We believe in full transparency. Here's the exact methodology we use to evaluate every community — the 10 dimensions we score, the metrics we track, and anonymized examples of what our deliverables look like.
Overview
Every Benson audit follows the same rigorous framework. We score your community across 10 dimensions, each rated 0–10, to produce a composite Community Health Score out of 100.
This isn't a vague “your community seems fine” review. Each dimension has specific, measurable metrics. We pull data from your platform (Discord, Slack, Circle, or forums), analyze member behavior patterns, and benchmark against communities at your stage.
The result: a clear picture of what's working, what's broken, and exactly where to invest your time first.
Methodology
How deeply are members interacting — not just showing up, but contributing?
Metrics: DAM/MAM ratio, messages per active member, thread participation rate
When someone asks a question, how quickly does the community deliver value?
Metrics: Avg response time, unanswered question rate, staff vs. peer response split
What percentage of new members become active participants — and how fast?
Metrics: Day-7 retention, Day-30 retention, welcome flow completion, first-message rate
Is the community structured so members find value quickly, or get lost?
Metrics: Active channel count, signal-to-noise ratio, navigation clarity
Is this a broadcast channel or a real community? Member-generated content is the signal.
Metrics: Member vs. team content ratio, content variety index, UGC rate
What do members actually feel about the community — and are problems festering?
Metrics: Qualitative tone, complaint patterns, enthusiasm signals, NPS proxies
Is the community growing sustainably, or leaking members faster than it gains them?
Metrics: Net member growth, invite vs. organic rate, churn velocity
Is someone actually running this community, or is it on autopilot?
Metrics: Dedicated owner, documented strategy, weekly reporting cadence
Events create belonging. No events means no rituals — and no reason to return.
Metrics: Event frequency, attendance rates, format variety, post-event engagement
How does this community stack up against others at the same stage and space?
Metrics: Benchmarking vs. peers, unique differentiators, platform fitness
Sample Deliverable
Below are two anonymized examples showing the format and depth of our audit deliverables.
A 500-member Discord for a developer tool — Series A startup, 18 months old
out of 10
Health Score: 6.2 / 10
Good foundation with real engagement, but retention issues and unstructured onboarding are limiting growth. Quick fixes available.
Dimension Breakdown
3 Quick Wins Identified
Add a welcome bot with a guided 3-step onboarding flow
Projected to increase Day-7 retention from 22% to 40%+
Consolidate 14 channels down to 7 with clear naming
Reduces confusion for new members — currently 60% never leave #general
Launch a weekly "Show & Tell" event for member projects
Creates a recurring ritual and increases member-generated content by 3x
90-Day Roadmap Excerpt
Quick Wins
Onboarding bot, channel cleanup, pinned resources overhaul
Foundation
Weekly events launch, role system, content calendar, response SLAs
Growth
Member spotlight program, cross-promotion strategy, invite incentives
Scale
Community champions program, advanced analytics, feedback loop to product
A 1,200-member Slack for a B2B SaaS product — Seed stage, 8 months old
out of 10
Health Score: 4.1 / 10
Large member count masking low engagement. The community is growing but nobody is talking. Classic “ghost town with a big number” pattern.
Dimension Breakdown
3 Quick Wins Identified
Assign a dedicated community owner with 10hrs/week minimum
Nobody is currently responsible — questions go unanswered for 48+ hours
Implement a "Day 1" DM sequence for new members
Current Day-7 retention is 8%. Guided onboarding alone can 3x this
Seed 3 discussion threads per week with open-ended questions
Breaks the silence spiral — members don't post because nobody else is posting
Key Insight
Company B's growth metrics look strong on paper (7.8/10), but this is misleading. They're acquiring members through product sign-up flows, not organic community interest. Without fixing engagement and onboarding first, every new member just adds to the silent majority. Recommendation: pause growth efforts entirely and focus 100% on activation.
Deliverables
Every audit includes these deliverables, sent to your inbox within 48 hours.
Community Health Scorecard (PDF)
Your composite score across all 10 dimensions with visual breakdowns, benchmarks, and trend analysis.
Detailed Analysis Report
Written findings for each dimension — what's working, what's broken, and why. Includes screenshots and specific examples from your community.
3 Quick Wins
Concrete, immediately actionable recommendations you can implement this week to see improvement.
90-Day Growth Roadmap
A phased, prioritized strategy broken into weekly milestones. Designed to be executable whether you do it yourself or hire someone.
Competitive Benchmarking Data
How your community compares to others at your stage, in your space, and on your platform. Anonymous aggregated data from our audit database.
Platform-Specific Recommendations
Tailored advice for your specific platform (Discord, Slack, Circle, forum) — not generic community advice.
Get the same rigorous analysis for your community. One report. $50. Delivered in 48 hours.
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