Leaving posts unanswered?

[Shawn Gossman]

How do you feel about no topic being left behind?

Leaving a topic unanswered could cause a member to become inactive because they feel like they're being ignored.

Of course, you want to give other people in the community a chance to respond, too, right?

So - what do you do?

Do you wait for others to respond to new topics and posts, or do you respond as you see them?

Do you try to make sure all topics get some kind of reply? Do you feel this is an important task of a community manager?

 

[ClicketyKat]

If it's a member who makes a lot of posts, I don't always respond to each one. But if it's a member who rarely makes posts, then I'll put some effort forth, because as you said above, we don't want people to think they're being ignored.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I think it's always a good idea to make some kind of response, even if the member posts a lot.

It shows the active member that you're paying attention to their content.

That can keep them remaining active. Otherwise, they might assume they're posting too much and quit posting as much.

 

[Tracy]

Worst thing that can be done... a users topic being left akimbo. Even if you don't know the answer... spend a little time on research and maybe point that user towards where they can find the answer if they are asking a question... even if it involves them going off your site.

 

[Uncrowned]

Worst thing that can be done... a users topic being left akimbo. Even if you don't know the answer... spend a little time on research and maybe point that user towards where they can find the answer if they are asking a question... even if it involves them going off your site.

I agree. The user has joined to interact with your community and if that does not happen, they are very likely to simply move on.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I think it's always a good idea to make some kind of response, even if the member posts a lot.

It shows the active member that you're paying attention to their content.

That can keep them remaining active. Otherwise, they might assume they're posting too much and quit posting as much.

Agreed. I’ve had that happen to me, too.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Worst thing that can be done... a users topic being left akimbo. Even if you don't know the answer... spend a little time on research and maybe point that user towards where they can find the answer if they are asking a question... even if it involves them going off your site.

I agree with this as well.

They took the time to ask it, at least take the time to make sure it’s answered

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I agree with this as well.

They took the time to ask it, at least take the time to make sure it’s answered

Tell them to google it and they'll never return. Trust me on that lol

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Tell them to google it and they'll never return. Trust me on that lol

That's always irritated me on forums, especially when they ask about the focus of what the forum is about.

 

[ZandraJoi]

I don’t mind if my topics I’ve created have no posts but if nobody responds to a member’s in X amount of time, usually a week, I will pipe in with something. Even if I have to say, Oh that’s cool! I don’t know anything about it but it’s nice to learn something new… Something along those lines lol

 

[~ True Legend ~]

That's always irritated me on forums, especially when they ask about the focus of what the forum is about.

It’s true and some ppl are nervous about making mistakes, some aren’t knowledgeable or experienced enough to know what and how to google. Communities are all about encouragement and helping each other out, not putting others down

 

[Shawn Gossman]

It’s true and some ppl are nervous about making mistakes, some aren’t knowledgeable or experienced enough to know what and how to google. Communities are all about encouragement and helping each other out, not putting others down

I agree for the most part.

Unless someone is posting in a way to abuse. Usually, that is detected quickly and management should take care of it.

But communities are all about engagement so leaving threads empty goes against the idea of a community.

 

[Excommunicado]

I try my best to participate in every topic on my forum but there are some topics that I cannot relate to or I feel like I can not add value to it so I will end up not replying to it.

 

[ClicketyKat]

I try my best to participate in every topic on my forum but there are some topics that I cannot relate to or I feel like I can not add value to it so I will end up not replying to it.

I've done that too! Sometimes people want advice on things I am not experienced about, so it doesn't make sense for me to chime in unless I say that I hope someone else can help...just to bump up the thread after it sat for a while.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I think there are many different resources available for you to answer every topic. You can use simple Google searches, links to other websites, and even AI to help you find an answer to a question.

Leaving things unawnsered IMO isn't a good idea.

 

[ClicketyKat]

I think there are many different resources available for you to answer every topic. You can use simple Google searches, links to other websites, and even AI to help you find an answer to a question.

Leaving things unawnsered IMO isn't a good idea.

Google and AI don't always give the best advice I can't imagine using AI to answer a Christian based question and doing so correctly every time.

 

[joelr]

I had a brief discussion in the IPS community about replying to questions, not just unanswered topics.

In the beginning, you're looking for a fast reply. Then over time, you're looking for an accurate reply. And then if you can't get either of those, you're looking for resources to help you diagnose / investigate / or search further.

There is almost a "waterfall" approach to how users want their questions answered.

This is an area where I don't think forums - or anyone - have really innovated on. We should be measuring and evaluating metrics like speed to contact, satisfaction of answer rates, and default answers when nothing else is provided.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

This is an area where I don't think forums - or anyone - have really innovated on. We should be measuring and evaluating metrics like speed to contact, satisfaction of answer rates, and default answers when nothing else is provided.

Interesting!

I like the idea of those sorts of metrics.

I think forums lack a good metrics plugin. The default statistics are pretty early 2000s at best.

If you look at Online Community platforms like Circle, the analytics you get are phenomenal compared to everyone else.

 

[joelr]

If you look at Online Community platforms like Circle, the analytics you get are phenomenal compared to everyone else.

This is one of the areas that I think distinguishes legacy communities from modern ones.

Legacy communities: you build it and they come.

Modern communities: data, so you can figure out why they're coming (or not coming!)

 

[Shawn Gossman]

This is one of the areas that I think distinguishes legacy communities from modern ones.

Legacy communities: you build it and they come.

Modern communities: data, so you can figure out why they're coming (or not coming!)

I agree.

I pay $100 a month for a Circle community.

I'm turning it into a paid community for my blogging brand. Of course, I'll be offering more than just general discussions, but the analytics of that community are amazing compared to anything else, even anything WordPress has to offer.

Most software platforms just provide a way to integrate into Google Analytics, and now, with GA4 being the new kid on the block, I bet a lot of those plugins aren't delivering the right data anymore.

I think I got an email from Google the other day saying Google Analytics Universal has quit tracking now.