Participation Should Feel Easy
Small obstacles often prevent people from contributing, connecting, and returning.
Community leaders often assume that people remain inactive because they are uninterested.
That is not always the case.
Sometimes people want to participate but encounter small points of friction:
They do not know where to begin.
The registration process takes too long.
The platform feels unfamiliar.
The discussion already appears too advanced.
They are unsure whether their contribution will be welcomed.
There are too many channels, notifications, or instructions.
Individually, these barriers may seem minor.
Together, they can make participation feel like work.
This is why every community and event experience needs a friction audit.
A friction audit examines the journey from the participant’s perspective.
It asks where people hesitate, become confused, or abandon an action entirely.
Start with the first interaction.
Can someone immediately understand what the community is for?
Is the next step clear?
Do they know where to introduce themselves, find information, or join a conversation?
Then examine the participation experience.
Are people being asked to complete too many steps before they can contribute?
Are there simple ways to respond, react, vote, ask questions, or share ideas?
Does every activity require a significant time commitment?
Finally, consider communication overload.
More messages do not automatically create more participation.
When members receive too many announcements, reminders, and updates, important information becomes easier to ignore.
The goal is not to remove every step.
The goal is to make each step feel intentional.
Strong participation often begins with small improvements:
Clearer instructions
Fewer unnecessary clicks
Shorter forms
Better-timed reminders
Simple prompts
Multiple ways to contribute
Before asking, “How can we make people participate more?” ask a different question:
“What are we asking people to overcome before they can participate?”
Removing friction may be one of the most effective community-building decisions you make.
What is one unnecessary step you could remove from your participant experience this week?
Join the SixSides Skool community to exchange practical ideas with other event and community professionals.