The importance of monitoring community health metrics

What are the characteristics of a healthy online community?

Before we dive into what makes a healthy online community, let’s start with the basics: What exactly is a community?

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, a community is a “group of people sharing common characteristics or interests.” Communities can be based on geography, shared interests, or common demographics, and in the 21st Century, that includes online communities that connect people regardless of location. 

A healthy online community thrives on a blend of quantitative and qualitative factors. It’s not just about the numbers; it’s also about how people feel and interact.

In an online community, we want to ensure members experience a strong sense of belonging, in that they feel valued, accepted and emotionally connected to the group. Forbes states that successful communities need a “tribe factor,” something that ties members together. This coincides with shared purpose and goals: a reason that compels members to engage and contribute.

That means we’ll be looking at the overall activity and energy within the community. While a high engagement rate is definitely exciting, it also reflects how valuable your community is to your members. According to Psychology Today, when a community member actively participates, it can lead to their overall well-being. Conversely, passive involvement can do just the opposite.

How to measure online community health 

Before you start experimenting with tracking tools or building dashboards, start by defining what a healthy community looks like for your organization. Clarify your community’s goals and how they support your broader organizational objectives. From there, you can identify the specific KPIs that best reflect success for your community.

Check out our guide on setting up community analytics here.

Let’s take a look at the top community health metrics you can set up and start measuring today.

Community engagement metrics

Community engagement metrics track how members interact with content and with each other, measuring behaviors like posts and replies. If you host events, you can also include attendance or pre-submitted questions. Here are some of the top engagement metrics you can use to measure your community’s health: 

• Number of active users per month.
• Number of member posts per month.
• Number of comments or replies per month. (This metric reflects active participation, as leaving a comment or reply shows a higher level of engagement and commitment than simply clicking “like.”)
• Number of event registrations.
• Click rate of community email campaigns.
• Number of membership referrals per month.
• Average time spent in the community.

Find more community engagement metrics and an easy-to-use template here. 

Community satisfaction

Community satisfaction is generally a more qualitative metric than engagement, which means you have to get creative in order to track it! We recommend setting up a regular cadence of surveys and randomized member interviews to gain a more personal view of how your members view your community. Consider tracking:

• Member satisfaction rate.
• Member sentiment analysis.
• NPS score (Net Promoter Score which measures customer loyalty.)
• Focus group feedback.

Community growth and retention metrics

When used together, community growth and retention metrics provide a clear view of how appealing your community is and how well it sustains long-term member interest. While these metrics don’t capture the full picture on their own, they become especially valuable when combined with engagement data.

• Number of community members
• Number of new community members per month.
• Number of inactive community members per month.
• Number of unsubscribed or deactivated accounts per month.

Community impact metrics

Impact metrics measure how effectively your community helps members achieve their goals. These insights typically come from a blend of qualitative and quantitative data, gathered through various sources such as surveys, interviews, and platform analytics.

• Surveys and polls – Ask members to share their personal goals and whether being part of the community has helped them achieve those goals.
• Member success stories – Collect testimonials through submission forms or one-on-one interviews to highlight meaningful outcomes and achievements.
• Mentorship or matching programs – If your community offers a buddy system or member matching, track the results of those relationships, such as skills gained, projects completed, or job referrals.
• Project-based outcomes – For communities using tools like Hivebrite’s Projects module, measure tangible results such as business connections made, collaborations formed, or investments secured.

Sense of community

Many community managers leverage the Sense of Community (Soc) Index to measure their members’ sense of belonging. The SoC Index was created by sociologists David W. McMillan and David M. Chavis in the 1980s to measure a very qualitative metric: feelings. It includes four elements: membership, influence, needs fulfilment, and shared emotional connection. While many of the metrics above can help track these pillars, Australian Community Managers recommends the regular use of a Sense of Community Index survey. You can find a template here.

Best practices for tracking online community health metrics

Now that you’ve identified the key metrics to track your community’s health, the next step is to establish a clear and efficient process for monitoring them. Create internal procedures that are easy to follow and sustainable over time. We know it’s exciting, but make sure you set realistic goals for your team! 

Establish a regular schedule for reviewing your metrics and use the insights to continuously refine your engagement and recruitment strategies. Remember, effective community building is an ongoing, iterative process. Your data should inform not only what’s working, but also where to adjust or innovate.

Need inspiration for boosting engagement? Check out our community engagement resource guide here.  

How Hivebrite fosters healthy online communities

Because we support a breadth of communities, from universities to collectives and associations, Hivebrite has a host of built-in tools to help you build and track your community’s health. Learn more about how we can seamlessly support your community requirements today.