Setting Community Goals for the Year Ahead

Setting goals for your community sounds simple enough… until you actually sit down to do it. Suddenly, it’s like trying to read a map with no legend. You’ve got metrics on one side, gut feelings on the other, and about five Slack messages asking how your community efforts tie into company OKRs.

If you’ve been there, you’re not alone. Goal-setting in community work can feel fuzzy—like trying to measure the value of a great conversation or the ripple effect of a single event. But with the right framing (and a few reality checks), community goals can go from frustrating to foundational.

Here’s what’s worked for us—and what we’ve seen work for community managers across all kinds of industries.

A simple formula for setting your goals

If you’re looking for structure without overcomplicating things, try this:

VISION → GOAL → KEY RESULT → TACTIC

Let’s break it down:

• Vision – What’s the big picture? Think: why this community exists in the first place.
• Goal – A clear objective that moves your vision forward.
• Key Result – A measurable outcome that shows you’re making progress.
• Tactic – The actual work you’ll do to get there.

Here’s a quick example:

• Vision: Create a trusted space for product users to learn from each other
• Goal: Improve user retention through peer-led support
• Key Result: 25% increase in repeat logins from active members
• Tactic: Launch a monthly “Ask Me Anything” session with power users

This framework keeps you grounded in purpose while still holding you accountable to progress.

Cross-functional isn’t just a buzzword

If you’ve ever been handed a goal that felt… detached from reality (think “grow the community to 10K members in six months” when you currently have 300), you know how important cross-functional alignment is.

Set up chats with your counterparts across product, sales, support, and CS. Ask them: What are your goals this quarter? Then figure out how community can plug in—not just as a support channel, but as a driver.

If everyone’s rowing in the same direction, you’ll go further. And your community won’t feel like the side project nobody quite understands.

Goals that actually help (and don’t just sound good)

Some goal ideas to consider:

• For industry or interest-based communities: Increase member engagement, boost expert contributions, spark meaningful discussions, and capture testimonials that show your impact.
• For product communities: Improve feature feedback loops, lower support ticket volume, highlight user success stories, or increase user-generated how-to content.
• For nonprofit or activist communities: Focus on campaign participation, partnerships, donations, or spotlighting impact stories that show the ripple effect of your work.

The best goals blend qualitative and quantitative. Metrics are important, but they’re only part of the story.

Need more structure? Download the full Community Goal-Setting Guide we created to walk you through every step.

Be ready to evolve, not just set and forget

Setting the goal is the start—not the end.

Your company priorities might shift. Your community might hit milestones early. Or, honestly, you might realize the goal you set no longer makes sense in Q3.

That’s why regular check-ins are key.

You don’t have to overhaul everything—but taking time each quarter to reflect on what’s working (and what isn’t) can save you months of wasted effort. We’ll go deeper into this process in an upcoming article: Checking in with your community goals—so you’ll have a framework for quarterly reflections, too.

Until then, here’s your reminder: it’s okay to tweak, adjust, and iterate. That’s how progress actually happens.

TL;DR: Goals that feel good and do good

Good goals aren’t about busywork or checking boxes. They’re a tool—a way to advocate for your work, align with company priorities, and make sure your community is thriving in the right direction.

If you’re stuck, start small. Draft a few options. Share them early. And remember: the goal isn’t the goal. The goal is building something that matters—with people who care.