How to engage your community?

In This Guide

1. Why Member Engagement Matters
2. Before You Start: Set the Foundation
3. Tactic 1: Use Questionnaires to Personalize Experiences
4. Tactic 2: Use Polls to Build Co-Ownership and Feedback Loops
5. Tactic 3: Use Voice and Video Messages to Connect Personally
6. Tactic 4: Share Your Club Link & Activate Word-of-Mouth

1. Why Member Engagement Matters

Keeping your community engaged is the single most important driver of long-term growth and success on Locals.

While it’s exciting to see new members join your club, what truly makes a community thrive is what happens after they join — conversations, connections, shared experiences, and repeat participation.

Here’s why engagement matters on Locals:

✅ 1. Deeper Member Loyalty

Engaged members are more likely to:

• Attend multiple events
• Upgrade to paid membership tiers
• Invite their friends or followers to join
  
  

✅ 2. More Word-of-Mouth Growth

Locals is designed for organic visibility: the more your club is active — with chats, events, and posts — the more visible it becomes across the platform.

Engagement creates a loop:

More posts → More visibility → More members → More engagement

 

✅ 3. Higher Event Attendance and Revenue

A quiet chat rarely leads to full event bookings. But when your community is alive — with polls, shoutouts, and event countdowns — you see better turnout and stronger word-of-mouth.

Plus, engaged members are more likely to:

• Subscribe to paid tiers
• Buy tickets to paid events
• Participate in collabs or sponsorship campaigns
  
  

✅ 4. Stronger Feedback and Community Co-Creation

Polls, voice notes, and real-time chats make it easy to listen to your members — and shape the club around what they actually want.

This makes your community:

• More relevant
• Easier to maintain
• More sustainable over time
  
  

Locals Tools That Support Engagement

Here’s what you can use inside the app right now to drive interaction:

• Group Chat with pinned messages and tagging
  
  
• Polls to collect opinions or vote on ideas
  
  
• Voice Notes to share updates with personality
  
  
• Event Invites with RSVP tracking
  
  
• Membership Tiers to create exclusive perks or private content
  
  

2. Before You Start: Set the Foundation

You don’t need to launch with a huge crowd or an elaborate content plan. What matters is setting a strong foundation that makes people feel welcome, informed, and ready to participate.

Here’s a quick checklist to prep your club for meaningful engagement:

 

✅ Set up your Club profile

Make sure your Club feels personal and relevant from the moment someone lands on the page:

• Choose a cover photo or video that captures your vibe
  
  
• Add a clear tagline (e.g., “Wellness & Connection in East London”)
  
  
• Use the description to explain:
  
  
  • What your club is about
    
    
  • What kind of events or content members can expect
    
    
  • Why someone should join
    
    

Pro Tip: Use real photos from past events or community moments to build trust.

 

✅ Post Your First Welcome Message

Your first message sets the tone for everything that follows. Keep it warm, open-ended, and human. Not sure what to say? Here's a welcome message you can customize:

Hey everyone! 👋
Welcome to [Club Name]! We’re here to [mission/purpose] — whether that’s through [event type], [content style], or just real talk in the chat.

Introduce yourself! Share:
• Where you’re based
• What brought you here
• One fun or random fact about you 🪩

Let’s build something meaningful together — a space where everyone feels welcome and heard.

✅ Pin a Welcome Message or Starter Post

Make sure your most important message stays visible — whether it’s a welcome note, community rules, or an event announcement.

📌 To pin a message in your club chat:
Tap and hold on the message → Select “Pin message”

✅ (Optional) Share a Voice Note

Your voice makes your club instantly more personal. Drop a short voice note saying:

• Why you started the club
• What you’re excited to build together
• How members can get involved this week
  
  

Tactic 1: Use Questionnaires to Get to Know Your Members

The more you understand your members, the easier it becomes to offer events, content, and conversations that truly resonate. That’s why Locals allows you to add onboarding questions when members join your club — helping you gather the insights you need from day one.

Best for:

✅ Creators who want to personalize experiences

✅ Clubs with recurring events or workshops

✅ Coaches, wellness leaders, or facilitators who tailor content based on member needs

💡 Why It Works

Asking questions when someone joins your club makes them feel:

• Seen and valued from the beginning
• More personally invested in the community
• More likely to engage and show up
  
  

And for you as the creator, it’s a simple way to:

• Segment your audience
• Tailor event types or formats
• Learn about preferences (fitness levels, availability, topics of interest)
• Gather feedback for better planning
  
  

🛠 How to Use the Questionnaire Functionality on Locals

When creating your club, you’ll see the option to add a custom questionnarie for members to answer when they request to join.

To add onboarding questions:

1. Tap the + to create a new Club
   
   
2. Scroll to the Questionnaire section
   
   
3. Start Adding Questions
   You can choose from five question types:

• Text field (for intros or opinions)
• Phone number (for follow-up or direct comms)
• Date (e.g., for preferred event availability)
• Single or multiple choice (great for polls, preferences)

      4. Mark as “Required” or “Optional”

You can also choose whether answers are public (all members can see) or private (only you can see).

       5. Click “Done” → Start Collecting Insights

All responses will be saved and downloadable from the same menu.

🎯 You can also add questionnaires to events

When setting up a new event, scroll to the Questionnaire section to add custom pre-event questions. These are perfect for:

• Understanding goals or expectations
• Collecting dietary preferences or restrictions
• Gathering preferences for session formats (online vs. offline, beginner vs. advanced)
  
  

This helps you design more personalized and relevant experiences — and makes your members feel seen before they even arrive.

Pro Tips for Smart Engagement:

• Ask one fun question like “What’s your secret talent?” to spark community conversation.
• Use responses to group members into segments later (e.g., beginners vs. advanced).
• Download and review responses before planning an event — it’ll help you personalize the experience.
• Revisit and update your questions as your community evolves.

• 

Tactic 2: Use Polls to Build Co-Ownership and Engagement

Getting your members involved in decisions — even small ones — helps them feel ownership over the community. On Locals, you can run quick polls in your club chat to crowdsource ideas, vote on event formats, or just have some fun.

Best for:
✅ Creators who want to boost interaction with minimal effort
✅ Clubs planning frequent or recurring events
✅ Communities looking for feedback on content, ideas, or timing

 

💡 Why It Works

Polls are lightweight, fun, and effective for engagement. They help you:

• Get fast, actionable feedback
• Build trust by showing that member opinions matter
• Create a rhythm of participation without needing long replies
• Encourage shy members to engage without pressure
  
  

And most importantly, when people vote → they’re more likely to attend or participate.

 

🛠 How to Use Polls on Locals

You can easily launch polls inside your Club Chat — no need to use external tools.

To create a poll:

1. Go to your Club Chat
   
   
2. Tap the + icon next to the message input bar
   
   
3. Choose Poll
   
   
4. Add your question and answer options (single or multiple choice)
   
   
5. Tap Send and watch the votes roll in!

Tip: Pin the poll in your chat if it’s for a major decision (like a launch party theme or event date).

 

Pro Tips for Smart Polling

🔁 Use Pre-Event Polls
Ask: “Would you rather do this workshop online or in person?”
→ Helps shape your plan and boost turnout.

🎨 Let Members Pick the Theme
“What should next month’s event be about?”
→ Turns lurkers into voters.

🌱 Use Polls as Warm-Ups
Post a poll the day before an event to re-engage people and drive excitement.

📊 Share the Results
Once voting ends, post the winning option and tag a few members to encourage replies:
“Looks like most of you voted for the outdoor picnic — who’s in? 👇”

Tactic 3: Use Voice and Video Messages to Build Connection

Words on a screen are helpful — but your actual voice and face take things to the next level. On Locals, creators can send audio and video messages directly in club chats. It’s a lightweight way to humanize your presence, build trust, and deepen engagement.

Best for:

✅ Creators who want a more personal connection with members
✅ Wellness leaders, coaches, or teachers offering emotional support
✅ Clubs running weekly events or programs

 

💡 Why It Works

Hearing your voice or seeing your face builds instant trust.
It reminds members there’s a real human behind the club — and makes them more likely to engage back.

Voice and video messages:

• Feel more authentic than text
• Make announcements more memorable
• Are faster to create (and feel less formal)
  
  

🛠 How to Use Voice & Video Messaging on Locals

Inside any club chat, you can drop spontaneous voice or video updates anytime — no separate tools needed.

To send a voice or video message:

1. Open your Club Chat
   
2. Tap the microphone icon to record a quick voice note
3. Tap the camera icon to send a short video update (selfie-style or environment)
   
   

Try These Voice & Video Ideas:

🔔 Send reminders before events

🎥 Share quick tips or behind-the-scenes updates

💬 Respond personally

Answer a question from the group in voice instead of typing. It feels more thoughtful.

 

Pro Tips for Ongoing Engagement:

• Alternate between formats: use video for visual updates, voice for quick nudges
  
  
• Keep recordings short (under 30 seconds) for maximum attention
  
  
• Mention members by name to make them feel personally included
  
  
• Use emojis or captions for accessibility and emphasis
  
  

Tactic 4: Share Your Club Link & Activate Word-of-Mouth

You’ve created something great — now it’s time to make sure people see it. On Locals, every club has a unique public link that you can use to promote your community anywhere. Pair it with a simple caption and a clear ask, and let your community grow through personal referrals and social buzz.

 

Best for:

✅ Creators just starting to grow their member base
✅ Local clubs who want to tap into neighborhood networks
✅ Any club using Instagram, TikTok, email, or WhatsApp to promote

 

💡 Why It Works

People can’t join what they can’t find.
Sharing your link consistently builds awareness, and word-of-mouth remains one of the strongest growth tools — especially when shared by trusted friends or followers.

This tactic:

• Makes your community easily discoverable
• Encourages your current members to help grow the club
• Brings in more relevant, interested people
  
  

🛠 How to Share Your Club or Event Link

1. Go to your Club page
   
   
2. Tap the “Share” icon in the top-right corner
   
   
3. Copy the link or share it directly via Instagram Stories, WhatsApp, or text
   
   

 

Smart Ways to Promote It:

📱 Post regularly on your socials
Use your link in:

• Instagram bio or Stories
  
  
• TikTok videos or pinned comments
  
  
• Email newsletters or WhatsApp groups
  
  
• Event posters (QR code to your club link)
  
  

Use clear, benefit-driven captions
Instead of just “join my club,” try:

“🎉 Exclusive weekly events + wellness tips — join here”
“👯‍♀️ Connect with like-minded creatives in [City] — we’re waiting for you!”

Ask your members to share
Turn members into ambassadors. You could say:

“Loving the community? Forward this link to 1 friend who’d love it too 💛”

Use at in-person events
Print a QR code with your Club link and put it at check-in, on flyers, or welcome slides.

Pro Tips for Sustainable Growth:

• Add your Club link to your email signature or Instagram bio
  
  
• Offer a perk or shoutout to members who bring friends
  
  
• Run a mini “invite challenge” for your group chat:
  
  

“First 5 members to invite a friend this week get early access to [next event]!”

Every community is unique — but the most successful ones share one thing: consistent, human connection. Start small. Use the tools that feel natural. And remember that engagement is not about being loud all the time — it’s about being present in the right moments.

Here's a quick recap:

• Use onboarding questionnaires to understand your members from the start
  
  
• Create lightweight polls to build collaboration
  
  
• Drop voice and video messages to make communication feel personal
  
  
• Promote your Club link often and encourage your members to share
  
  

💬 Need Help?

If you’d like support, inspiration, or just someone to bounce ideas with, reach out to us in the chat or book a call with our Customer Success team. We’re here to help your community thrive.

📅 Book a call with us

Happy building!

— The Locals Team 💛