Ep 197: Is Engagement the Wrong Goal for Your Membership Community?

Nov 25

Written By Shana Lynn

Is Engagement the Wrong Goal for Your Membership Community?

If you're running a community, you’ve probably been told to chase engagement.

That’s a mistake.

Engagement isn't the goal. Progress is.

Whether you're leading a membership, course, or mastermind, what your members need most isn't more chatter.

It's momentum.

Reason 1: Engagement Isn't Always Positive

High engagement doesn't always signal health. Sometimes, it’s the opposite.

Ask yourself:

Was that comment thread sparked by drama or progress?
Is the conversation aligned with your program's purpose?

Examples of misleading engagement:

Heated debates over controversial topics
Off-topic posts that go viral
Negative rants that invite reactions

Track engagement, yes. But question it.

Reason 2: Engagement Doesn’t Always Lead to Progress

There’s a name for it: procrastoworking.

It looks like:

Answering every poll
Dropping GIFs in every thread
Showing up daily in the group chat

But here’s reality: Activity doesn't equal achievement.

Most members aren’t paying for entertainment. They’re paying for outcomes.

Focusing on engagement can:

Skew your content strategy
Prioritize popular posts over powerful ones
Keep members busy without moving them forward

Look at your top posts this month:

Did they drive real transformation?
Or just boost the algorithm?

Progress beats popularity. Every time.

Reason 3: Engagement Can Be a Distraction

Engagement feels good. It’s a dopamine hit.

But that "fun factor" can distract members from what really matters:

Doing the work
Showing up for themselves
Getting results

Without progress, they’ll start to question the value.

When renewal time comes? They’ll ask: "Is this worth it?"

If they haven’t grown, they won’t stay.

Fun isn’t enough. Progress is sticky.

So What Should You Focus On?

Progress. And activation.

Not just "Are they posting?" But:

Are they logging in?
Are they consuming content?
Are they attending calls?
Are they completing onboarding?

Track what matters:

Activation metrics
Content completion
Attendance rates

Most businesses track Facebook metrics. Few track what drives retention.

That’s the shift.

People don’t leave communities where they’re making progress.

Progress Over Engagement. Always.

To recap:

Engagement isn’t always positive
It doesn’t always equal progress
And it can easily become a distraction

Your community should do more than entertain. It should help people move.

Retention starts with progress. Not posts.

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Shana Lynn