The One Question That Unlocks Real Engagement in Communities
You can have the cleanest platform, the best design, the most thoughtful content, but if nobody talks, your community will stall out fast.
The real heartbeat of a community isn’t you posting updates. It’s members engaging with each other. And that doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because you spark it.
The Power of the Right Question
Here’s the trap most creators fall into: they post statements instead of questions.
“New video just dropped.”
“Check out this week’s resource.”
“Reminder: coaching call tomorrow.”
That’s all fine, but it doesn’t open the door to conversation. What does? The right kind of question.
And the simplest one you can ask over and over again is this:
“What’s working for you right now?”
It’s open-ended.
It’s positive (people love talking about wins).
It sparks follow-ups (someone else can say, “Oh, I tried that too, here’s what happened”).
And best of all? It doesn’t require you to write a novel.
Why Engagement Has to Come From Members, Not Just You
If every conversation starts and ends with you, your community will always feel like an audience, not a group. The shift happens when members start leaning on each other:
Someone asks a question, and another member jumps in to help.
A win gets posted, and five people cheer before you even see it.
Members start tagging each other, sharing resources, or continuing conversations outside your thread.
That’s when your group takes on a life of its own.
How to Keep the Energy Alive Without Burning Out
You don’t need to babysit the group 24/7. But you do need to consistently prime the pump:
Ask better questions. Instead of “Any updates?” ask things like:
“What was your biggest win this week?”
“What’s one thing you’re stuck on right now?”
“If you could get clarity on one thing today, what would it be?”
Celebrate wins loudly. Screenshots, shoutouts, even small acknowledgments go a long way. When people see you celebrate others, they want to contribute too.
Step back on purpose. Resist the urge to answer every question first. Let members help each other, it builds trust and creates leaders inside your community.
A Community That Feeds Itself
When you nail this rhythm, your community becomes less about you pushing content and more about people pulling value from each other.
That’s when it gets sticky. That’s when members check in daily, not because of obligation, but because they don’t want to miss the conversation.
Final Thought
Your content might bring people in the door. But conversation is what keeps them coming back.
And often, it’s as simple as asking one question:
“What’s working for you right now?”
Try it this week. See what happens. You’ll be surprised how fast a quiet group can come alive when you stop broadcasting and start sparking.
