Stronger connections at work through better community management

Today’s most forward-thinking companies know that great work doesn’t happen in isolation. Whether it’s through professional networks, employee resource groups, or grassroots forums, internal communities have become powerful engines for engagement, learning, and innovation.

But let’s be clear: community management is more than sending emails or posting on internal platforms. It’s about understanding people—their behaviors, needs, and motivations—while designing an ecosystem where information flows naturally and purposefully. Effective community management marries psychology with technology and communication strategy with organizational culture. According to Rachel Happe, co-founder of The Community Roundtable, “Communities are the engine of organizational learning and adaptability.” When managed well, they become critical to agility, employee satisfaction, and business performance.

Companies like Microsoft, HubSpot, and Airbnb have embraced communities to improve cross-functional collaboration, foster inclusion, and support employee well-being. Their community programs don’t just share information—they spark conversations, strengthen networks, and enable collective action.

The three pillars of community management

Building and maintaining a thriving community requires more than good intentions—it takes structure, strategy, and ongoing support. At the core of successful community management are three interconnected pillars that work together to drive relevance, engagement, and impact. These pillars provide a framework to understand, nurture, and sustain a dynamic workplace community. Let's explore each one in depth.

Audience analysis: Understanding the who and the why

Every strong community starts with knowing its people. Audience analysis involves mapping out who’s part of the community, what they care about, and how they prefer to engage. This includes segmenting audiences based on roles, departments, interests, or even digital behaviors.

Communities thrive when members feel seen and supported. That means tracking interaction patterns, understanding content consumption habits, and identifying moments when people are most receptive to certain types of messages. Doing this well helps tailor support systems and create a more personalized experience for each segment.

According to the 2023 State of Community Management Report by The Community Roundtable, communities that regularly gather feedback and adjust to member needs show significantly higher engagement levels than those that don’t.

Community-centric content: Relevance is everything

A community is only as strong as the conversations it sparks. That’s why content needs to feel tailored—not templated. Community-specific content includes more than just announcements; it can be discussion prompts, how-to resources, shoutouts, or exclusive insights shared in real time.

Understanding how content is consumed is just as important as what’s being shared. Are people scrolling past messages in Teams? Are they engaging with videos in Viva Engage? Are they bookmarking newsletters? Tools like analytics dashboards and user feedback surveys can help refine the content mix over time.

Brian Oblinger, community strategist and former VP of Community at Alteryx, puts it best: “If you want a vibrant community, treat your content like a conversation starter, not a one-way broadcast.”

Community support and visibility: The right info to the right people

Too often, important messages get buried in channels no one checks. Community support means making sure that the right people are seeing the right information at the right time. It also means being responsive—whether that’s through chat support, peer-to-peer help, or timely replies in comment threads.

A well-managed community ensures high-value content surfaces easily, and that members know where to go for answers, updates, or shared expertise. Moderators, community leads, or ambassadors can play a crucial role here, serving as bridges between content creators and consumers.

When these three areas—audience understanding, content design, and support systems—are aligned, they form an interconnected web that keeps the community alive and purposeful. Think of it as a triangle: each side supports and strengthens the others. Great content is meaningless without the right audience. A well-understood audience can’t thrive without support. And support is only effective when it delivers content that matters.

A social and interactive foundation

Communities need a home—and not just a digital one. The most resilient communities blend structured engagement (like meetings and formal email updates) with informal touch points. Watercooler chats have gone digital, and that’s a good thing.

Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Viva Engage make it easy to build these informal spaces. Teams channels for interest-based groups or project squads encourage spontaneous collaboration, while Viva Engage allows for storytelling, social recognition, and asynchronous discussion. These platforms lower the barrier for interaction and help community members feel connected, even across time zones or silos.

But structure still matters. Community managers should integrate these tools into broader strategies—aligning Teams channels with internal comms calendars or using Viva Engage analytics to inform editorial planning. Scheduled syncs, town halls, and regular newsletters still play a role in anchoring the community.

It’s not about choosing formal over informal. It’s about designing a multi-channel experience that supports different types of engagement and meets people where they are.

In conclusion

Workplace communities are no longer a nice-to-have. They’re foundational to connection, communication, and culture. When structured thoughtfully and supported consistently, communities become more than just channels—they become ecosystems where people grow, collaborate, and lead.

By focusing on the three pillars of audience insight, content relevance, and ongoing support, organizations can unlock the full value of community experiences. And by layering formal structures with social spaces for authentic interaction, they create environments where people feel truly connected.

As the workplace continues to evolve, one thing remains clear: communities will be the glue that holds culture, collaboration, and innovation together.

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