WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING 10 SKOOL COMMUNITY AUDITS 🤘

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(N’ those Unexpected patterns I didn’t see coming)

Over the past week, I offered a handful of Christmas community audits to the epic members in THE BACKROOM. I went in thinking I’d mostly be supporting other community owners, helping them spot gaps, tweaks, missed opportunities. What I didn’t expect was how much it would teach me too.(this bit surprised me more than I thought it would, if I’m honest)

Seeing different communities from the inside, back to back, gave me an outside perspective I didn’t have before. When you’re inside your own space every day, you often stop seeing certain things. You assume things are obvious, and forget what it feels like to arrive like a newbie, slightly awkward-ish, not wanting to get it wrong. (that slightly hover-y feeling… we’ve all been that person, right?) [did-you see my POSTAPHOBIA post?]

We cannot make assumptions, all the answers are often there for us, through the comments, the data, the analytics etc… (and yet we STILL assume… iykyk)

Basically none of what I’m sharing here is right or wrong. This defo ain’t judgement. It’s just PATTERNS I noticed repeating and looping, and a few things that made me have those little LIGHTBULB moments where I stopped and went… huh… ok then… and rethink how I build and lead community too.(also yes, I saw myself in some of these, not exempt here)

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THE BIGGEST SURPRISE GOING IN…

I kinda expected to see lots of content problems. Weak posts. Not enough value, conversations etc etc. Messy structure all that jazz.(you know, the usual suspects)

But what I actually saw, over and over again, was this: almost nobody has a content problem. What most people have is a MOVEMENT problem….

Beautiful spaces. Gorg solid branding. Thoughtful heart-led badass leaders. But many members sitting quietly, watching, unsure what to do next. (lurking, saving posts, thinking “I’ll come back later”… and later never comes pfffttt)

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PEOPLE DON’T ENGAGE BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT (often)

This was the most common pattern I saw. Communities looked really effin’ good on the surface, content existed, conversations had happened at some point, but the majority of members were stuck at LEVEL 1. (Level 1… Level 1… still Level 1… weeks later)

(This pattern I saw in nearly every community I visited, which took me down another rabbit hole, I will share later… because oooofing)

It was defo not because they didn’t care. Not because they were lazy (pffffttt agen). It was mainly because they didn’t know where to go NEXT. It was not clear.(uncertainty = pause = no action… that’s just human stuff)

Most communities assume, “If people want it, they’ll explore.” From my experience, this rarely happens.

They won’t. People don’t explore when they feel uncertain. They WAIT to be led, and that’s our role as a community owner. (I’ve made this assumption myself before, btw)

The missed opportunity wasn’t motivation. It was CLEAR guidance through one tiny micro next step at a time.

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START HERE POSTS ARE TOO BIG (AND TOO POLITE)

Almost everyone had a Start Here post. Almost nobody made it IMPOSSIBLE to skip.

Common themes I saw were too much information, too many links, no obvious action step, or a gentle “drop a comment if this helped”, which still requires thinking.(thinking = friction… friction = nope)

Many have a list of 10 things to do. We know too many choices = brain overload = step back.

JUST ONE STEP AT A TIME (micro steps beat huge LEAPS)

If someone doesn’t take a micro-action in the first 24–48 hours, engagement drops FAST. How does the saying go… the longer you leave it, the less likely it gets done… something like that…(either way, the brain agrees)

That’s just HUMAN behaviour.

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CLASSROOMS DON’T WORK WITHOUT CONVERSATION

This surprised a few people. Classrooms were often really well built. Trainings were TOTES solid. Resources were there. But hardly anyone was using them… (which hurts when you know how much effort went into them)

So why? Because classrooms don’t sell themselves. They need BRIDGES. People don’t explore content hubs. They follow PERSONAL direction.

When classroom content isn’t woven into comments, conversations, and DMs, it becomes INVISIBLE, no matter how effin’ good it is.

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LEVELS ARE BEING IGNORED (AND THEY’RE GOLD)

Levels are so powerful in Skool, but most communities treat them like decoration. I saw 70–90% of members sitting at Level 1 in a lot of spaces, with no celebration of movement and no explanation of WHY levels matter. (no reason = no movement)

Levels should create EASY momentum, normalise progress, and be talked about openly, not hidden in the background.

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ENGAGEMENT ISN’T ABOUT POSTING MORE

Low engagement wasn’t because leaders weren’t posting enough. It was because posts didn’t invite response, questions were too broad, and conversations ended too quickly, with no reason to continue.(every comment is a doorway… if you don’t open another one, it closes)

Also, from my world, posts are a WE space.

Engagement grows through CONTINUATION, not volume.

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MOST PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO DM (AND THEY SHOULDN’T BE)

This came up again and again. The fear of being salesy. The fear of being annoying.(I used to have this fear too, big time)

The communities with the strongest engagement had leaders who personally checked in. Not pitching. Not pushing. Just HUMAN HUMANING.

DMs aren’t sleazy when they’re supportive. They’re one of the FASTEST ways to build safety and connection.

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MOST COMMUNITIES ARE BUILT FROM THE HEAD, NOT THE BODY

This one’s subtle but really important. A lot of leaders were overthinking structure, waiting for clarity, trying to feel ready. Meanwhile, members were waiting for PERMISSION.

Your behaviour sets the tone. If you invite openness, vulnerability, fun etc… you have to MODEL it.If you hesitate, they hesitate. (this is psychology, not strategy)

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THE BIGGEST BOTTLENECK OF ALL IS ASSUMPTION

This might be the biggest one. Assumptions like “they’ll find it”, “they know where to start”, “they’ll comment when ready”, “they know what this is for”.

Sorry not sorry… often, they DON’T.

Nothing is obvious to a new, slightly nervous human entering a space.CLARITY beats clever. Every. Single. Time.

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WHAT THIS TAUGHT ME TOO…

Doing these audits didn’t just highlight patterns across other communities. It made me reflect on my OWN. Where I over-assume. Where I skip steps. Where I forget what it feels like to be new.(humbling AF, actually)

Most people don’t need more content. They need more GUIDANCE.

❓ I’m totes curious…

What do you think it would feel like to arrive fresh and new in your space… and what would YOU need if we removed the assumptions?

Humans don’t explore when they feel uncertain. They WAIT.

BUT IN HERE WE GO - LFG! 🙌

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PS - If reading this stirred something… like a “oh sht, yeah… that’s me Mimi” moment, then this is exactly why the Backroom Community exists.

It’s the safe space where we talk about the stuff we don’t usually say out loud. The numbers we don’t brag about. The doubts we tidy up everywhere else. The half-hmm-formed thoughts that don’t belong on a polished post.

What’s said in the Backroom stays in the Backroom. That safety matters.

And if you’re reading this thinking… “ok Mimi, how the eff do I get eyes like this on my own community?”If you want one of these badass Community Audits — no fluff (well, unless it's a dog, that's more than welcome duh), no ego stroking, just real patterns, blind spots and needle-moving stuff — then holla. No pitch. No pressure...

Just let’s chit-chat and see if it makes sense.

Wooping together. Winning together. Obvs. IYKYK

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