🚨 Are You Making This Course Community Mistake?

Adding a community to your online course sounds like a great idea—more engagement, better student results, and maybe even a boost in revenue. But here’s the truth: Most course creators get it completely wrong. Instead of enhancing the student experience, their communities turn into ghost towns, draining their time and energy.

So, what’s the big mistake that’s sabotaging course communities? And more importantly, how can you build a community that actually works? Let’s dive in. 👇

🛑 The Big Mistake: Treating Community as an Afterthought OR Obligation

Many course creators make one of two common mistakes:

1. The Afterthought: They add a Facebook group just because it looks good on the sales page, but there’s no real strategy behind it.
2. The Obligation: They see others offering a community and assume they have to do the same—even if it doesn’t fit their program or business model.

Why This Fails
❌ Students don’t see the value in joining, so they don’t engage. ❌ The creator feels pressure to keep the group active, leading to exhaustion. ❌ Without a clear purpose, the community lacks momentum and dies out.
🚨 The truth? A community without a well-defined role in the student’s transformation is just extra work—for you AND your students.

✅ The Right Approach: Aligning Community With Transformation & Business Model

Before you add a community to your course, ask yourself three key questions:

1️⃣ Does My Student Actually Need a Community to Succeed?

A well-structured course should deliver results on its own. Your students shouldn’t need a community just to complete the program. If they do, your course might be incomplete.

📌 Example: My Free Course Creator’s Toolkit doesn’t include a community because it’s a simple, action-based resource. It’s designed for quick implementation—not ongoing engagement.

2️⃣ Does My Ideal Client Value Connection?

Some audiences thrive in communities (think: coaching programs, mastermind groups, and memberships). Others prefer a self-paced approach.

📌 Example: Terisa Clark’s Financially Thriving Nonprofit Program includes a community because nonprofit owners value networking and shared insights.

3️⃣ Does My Community Add Unique Value?

If your community isn’t essential to the transformation, it’s just extra noise. The best communities provide something students can’t get elsewhere.

📌 Examples of Effective Communities:

• Accountability challenges that push students to take action.
• Q&A calls with structured expert support (so you’re not answering questions 24/7).
• Peer-led engagement where members share wins, feedback, and solutions.

💙 Course-First vs. Community-First: Which One is Right for You?

📍 Community-First Model (Best for Long-Term Growth & Support)

✅ Ideal for coaching programs, memberships, and networking-based offers ✅ Supports ongoing skill-building and long-term transformations 📌 Example: Nick Bradley’s High Value Business Mentorship Program thrives on community because members continuously evolve their businesses.

📍 Course-First Model (Best for Clear, Fast Transformation)

✅ Works for structured courses where students get results in 90 days or less ✅ The community is a bonus or a backend offer 📌 Example: Katherine Zenkina’s Manifestation Babe Academy focuses on the self-paced course, with a community as an add-on.

💡 Rule of Thumb: If your transformation takes months or years, a community-first model works best. If students achieve their goals in weeks or months, focus on the course-first model.

🛠 How to Create a Community That Drives Results (Without Burnout)

Once you decide whether a community makes sense, design it with purpose. Here’s how:

🔹 Connect the Curriculum to the Community

👉 Ask students to share assignments or key takeaways inside the group. Example: In James Wedmore’s BBD program, members post launch debriefs for feedback and insights.

🔹 Add Value Beyond Just “Networking”

🔥 Live experiences like meditations, breathwork, or mindset coaching keep students engaged. 🔥 Ad-lib Lives when you notice themes in questions. 🔥 Structured milestones that align with the student journey.

🔹 Set Boundaries for Sustainability

🚫 You don’t have to be available 24/7. Create a system that supports engagement without overwhelming you. ✅ Use office hours or Q&A calls instead of unlimited DMs. ✅ Leverage community managers or moderators to lead discussions. ✅ If running a cohort-based course, limit community support to the duration of the cohort.

💡 Pro Tip: If you wouldn’t want to manage this community a year from now, don’t start it today.

🚀 Before You Launch a Community, Ask Yourself This…

💡 “Is this community necessary for the transformation, or am I adding it just because I feel like I ‘should’?”

✅ If it’s essential, build it strategically. 🚫 If it’s not, focus on your course and offer community as a backend membership instead.

📌 Final Thoughts: Build Smart, Not Hard

A thriving community can amplify your course, but only if it’s designed with intention. Instead of treating it as an afterthought, align it with your student’s transformation and your business model.

💬 What’s your take? Are you leaning toward a course-first or community-first approach? Drop a comment below!