Too many communities are launched with the “if you build it, they will come” mindset, only to find empty discussion boards and disengaged members. Successful community growth doesn’t happen by accident. You need a deliberate acquisition strategy that goes beyond vanity numbers and focuses on attracting the right people.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://blog.discourse.org/2025/10/community-acquisition-channels-beyond-build-it-and-they-will-come