Community size

Community Size metrics show the current size of your community, as well as loss and growth trends over time. Use community size metrics to plan upcoming recruitments and identify any anomalies in the number of members lost that need be investigated.

Note: This report represents member data only and does not include nonmember data.

To access community size metrics, open the Community app and click Metrics > Community Size on the top of the page.

By default, Community Size metrics show the current size of your community, plus trends from the previous six months. Use the Time Range selector to change the period and see the total number of members gained, lost and the net change over the selected time period (3, 6, 12, or 18 months).

If you have multiple communities, the size metrics show the combined number of members and loss/gain statistics for all communities. To view the metrics for one community at a time, use the community variable to filter your data. For more information, see Filter community metrics.

Community size metrics

The Community Size chart shows the number of members joining and leaving the community over time. As you hover over a trend line, a dialog shows the number of members Lost and Gained, as well as the Total Size for the specific month.

The following table describes the trend lines in the Community Size metrics:

Trend line Description
Total Size The count of distinct members where the member status is Active by the end of the given month, or the current month.
Gained The count of distinct members where the member status is Active by the end of the given month, or the current month and the member status did not exist or was not Active at the end of the previous month.
Lost The count of distinct members where the member status is Undeliverable, Unsubscribed or Purged at the end of the given month or the current month and the member status was Active at the end of the previous month.

Loss Analysis chart

The Loss Analysis chart shows trends of member loss over time. As you hover over a data point on the trend line, a tooltip shows the count for each Purged, Undelivered, or Unsubscribed status for the specific month.

The following table describes the trend lines in the chart:

Trend line Description
Purged The number of times members were removed from the community.
Undelivered The number of times members did not receive invitations because email delivery failed or because a spam complaint was made.
Unsubscribed The number of times members who no longer want to receive emails from the community requested removal from the community.
Note: A member who is lost multiple times will be counted multiple times if the member's latest status is active and not nonmember. If a member becomes a nonmember, the following loss statuses such as purged, undelivered, and unsubscribed will not be counted. They will only count in the Loss Analysis chart if the member's latest status is active.
Example

The following are examples of how changing a member's status can affect whether the loss is counted in the Loss Analysis chart.

Member Status Description
Active

If "John" is active, unsubscribed, and purged in a given month, that will be counted as 1 Purged and 1 Unsubscribed loss.

Nonmember

If "John" is active, becomes a nonmember, and is purged and unsubscribed in a given month, none of the losses will be counted since John became a nonmember before getting purged and unsubscribed.

Active, nonmember, and then reactivated

If "John" is active, and then becomes a nonmember, is purged, reactivated and then undeliverable, only the 1 Undeliverable loss will be counted since John has to be active before it can count.

Why Members Are Unsubscribing

The Why Members Are Unsubscribing chart shows the reasons selected in the unsubscribe study by active members or participants who unsubscribe from the confirmation email. Selecting a reason is not mandatory when members unsubscribe.

To view the text answers with the "Other/Specify" option, click Responses for Other/Specify. You can also use the Find field to search for keywords and phrases in "Other/Specify" answers.

Note: The Why Members Are Unsubscribing chart applies to new customers only. Upgraded customers will export data from the Unsubscribe Study.
Note: You may see discrepancies in your Why Members Are Unsubscribing chart. For more information, see Discrepancies in Community Metrics.

Community size

At the right side of the page, the Community Size value shows the total number of members marked with status of Active currently in the community. An Active member is a community member who can be invited to participate in activities.

Time Range

By default, Community Size metrics show the current size of your community, plus trends from the previous six months. Use the time range selector to change the period and see the total number of members gained, lost and the net change over the selected time period.

The following table describes the counts in the Time Range area of the metrics:

Metric Description
Gained The total number of members gained for the specified time period, regardless of whether a new member subsequently unsubscribes, becomes undeliverable, or is purged from your community.
Lost The total number of members that unsubscribed, became undeliverable, or were purged from your community for the specified time period.
Total The net change in the community size for the specified time period (total Members Gained minus total Members Lost).
  • An up arrow indicates there has been an overall net gain of X number of members for the specified time period.
  • A down arrow indicates there has been an overall net loss of X number of members for the specified time period.

To set the time range, click the selector to expand the list, and select a time period.

To create a custom time range:

  1. Click the time range selector, and select Custom.
  2. In the Set Custom Time Range dialog that appears:
    1. Set the start Month and Year.
    2. Set the end Month and Year.
  3. Click Apply.
Note: You can only filter the Community Size report within 3 years of the present date.

Show or hide trend lines

You can hide or show a trend line by turning the toggles above the metrics on or off.

Switch between chart and table views

In the View section, select:
Button View type Description
Trends Displays the count of the total size of your community, members gained, and members lost as a trend line.
Table Displays the count of the total size of your community, members gained, and members lost as a table.
Total Displays the count of the reasons why members are unsubscribing as a bar chart.
Note: The Total view type is only available for the Why Members Are Unsubscribing chart.