How to Bring Your Online Community Back to Life: Insights from Catherine Hackney
Online communities don’t last forever—at least, not without effort. If your community has gone quiet, it’s time to ask: is this just a slow phase, or is it heading toward collapse? More importantly, what can you do to turn things around?
I recently spoke with Catherine Hackney, founder of Confident Communities Consulting, about this challenge. She’s an expert in helping professional associations fix struggling communities. If your members are losing interest, your engagement is dropping, or your leadership is questioning whether your platform is worth it, this article is for you.
Warning Signs That Your Community is Struggling
Before you can fix a problem, you need to recognize it. Catherine pointed out that communities don’t suddenly die—they fade over time. Here are some early red flags:
Less engagement: Fewer posts, comments, or discussions.
Key members disappearing: The most active users are no longer contributing.
Same few people talking: Conversations feel repetitive and one-sided.
Leadership disconnect: The organization sees the community as an afterthought.
Outdated technology: The platform hasn’t been updated, or a migration caused users to leave.
Do any of these sound familiar? If so, don’t worry—there are ways to bring your community back to life.
How to Fix a Failing Online Community
1. Identify the Problem
Catherine believes that communities decline for a reason. You need to investigate:
Ask your members. Reach out to former active users and find out why they left.
Check your platform. Are you making full use of the tools available?
Look at leadership changes. Did a key manager leave? Has the organization shifted priorities?
Consider external factors. Have industry trends or member interests changed?
A strong community evolves with its members. If their needs have changed but your community hasn’t, it’s time to adjust.
2. Rebuild Trust with Your Members
Communities often decline because members lose trust. Maybe leadership ignored feedback, or engagement efforts were inconsistent. Catherine’s advice? Own your mistakes and show members you’re serious about change.
Be honest about past missteps and how you’re fixing them.
Show that you’re committed to providing value for members.
Get volunteers and community advocates involved—they can’t do this alone.
When members feel heard and see real improvements, they’ll be more likely to return.
3. Refresh Your Community’s Purpose
Sometimes, the original goal of a community no longer resonates. Catherine suggests going back to basics:
Clarify your mission. Why does this community exist? What’s in it for members?
Adapt to member needs. Are their challenges the same as when they first joined?
Put it in writing. A clear purpose helps members and leadership stay on track.
If the community doesn’t serve a meaningful purpose, it won’t keep members engaged.
4. Relaunch with a Long-Term Plan
Many organizations think a single “relaunch” event will fix everything. Catherine recommends a slow and steady approach instead:
Update onboarding. Reintroduce all members to the community, even longtime ones.
Communicate often. Share your mission and highlight success stories.
Re-engage members gradually. Feature top contributors, host interactive events, and promote useful resources.
Building momentum over time is more effective than one big announcement.
Why This Matters: The Real Value of Community
Some companies see communities as just another expense. Catherine sees this mindset often—businesses assume switching platforms will fix engagement issues instead of addressing deeper problems. Spoiler: It won’t.
A healthy community provides real benefits:
Stronger customer and member loyalty
Valuable insights into member needs
Greater trust and engagement with your brand
If leadership isn’t seeing this value, it’s time to rethink how you measure success. Catherine and Mathijs Vleeming from the Community Consultants Collective created an ROI framework to help track meaningful community impact—check out the link in the interview.
Next Steps: Revive Your Community Today
Your community isn’t doomed—but doing nothing will guarantee failure. The good news? You can turn things around with the right approach.
Here’s what to do next:
Watch the full interview with Catherine Hackney for expert insights: Watch here.
Connect with Catherine and explore her consulting services at Confident Communities Consulting.
Start assessing your own community—reach out to members, analyze engagement, and commit to real improvements.
Communities don’t have to fade into irrelevance. With a clear strategy and consistent effort, yours can thrive again.
About Catherine Hackney
Catherine is a colleague and senior online community consultant specializing in member communities for professional associations. She serves as an elected board member of the Community Consultants Collective.
She started Confident Communities Consulting in 2017 and is a certified partner of the Higher Logic platform.
She previously worked in the membership department of Medical Group Management Association and has lived in Colorado her whole life.
Show Notes
Reinvigorating Communities (7:24): Dying communities is not a widely discussed topic, but that was Catherine’s introduction to working within communities. There are cases where organizations are aware that they the community is in decline, but there are also cases where organizations may not even recognize the condition of the community. Out of about 70 communities she’s worked on, Catherine has only shut down one.
Patterns of Community Decline (15:09): A bell curve, steep drop-off from one event, and cascading cause-and-effect dominos are three scenarios mentioned when it comes to possible decline within communities. Trolls, spam, and tech issues can hurt the community. It is recommended to start by researching to find what is leading to the diminishing community, such as a breach of trust.
Treating the Decaying Diagnosis (25:13): Going back to basis, similar to launching a new community, is the place to start. Discuss with members to understand their needs and goals, and how they can best be met. A platform migration is not a quick fix, so learning to better leverage your current platform can be beneficial.
Additional Considerations (35:28): More viewer questions are answered, including a question inquiring about internal versus external forces. Mentoring, education, and conversations are listed as ways to help make a community indispensable. Catherine mentions a blog post with an ROI framework.
