As a community professional, it’s your job to keep your community engaged, entertained, and connected. While there are plenty of conventional strategies and tactics that work well, sometimes it’s the weirder ideas that really make an impact. So, without further ado, here are some weird tips for online Community Professionals and professionals to try out:

Encourage users to communicate solely through emojis for a day.

Emojis have become a universal language, and using them exclusively for a day can be a fun way to mix things up in your online community. This idea can work especially well on a platform like Twitter, where character limits often encourage creative communication.

Send out a survey asking your community to vote on the most unpopular member.

This might seem like a recipe for disaster, but it can actually be a lighthearted way to poke fun at your community’s quirks and dynamics. Just be sure to set some ground rules to ensure no one gets hurt feelings!

Host a “virtual potluck” where everyone shares pictures of their favorite foods.

Food is a universal topic that can bring people together, even online. By encouraging your community to share pictures of their favorite dishes, you’ll be giving them an opportunity to bond over a common interest and maybe even discover some new recipes to try.

Plan a “Secret Santa” gift exchange for your online community.

Who says gift-giving is only for the holiday season? By organizing a “secret santa” gift exchange for your community, you can help foster a sense of connection and generosity that lasts throughout the year.

Use random words as hashtags for your posts.

Hashtags are a powerful tool for increasing the visibility of your posts, but they can also be a source of fun and creativity. By using random or silly words as hashtags, you can inject some humor into your content and encourage your community to participate in the joke.

Create a fake persona and post ridiculous comments to see if your community catches on.

This one might be a bit risky, but if you’re up for it, it can be a fun way to test your community’s savviness and sense of humor. Just be sure to reveal the joke before things get out of hand!

Host a weekly “dance-off” where members submit videos of themselves dancing.

Dancing is a fun and expressive activity that can bring people together. By encouraging your community to share videos of themselves busting a move, you’ll be creating a space for self-expression and fostering a sense of camaraderie.

Have a “meme-off” where members submit their best memes and vote on a winner.

Memes are a staple of online culture, and hosting a “meme-off” can be a fun way to engage your community and encourage them to flex their creative muscles.

Change your profile picture to a different celebrity every day for a week.

Celebrities are a popular topic of conversation online, and by changing your profile picture to a different celebrity each day, you can spark conversations and engage your community in a playful way.

Ask members to share their weirdest dreams and analyze them as a group.

Dreams are a fascinating and often bizarre part of the human experience. By asking your community to share their weirdest dreams and analyzing them together, you can create a space for exploration and self-reflection.

Play a game of “two truths and a lie” in a forum thread.

“Two truths and a lie” is a classic icebreaker game that can be adapted for online communities. By encouraging your community to share two true statements and one false one, you can create a fun and interactive way for members to get to know each other better.

Have a “caption this” contest where members come up with captions for a silly photo.

Sometimes a silly or absurd photo is all it takes to spark creativity and humor. By hosting a “caption this” contest, you can encourage your community to flex their funny bones and engage with each other in a lighthearted way.

Create a “best pet” contest where members share pictures of their pets and vote on a winner.

Pet photos are a popular and heartwarming topic online, and by hosting a “best pet” contest, you can create a space for your community to bond over their furry (or scaly) friends.

Host a “worst pun” contest where members submit their best terrible puns.

Puns are a polarizing topic, but those who love them really love them. By hosting a “worst pun” contest, you can engage your pun-loving community members and maybe even convert some pun-haters to the light side.

Send out a newsletter filled with only dad jokes.

Dad jokes might be cheesy, but they’re also a reliable source of humor and nostalgia. By sending out a newsletter filled with only dad jokes, you can create a space for your community to bond over shared experiences and memories.

Create a virtual book club where members read and discuss strange or obscure books.

Reading is a solitary activity, but by creating a virtual book club, you can foster a sense of connection and engagement around a shared interest. By choosing strange or obscure books, you can also encourage your community to step outside of their comfort zones and discover new perspectives.

Plan a virtual scavenger hunt where members find and share pictures of weird objects.

Scavenger hunts are a fun and interactive way to engage your community and encourage them to explore new places and perspectives. By focusing on weird or unusual objects, you can also spark curiosity and creativity.

Host a “bad art” contest where members create and share their worst art pieces.

Art is a subjective medium, and by hosting a “bad art” contest, you can create a space for your community to embrace imperfection and humor. Who knows, you might even discover some hidden artistic talent in your midst!

Incorporating these unconventional ideas into your community management strategy may seem peculiar, but they can be a fun and effective way to cultivate engagement and connection among your members. Consider experimenting with these ideas and who knows, you may uncover a new go-to strategy for keeping your community members involved and invested. So why not give them a try?