This is via Richard Millington on LinkedIn.
A fascinating study suggests hosting in-person meetups for your members may lead to members engaging LESS on the hosted community.
Once people connect in person they’re more likely to facilitate private groups and have direct interactions with one another.
I’d bet this is more likely through platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and other group messaging tools.
Which presents a dilemma - your in-person meetups was successful and valued
Link to the study (which I have not read, yet!):
This comes as no surprise really and is really a reminder to focus more on the longer term and overall outcomes of the community rather than engagement specifically.
I think part of the community work is about having a clear understanding of what a successful community looks like. It’s not engagement, it’s positive outcomes for the people, the community and the ecosystem.