Even vibrant online communities do not last forever. We have witnessed countless times the decline and eventual disappearance of once-prosperous communities. You might even be thinking of once-popular huge bulletin boards or SNS groups that are now shadows of their former selves.
This article will analyze the mechanisms behind the demise of online communities from multiple perspectives, and explore concrete ways to apply these lessons to the management of Discord communities.
The Demise of Online Communities: Main Factors and Specific Examples
Saturation and Departure of Users
- The End of the Initial Enthusiasm: New communities bring together people with common interests, and lively exchanges occur. However, as time passes, the initial enthusiasm cools down, and the topics of conversation may run out. Especially when new stimuli or content are not provided, users may feel that “this community no longer has any use” and move to other communities.
- Appearance of Competing Communities: When other communities with similar themes appear, users may be attracted to them and leave. In particular, communities with more active interactions or attractive content have the power to attract users.
- Changes in Real Life: Changes in users’ personal circumstances (entering higher education, finding a job, getting married, having a baby, etc.) are also factors that contribute to leaving the community. Due to time constraints or changes in interests, the frequency of participation in the community may decrease, ultimately leading to departure.
The Closed Nature of Communities
- Exclusive Attitude Towards New Users: If existing users take an exclusive attitude toward new users, the new users will feel uncomfortable and hesitate to participate in the community. In particular, situations where veteran users look down on newcomers as “beginners” or impose community rules and unspoken agreements hinder the retention of new users.
- Overuse of In-Jokes and Technical Terms: If in-jokes and technical terms are overused within a community, new users may not be able to follow the conversations and feel alienated. In particular, situations where new users are left behind while existing users are having fun with in-jokes make it difficult to foster a sense of belonging to the community.
- Bias Towards Specific Ideologies: Communities that are biased towards specific ideologies or values hinder the acquisition of diverse user bases. A community cannot expect growth in an environment where users with different opinions are excluded or their statements are suppressed.
Absence or Dysfunction of Administrators
- Administrator Burnout: Administrators of communities bear many responsibilities, such as maintaining order, planning events, and responding to troubles. If these burdens are too heavy, administrators may experience burnout and leave community operations. Especially when administrators are volunteering, it may become difficult to maintain motivation.
- Conflict Between Administrators: If conflicts of opinion and power struggles between administrators surface, community operations will stagnate, and users will experience anxiety and dissatisfaction. In particular, situations where administrators are openly conflicting or where factional strife occurs within the community can lead to the collapse of the community.
- Inadequate Management System: If the management system is insufficient, trolls and spammers will become rampant and the order of the community may be disrupted. Also, if rules are ambiguous or actions against violations are insufficient, users will be dissatisfied and leave the community.
Decline or Shutdown of the Platform
- Platform’s Decline in Popularity: If the popularity of the platform that a community depends on declines, the inflow of new users will decrease. Especially when new platforms appear or existing platforms become obsolete, users may move to those platforms.
- Shutdown of Platform Service: If the platform’s service is shut down, the community will face a crisis of existence. Especially when data migration is difficult or when migration to alternative platforms does not proceed smoothly, it may become difficult to rebuild the community.
- Changes to Platform Functions: Changes to a platform’s functions may also negatively affect a community’s activities. For example, if the number of ads increases or if the usability deteriorates, users will become dissatisfied and leave.
Implications for Discord Community Management
Creating Continuous Appeal
- Provide Diverse Content: Maintain users’ interests by providing various types of content, such as holding regular events, adding new content, and implementing user-participatory projects. For example, you can increase user motivation by holding gaming tournaments, quiz competitions, workshops, and AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions.
- Proactively Respond to User Feedback: Listen to the users’ voices and continue to make improvements based on their needs. It is important to conduct surveys and hold opinion exchange meetings to collect user requests and reflect them in community operations.
- Evaluate Contributions to the Community: Boost user motivation by recognizing users who have made significant contributions to the community or providing special benefits. By granting positions or badges according to contribution level, you can increase users’ sense of belonging.
Building an Open Community
- Handle New Users with Care: Create a welcoming atmosphere for new users and create an environment where they can easily participate. Be considerate of new users so that they can participate in the community safely, such as by sending welcome messages or preparing a self-introduction channel.
- Promote Interaction Among Existing Users: Promote interaction among existing users to foster a sense of unity in the community. You can deepen friendships among users by holding offline and exchange events.
- Foster a Culture that Respects Diversity: Respect users with different opinions and values and foster a culture that acknowledges diversity. Let’s aim for a community where users can grow together while promoting constructive discussions and accepting each other’s differences.
Establish an Effective Management System
- Establish Clear Rules and Ensure Thorough Awareness: Set community rules clearly and ensure that users are aware of them. It is also important to predetermine how to respond to rule violations.
- Organize an Administrator Team and Define Roles: Organize an appropriate number of administrators depending on the size and activities of the community, and clarify the division of roles. It is important to communicate closely between administrators and build a cooperative system.
- Utilize Management Tools: Actively utilize management tools and external tools provided by Discord for measures against trolls and user management. You can achieve efficient community management and reduce the burden on administrators.
Reduce Dependence on the Platform
- Utilize Multiple Platforms: Reduce risks by utilizing platforms other than Discord (websites, social media, etc.) and diversifying the bases for community activities.
- Monitor Platform Trends: Always collect information on changes to Discord’s functions and specifications and predict the impact on the community. If necessary, it is important to consider countermeasures and inform users.
- Establish a Unique Community Foundation: In the future, consider developing your own website or app to further reduce reliance on the platform.
Summary
The demise of online communities may be an unavoidable destiny. However, by understanding the mechanisms and taking appropriate measures, you can extend the life of the community and maintain its vitality for a long time.
Use the points introduced in this article as a reference to make your Discord community prosperous for a long time to come.