How to Run a Profitable Skool Community with Just 20 Active Members -

When I first started my Skool community, I had just a handful of people genuinely interested. I still remember the first time I saw a commission balance of $39. It felt like a small victory. But what started as a small project quickly grew. Now, just a few months later, I’m running a profitable community with only 20 active members. Yes, you read that right – 20 people. How is that possible? Let me show you how you can do the same, even if you’re just getting started

tep 1: Focus on Getting the Right People

🔑 Key Point: It’s not about the size, it’s about the engagement.

Why This Matters:

Quality over quantity: A community of 20 active members is far more valuable than hundreds of inactive ones.
The right members: You want people who are genuinely interested, eager to engage, and share your vision.

Action Step: Focus on attracting just 20 members who are passionate about your niche.

Here’s how to do it:

Target Passionate Individuals
It’s better to have 20 people who care than hundreds who don’t. Find those who resonate with your mission and share their excitement.
Tip: Think about the problem your community solves and start conversations around that.
Reach out to Early Adopters
These are the trailblazers—the ones who are always looking for something new and are eager to dive in. They are more likely to become your most loyal members.
Where to find them: Social media groups, Reddit, or niche forums are great places to connect with these individuals.
Ask Open, Engaging Questions
The best way to attract the right members is to ask questions that spark interest and invite conversation. For example:

“What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing with [your niche]?”

“What has been your biggest win in [your niche]?”
These questions don’t just drive engagement—they also let you know exactly what your audience is struggling with, so you can provide even more value.

Create an “Early Member” Advantage
Give your first 20 members special recognition—this makes them feel valued. You can give them early access, bonus content, or special shout-outs to show your appreciation.
Tip: Create an exclusive thread for them to introduce themselves and discuss their goals. This fosters immediate connection within your group.

Why This Works:

Small but focused: By keeping your group small and intentional, you create a tight-knit community where each member feels like they matter.
Quality engagement: With only 20 members, you can easily manage the conversation and make sure everyone gets involved.
Loyalty and growth: These first 20 members will help spread the word and bring in others who trust their judgment.

Visualizing the Process:

Picture this: 20 people who are not just interested in your niche—they’re excited, invested, and ready to engage. This is your foundation.
These 20 members will help fuel your community’s growth. As they engage, others will follow, and soon your community will feel alive and connected.

Quick Win:

Action Step: Take 5 minutes right now to draft your first post in a group or forum. Ask a question that directly appeals to your niche. Invite responses from passionate individuals.

Now, you have the framework for finding and engaging the right people. You’re on your way to building a small but powerful community of individuals who are excited to connect, learn, and grow with you.

This step sets the foundation for your community’s growth—focus on quality, not numbers, and you’ll see how quickly it builds momentum!

Step 2: Create Value and Spark Engagement

🔑 Key Point: Engage your members from the start. Value drives loyalty.

Why This Matters:

Instant interaction: Your community needs to feel alive from the first moment. The quicker you engage them, the quicker you’ll see your community grow.
Immediate value: Give your members something they can apply right away, something that makes them want to come back for more.

Action Step: Post your first piece of value—and make it engaging.

Here’s how to do it:

Start with Simple, Actionable Tips
Give your members something useful that they can use immediately. For example:
- If you’re in the health niche: “Here’s a simple tip to improve your daily energy—try this one-minute morning routine.”
- In the productivity niche: “Set one achievable goal today, and here’s a simple system to stay focused all day.”
  These tips don’t need to be huge. Small wins will keep your members coming back for more.
Ask Questions That Invite Participation
Get people talking by asking open-ended questions. For example:
- “What’s one thing you’ve always struggled with in [your niche]?”
- “What’s been your biggest success this week in [your niche]?”
  These questions help your members feel heard and create a strong sense of community.
Create Challenges to Get People Involved
People love challenges. If you want your community to engage, throw out a small challenge they can tackle right away.
- For example: “This week, try [specific action] and share your results here. I’ll be checking in to see how you did!”
  Challenges are a great way to drive action and build excitement.
Respond to Every Comment
Make your community feel valued by engaging with every person who comments. A quick thank you, a thoughtful reply, or even just acknowledging their effort will show them that you care.
- When someone shares something, thank them for their contribution. Let them know you appreciate their thoughts and time.

Why This Works:

Immediate engagement: When people feel they’ve already received value, they are more likely to stay involved.
Building a habit: By engaging immediately, you set the expectation for ongoing interaction, making it a regular part of your community.
Long-term loyalty: People who get involved early tend to stick around for the long term because they feel connected and valued from the start.

Visualizing the Process:

Picture this: your first post goes up. You get a few responses. You reply to each one, making the members feel seen. Then, someone shares their success, and another member chimes in with a tip. Your community comes to life, with everyone talking, sharing, and contributing.

Quick Win:

Action Step: Post your first piece of value in your community or on social media. Whether it’s a tip, a question, or a challenge—get your members talking today.

By starting with value and engagement, you set the tone for what your community will become: a place where your members feel excited to participate, learn, and connect with each other.

Step 3: Consistency is Key

🔑 Key Point: Keep showing up. Consistency builds trust.

Why This Matters:

Trust is built over time: The more consistent you are, the more your community will trust you and your content.
Expectation and routine: Consistency gives your members something to rely on. They’ll come back because they know they’ll always get valuable content from you.

Action Step: Create a consistent posting schedule.

Here’s how to make it happen:

Pick a Posting Frequency
Decide how often you’ll post. It doesn’t need to be daily. Start with once a week, and stick to it. Pick a day and time, and make it a habit.
- For example: “Every Monday at 9 AM, I’ll share a new tip in my community.”
Content Variety, but Consistency in Posting
Your content can be diverse: tips, challenges, personal stories, etc. But the key is consistency in when you post, not necessarily what you post.
- Mix it up to keep things exciting, but keep the schedule consistent.
Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself
It’s easy to overcommit, but start small and realistic.
- If you commit to posting every week, then stick to it for a month. You can always scale up later. Small consistent steps are more sustainable than overloading yourself.
Engage Regularly
Consistency isn’t just about posting content—it’s also about engaging. Make sure you’re responding to comments, liking posts, and encouraging discussion regularly.
- Even if you only have a few comments to reply to, make it a priority. This helps to build a sense of community and keeps the momentum going.

Why This Works:

Reliability: Your members will start expecting your content and interactions, and they’ll look forward to it.
Building trust: When you consistently show up, people begin to trust you and see you as a reliable source.
Long-term success: Communities that are built on consistent engagement are the ones that stick around long-term.

Visualizing the Process:

Imagine this: Every week, you post consistently, and your members begin to look forward to it. They know that every Monday, they’ll get a fresh tip, and they can’t wait to see what’s next. Your community becomes a part of their routine—and that’s how trust is built. You’re not just a creator; you’re a reliable source of value.

Quick Win:

Action Step: Set a specific time this week when you will post your first consistent piece of content. Stick to that schedule every week for a month. Make it part of your routine and get your community excited for what’s coming next.

By making consistency a part of your community-building strategy, you’ll build momentum, trust, and long-term loyalty.

Step 4: Foster Relationships and Nurture Your Members

🔑 Key Point: Relationships create loyalty and deeper engagement.

Why This Matters:

People want to feel valued: When members feel appreciated and heard, they’re more likely to stick around.
Real connections = Real growth: Engaged members who feel connected to the community are more invested in contributing.
It’s not just about content: Content is great, but the relationship you build with each member is what will make your community thrive.

Action Step: Make personal connections with your members.

Here’s how to do it:

Respond to Every Comment
- This shows your members that you care. When someone takes the time to comment, reply with a personal response.
- It doesn’t need to be long, but acknowledge their input and make them feel heard. People love feeling appreciated!
Thank People for Sharing
- Every time someone shares something valuable or interesting, thank them publicly. It could be something as simple as:
  - “Thanks for sharing, [Name]! That’s such a great point.”
- A small thank you goes a long way in building trust and loyalty.
Create a Welcoming Environment
- Start a ‘Introductions Thread’: Let new members introduce themselves, share what they’re working on, and connect with others. This can create personal bonds from the start.
- Encourage people to get to know each other, not just you. The stronger the relationship between members, the more active your community will become.
Feature Active Members
- Make your active members feel special. Recognize and showcase their contributions. You could do something like:
  - “Shoutout to [Name] for their amazing post on [Topic]!”
- This makes people want to participate more and contribute value to your community.
Make it Personal
- Take a moment to connect one-on-one with your members, even if it’s just a short message saying, “Hey, thanks for being here!”
- Building these personal connections will help your members feel like they belong and are part of something real.

Why This Works:

Loyalty is built on relationships: Members who feel valued are more likely to stick around and engage consistently.
Stronger connections = more activity: People engage more when they feel emotionally connected, not just when they’re getting content.
Creates a thriving ecosystem: The more you nurture your members, the more likely they are to nurture your community by inviting others or sharing valuable content.

Visualizing the Process:

Imagine this: Over time, your community goes from strangers to a tight-knit group. Your members start building connections with each other. They look forward to seeing what others are sharing, and they’re more likely to return because they feel like they’re part of something special.

You’re not just a creator; you’re the facilitator of connections that help your community grow. Each personal connection makes your space stronger and more vibrant.

Quick Win:

Action Step: This week, reach out to three members in your community personally. Thank them for being part of it, and ask how they’re enjoying the community so far. Let them know you appreciate them.

Building real relationships doesn’t happen overnight, but each personal connection will help your community growinto something deeper and more meaningful.

Step 5: Keep the Momentum Going – Simple, Gradual Growth

🔑 Key Point: Growth doesn’t need to be complicated—just keep it consistent and authentic.

Why This Matters:

Sustainable growth is built on consistency: When you focus on steady, gradual growth, you create a more loyal and engaged community.
Simplify, don’t overcomplicate: You don’t need crazy tactics or huge budgets to grow your community. In fact, simple actions done consistently will bring the best results.
Momentum is your secret weapon: Once your community starts growing, the snowball effect happens. Keep that momentum going!

Action Step: Leverage word of mouth to grow your community.

Here’s how to do it:

Ask for Shares in Every Post
- At the end of each post, encourage members to share it. Make it easy and natural with a simple call to action like:
  - “If you think someone else would benefit from this, feel free to share!”
- Keep it non-pushy—it’s just a friendly nudge that makes it easy for people to share.
Make Sharing a Part of Your Culture
- Encourage members to share content or invite others to the community in a way that feels natural.
- Remind them that they’re part of something valuable and it’s worth sharing with others. Word of mouth is powerful and it doesn’t cost you anything!
Keep It Simple
- Don’t overcomplicate the process. One share here, another share there—and over time, you’ll have steady, organic growth.
- Stay focused on providing value consistently. This simple approach will build lasting momentum.
Track Your Growth
- Start noticing how your community grows through the shares and personal invitations from your members.
- As your community starts growing, you’ll get a clearer picture of which members are actively referring others.
Recognize Referrers
- When someone shares or refers a new member, thank them publicly. A little recognition goes a long way in building excitement and further encouraging people to spread the word.
- Create a top referrer leaderboard if that fits your community culture. Give shoutouts to the ones who bring in the most people.

Why This Works:

Natural growth = more engagement: People trust recommendations from friends more than ads. Word of mouth leads to genuine interest in your community.
No ads or complicated funnels: You don’t need a marketing team. Just ask your members to share, and they’ll bring in more like-minded people.
Sustainable and steady: By keeping growth simple, you ensure it’s easy to manage. This avoids the overwhelming feeling that comes from overcomplicating the process.

Visualizing the Process:

Imagine your community growing bit by bit. Every time someone shares, a new person joins, bringing fresh energy, conversations, and ideas. This isn’t some fast, short-lived spike in growth. It’s slow, steady, and real, building something that lasts.

The more effortlessly you grow, the more authentic the connections will be. Your members won’t just be joining—they’ll be inviting others and spreading the word about the value you’re providing.

Quick Win:

Action Step: Start by adding a simple call to action to your next post:

“If you know someone who’d benefit from this, please feel free to share!”

Then, track the result. Watch how your community grows simply by asking for the occasional share.

ow, the Easiest Step: Start Your Free Trial with Skool

🔑 Key Point: The easiest way to get started is with Skool, and it’s free for 14 days.

Why This Matters:

No commitment: You can try it out without any risk. Explore all the features, and see how Skool works for you and your community.
Focus on what matters: Skool gives you everything you need to create a thriving, engaged community in one place. You don’t have to worry about the tech—just focus on creating value and connecting with your members.

Action Step: Start your free trial now and explore Skool!

Here’s why Skool is perfect for you:

A Simple, Clean Platform
- With Skool, there’s no clutter. Just your content, your conversations, and your community. You’ll have everything in one place, making it easy to manage and grow.
Automated Engagement
- Skool automatically reminds your members to stay engaged with content updates and emails. Less effort, more results.
A Growth-Friendly System
- Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve already built a community, Skool helps you scale at your own pace. You don’t need to worry about complexity—just let Skool handle the details.
Free 14-Day Trial
- You can experience all of this without any commitment. Use the trial to explore how Skool can make your community thrive and how simple it is to get started.

Why This Works:

No Risk: You get to experience Skool without spending a dime.
Focus on Your Members: While Skool handles the tech, you can focus on creating meaningful content and connections with your community.
Built for Growth: Skool has the features you need to easily scale your community and keep it active.

Visualizing the Process:

Now, imagine you’ve signed up for Skool. You log in, set up your community, and instantly feel the power of a platform that makes community building easier. No distractions, just a clean space for your ideas to come to life.

You start posting, engaging with members, and watching your community grow—without the hassle of complicated systems.

Quick Win:

Action Step: Sign up for your free trial with Skool today. No credit card required. Get started and see for yourself how easy it is to grow your community with Skool.

Building a community is not just about the numbers—it’s about creating a place where people connect, share, and grow together. Skool makes that possible, effortlessly.

And to be transparent, if you decide to continue after your trial, I may receive a small commission as part of the affiliate program. But honestly? What matters most is you and the community you’re going to build.

So, if you’re ready to create something special, start your free trial today. I’m rooting for your success!