone. Let the next month reflect what members tried to do in the first.
Key Metrics for First-Month Review
- Useful answers received
- Count how many members got actionable responses.
- Connections between members
- Note whether diverse experiences were shared or only staff-led replies occurred.
- Open questions at month end
- Track unresolved issues needing follow-up.
- Member feedback on usefulness
- Survey members on whether activities helped meet their goals.
