Here are responses to a client’s survey question distributed by length of time they’ve been working in the field (n=356).
Take a second and think how you would interpret this data.
One interpretation is to look at the newcomer group (and possibly the veteran groups) and decide to have more relevant discussions, content, to cater to that audience.
For example, a beginner’s guide to the topic, introductory level discussions, topic overviews etc…
Perhaps a more exciting interpretation is to look at these same groups and conclude “hey, maybe my community isn’t for them”
The survey data could equally be telling you to focus on people with 1 to 10 years of experience in that field.
Instead of trying to balance out the mean, you increase the inequality to focus entirely on a small group of members.
Remember, the danger in trying to accommodate newcomers is the content might become less relevant to the people who find it most relevant today.
It’s often a lot easier to double-down on what is working than trying to fix what isn’t. You can design the entire community concept solely for those who find it most relevant today.
Sometimes, it’s just easier to focus on the good than the bad.
p.s. The price of our Strategic Community Management and Psychology of Community course rises again this Friday.