Bad Community Advice

Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution
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Not all community-building advice is created equal—and some of it is downright awful. Hosted by Seth Resler, this show features conversations with seasoned community professionals who share the worst advice they’ve received—and what they’ve learned the hard way. It’s part reality check, part therapy session, and all about helping you build better communities by avoiding the mistakes others already made.

Episodes

  1. "Don't Worry About ROI, Just Build."

    FEB 2

    "Don't Worry About ROI, Just Build."

    “Don’t worry about ROI. Just keep building.” That advice sounds supportive—until the budget tightens, leadership changes, or someone asks you to justify your job. In this episode, community strategist Brian Oblinger explains why not thinking about ROI from day one is one of the most dangerous mistakes community builders make. Drawing from years of work with large organizations—and translating those lessons for creators and event producers just getting started—Brian breaks down how community value actually shows up inside an organization. We talk about the difference between vanity metrics and meaningful ones, why reporting matters as much as measurement, and how community teams get blindsided when they can’t connect their work to real business outcomes. Brian also digs into cost reduction vs. revenue impact, where community tends to live inside org charts (and why that keeps changing), and how to tailor your community story depending on whether you’re talking to marketing, sales, or leadership. If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable answering the question, “So… what’s the ROI of this community?”—this conversation is for you. Brian Oblinger: https://brianoblinger.com/

    41 min
  2. "The Onboarding Setup Can Wait"

    JAN 5

    "The Onboarding Setup Can Wait"

    “Don’t worry about onboarding until after launch.” That’s the kind of bad advice that can doom your community before it even gets off the ground. Community strategist Heather Angel joins host Seth Resler to explain why the welcome experience is one of the most important parts of community building—and why it can’t be an afterthought. Heather shares practical tips for helping new members feel comfortable, connected, and confident from day one, including how to use DMs, events, and even a Spotify playlist to turn newcomers into engaged participants. They also dig into how to measure whether your onboarding is working, the dangers of overwhelming members with too much content, and why no amount of AI automation can replace genuine human connection. If you’ve ever been tempted to “set it up later,” this episode might just save your community.Get Heather's onboarding guide: https://heatherlynnangel.com/seth

    36 min
  3. "Metrics Don't Matter"

    12/01/2025

    "Metrics Don't Matter"

    You can’t manage what you don’t measure—and that includes your community. Community strategist Catherine Hackney, Principal of Confident Communities Consulting, has seen too many organizations skip tracking engagement metrics because “we don’t know what to do with the data.” In this episode, she explains why that’s a fast track to a stagnant (or dying) community. Catherine shares which numbers actually tell you something meaningful—like average replies per post and unsubscribe rates—and which ones are just noise. She also talks about how to combine quantitative data (like dashboards and reports) with qualitative feedback (like member quotes and stories) to paint a full picture of your community’s health. Learn how to connect your data to your larger goals, create better feedback loops, and prove your community’s ROI before the budget axe swings. Confident Communities Consulting: https://confidentcommunities.com/

    33 min
  4. "Community Marketing Doesn't Work"

    11/03/2025

    "Community Marketing Doesn't Work"

    “Community marketing doesn’t work.” That’s the bad advice that shaped the career of Andy Claremont, Head of Ecosystem and Community at Glide—and it couldn’t have been more wrong. In this episode, Andy and host Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution unpack why early skeptics misunderstood the power of community-led growth, and how marketing through genuine connection has become one of the strongest competitive moats for modern brands. They explore: * How audience and community differ (and why the direction your chairs face matters) * Why community belongs everywhere in the org chart—not just in marketing * What “intentional matchmaking” looks like inside a thriving SaaS community * How to turn your members into the heroes of your brand story Andy also shares his prediction for the next five years of community building—and why, in an AI-saturated world, authentic human connection will matter more than ever.

    26 min
  5. "Hit Your Numbers With Gamification"

    10/06/2025

    "Hit Your Numbers With Gamification"

    What happens when brands mistake transactions for relationships? Christina Garnett says that’s where community efforts often go wrong. A fractional Chief Customer Officer and CX strategist, Christina argues that gamification is not the magic fix many leaders think it is—it can create surface-level engagement but rarely delivers belonging. In this conversation, Christina unpacks lessons from her new book, Transforming Customer Brand Relationships, a hands-on guide to building stronger connections and deeper loyalty through empathy and emotional intelligence. She explains why community is the “silo killer” in customer experience, why listening to your customers matters more than listening to your competitors, and how psychological safety shapes whether members truly engage. Together with host Seth Resler, she digs into the pitfalls of chasing vanity metrics, the diminishing returns of swag, and why the most meaningful communities help people transform, not just transact. BUY CHRISTINA'S BOOK: https://amzn.to/4meDS20 (This is an affiliate link.)

    46 min
  6. "Build a Community to Grow Your Audience"

    09/01/2025

    "Build a Community to Grow Your Audience"

    Chasing community might not be the best move for every content creator. Arielle Nissenblatt, Head of Community and Content at Pinwheel by Audily, has seen countless podcasters dive in only to discover that community isn’t always the magic growth engine they hoped for. She joins Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution to unpack the difference between audience-building and community-building—and to reveal the situations where launching a community makes sense, and where it doesn’t.

    36 min
  7. "Ignore the Lurkers"

    08/04/2025

    "Ignore the Lurkers"

    In most support communities, a small group of vocal members dominates the conversation—while the vast majority quietly lurk in the background. It’s easy for community managers to focus on the loudest voices. But Jillian Bejtlich, Senior Community Manager at Calendly, says that’s a mistake. She explains how the silent majority can reveal what truly matters—if you know how to listen to the data.

    32 min
  8. "You Need a Thick Skin"

    08/04/2025

    "You Need a Thick Skin"

    Conflict is part of community management—and so are difficult members. So you just need a thick skin, right? Not quite. David DeWald, Community Manager at Ciena, joins Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution to explain why toughness alone won’t cut it. He shares practical strategies for handling high-stress situations, knowing when to ask for help, and protecting your mental health along the way.

    32 min
  9. "If You Build It, They Will Come"

    08/04/2025

    "If You Build It, They Will Come"

    Too many community builders spend months—or even years—designing the “perfect” online space, only to open the doors and find no one there. Todd Nilson, Community Strategist at Clocktower Advisors, joins Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution to explain why “If you build it, they will come” is a great movie line but terrible advice for launching a community. Before you invest time and energy creating your community space, learn what actually works.

    29 min
  10. Promo: Bad Community Advice

    07/21/2025

    Promo: Bad Community Advice

    Seth Resler asks community building professionals about the worst advice they ever received and why it doesn't work.

    1 min

Trailer

About

Not all community-building advice is created equal—and some of it is downright awful. Hosted by Seth Resler, this show features conversations with seasoned community professionals who share the worst advice they’ve received—and what they’ve learned the hard way. It’s part reality check, part therapy session, and all about helping you build better communities by avoiding the mistakes others already made.

Information

  • Creator
    Seth Resler of Community Marketing Revolution
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 2025
  • Show Website
    Bad Community Advice