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Let’s be real—if you’re still the one creating all the content, answering all the questions, and trying to keep the energy up in your community, it’s no wonder you’re exhausted. But here’s the thing: your members want to contribute. They just don’t know how. That’s where a solid contributor system comes into play.
In this episode, I sat down with Candice Grobler, founder of Candid CoLab and one of my mastermind buddies, to unpack exactly how to build a system that lets your community thrive without you having to do all the heavy lifting.
Why You Need a Contributor System
Most community builders hit a wall when their community grows—suddenly, you’re stretched thin trying to create content, engage members, and keep the momentum going. The solution isn’t working harder; it’s working smarter by tapping into your community’s potential.
As Candice explains, “When you get to a point where you are getting contribution regularly, you don’t actually have to do that anymore… your community can keep delivering value without you needing to drive it.”
This isn’t just about saving your sanity (though that’s a huge bonus)—it’s about creating a self-sustaining ecosystem where members feel ownership and connection.
How to Build Your Contributor System
If you’re ready to stop doing everything yourself, here’s how to get started:
1. Identify Your Potential Contributors
Look within your existing community first. Candice recommends focusing on “the top 10% of your engaged members.” These are the people already posting, commenting, and showing up—they’ve demonstrated their investment in your community.
2. Research What Motivates Them
Once you’ve identified potential contributors, take time to understand what drives them. Candice recommends using principles from “The Mom Test” (a book about customer development) to ask the right questions:
- What are their goals within your community?
- What challenges are they facing?
- How could contributing help them move forward?
3. Choose the Right Contributor Model
Based on your research, select a model that aligns with what motivates your members:
- Advocacy programs
- Mentorship opportunities
- Content creation/thought leadership
- Beta testing
- Community moderation
- Affiliate partnerships
- Project collaboration groups
Candice shared a brilliant example from her own community, where she assembled a team of marketing specialists. Each expert maintains a minimum engagement score (measured through Circle’s analytics), contributes monthly content related to their expertise, and in return, gets opportunities to be selected as a mentor—which generates income for them.
4. Provide Clear Recognition
Recognition isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for keeping contributors motivated. But it needs to be meaningful. As Candice points out, “People want to be rewarded with follower growth and credibility.”
Consider what your contributors truly value:
- Public recognition (spotlights, features)
- Growth opportunities (speaking engagements, exposure)
- Leadership roles
- Financial incentives (when appropriate)
Starting Small: Your Action Step Today
If you’re still handling everything yourself, here’s Candice’s advice for taking that first step today:
“Pick five people—your top five most engaged community members—and send them a simple DM asking if they’ve ever considered writing content or facilitating an event. At least one or two will probably say yes.”
Start with these early adopters, understand what motivates them to contribute, and use those insights to refine your approach and expand your contributor pool.
The Ripple Effect
When you implement a successful contributor system, the benefits go far beyond just lightening your workload:
- Members develop deeper connections to your community
- Fresh perspectives and expertise enrich your content
- Your community becomes more sustainable and resilient
- You reclaim time to focus on growth and innovation
- Contributors build valuable skills and visibility
As Candice puts it: “I realized that it’s really hard for me to provide marketing expertise because I’m a generalist… so I assembled a team of specialists around me that are each good at doing what they do.” The result? A thriving ecosystem where everyone wins.
Ready to Build Your Contributor System?
Your community members want to contribute—they just need the right framework and invitation. By implementing a thoughtful contributor system, you’ll transform your community from a one-person show into a collaborative space where members feel ownership, connection, and pride.
If today’s episode has you rethinking how you run your community, let this be your sign to start shifting the workload. After all, building a thriving community shouldn’t mean doing it all yourself.
Meet Our Guest
Candice Grobler, founded Candid Collab after deciding that her last manager was right to call her “unemployable”. After struggling to fit into an “employee” mould that never felt natural, she’s excited to finally have real security knowing that she can provide for herself as a business owner, community mentor and now — speaker!
Now she helps stretched brands build community systems around their products and services — so they can market their businesses without selling their souls. 😉
And as a passion project, she mentors aspiring consultants who want to break free of the “employee” role.
So, your marketing is held together with duct tape and prayers? Friend, you need a system!
Subscribe to the Candid Consult to learn how to get scrappy with what you’ve got and actually start growing your community.
Learn more about Candice by checking out her website and following her on her socials:
Looking for more community-building tips? Check out our Quick Tips for Circle Communities series for simple, actionable ways to optimize your Circle community. And don’t forget to subscribe to Community at Heart on YouTube for short, strategic episodes packed with quick wins!
RESOURCES & LINKS
- Get started with a 14-Day FREE trial of Circle
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- Quick Wins for Circle Communities is our new YouTube series delivering actionable tips in bite-sized videos.
- Discover bite-sized, big-hearted community strategies every week on Community @ Heart—your go-to YouTube playlist for building connection that actually sticks.
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MORE FROM ME
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