As communities scale, the risk of dilution grows. What once felt intimate and responsive can start to feel noisy, impersonal or disconnected. One powerful antidote to this? User-created subgroups—smaller, member-led spaces nested within the larger community, built around shared interests, identities or goals.
These subgroups allow for depth without fragmentation, enabling members to forge stronger bonds and explore niche topics while still remaining connected to the broader mission. When designed thoughtfully, they not only enhance participation and ownership but also unlock the full social potential of your community.
What are user-created subgroups?
User-created subgroups are smaller, self-organised units within a larger community, initiated and led by members themselves. They may be interest-based (e.g. sustainability, parenting, product design), role-based (e.g. moderators, mentors, developers), or geographically based (e.g. Berlin chapter, Southeast Asia cohort).
Unlike official or admin-created spaces, these subgroups are bottom-up—they emerge from the evolving needs and identities of the community itself. This makes them particularly powerful for:
Enhancing relevance through focused discussion
Strengthening connection through smaller social dynamics
Encouraging leadership and ownership among members
Promoting diversity of experience and dialogue
Subgroups are not distractions—they’re multipliers of engagement and trust.
Why user-created subgroups matter
At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive to allow subgroups within a single community. Won’t that fragment focus or dilute your brand? In reality, the opposite is true—if handled with structure and intention.
Here’s why subgroups are critical:
1. They support scale without losing intimacy
As your community grows, it’s impossible for every member to engage meaningfully in the main feed or forum. Subgroups offer human-sized spaces where deeper, more personal engagement can thrive.
2. They reflect real diversity within your member base
No community is truly monolithic. Subgroups allow people to connect across shared identities, needs or stages, increasing relevance and reducing the sense of invisibility that can come in large, generic spaces.
3. They empower members as leaders
Creating and running a subgroup gives members a clear pathway to ownership and influence. It also distributes labour and builds a culture of co-creation rather than top-down management.
4. They unlock niche value and innovation
Subgroups often become labs for experimentation—new formats, rituals or content types that can later be scaled across the wider community.
5. They boost retention and satisfaction
Smaller, purpose-driven spaces tend to foster stronger bonds and more consistent engagement, helping members stay connected even when their interest in the main feed fluctuates.
Types of user-created subgroups
There’s no one right way to structure subgroups, but common models include:
1. Topic-based subgroups
Members create subgroups around shared interests or expertise, such as:
UX Design
Ethical marketing
Book recommendations
Mental health support
2. Role-based subgroups
Designed for peer support, knowledge sharing and mentorship within shared functions:
Community managers
Technical contributors
Volunteers
Moderators or ambassadors
3. Location-based subgroups
These focus on regional or local identity, enabling offline meetups or contextual discussions:
“Berlin Creators Circle”
“Canada West Coast Hub”
“South Asia Members”
4. Goal-oriented or cohort-based subgroups
Formed around time-bound efforts, such as:
30-day content challenges
Startup accountability groups
Study cohorts or learning sprints
5. Identity-based subgroups
These are crucial for safety and representation, offering support and community for:
Women in tech
LGBTQ+ members
Disabled creatives
First-gen professionals
In these cases, privacy and autonomy are essential.
Design considerations for healthy subgroup ecosystems
Giving members the ability to create subgroups is powerful—but without guidelines or infrastructure, it can lead to confusion or uneven quality. Here’s how to approach subgroup enablement:
1. Establish a lightweight approval process
Allow subgroups to form organically, but ensure there’s a simple proposal process to maintain alignment with broader community values. Ask for:
Purpose and focus
Target members
Proposed format and tools
Initial moderators or stewards
This filters spam while still encouraging initiative.
2. Provide templates and support
Help subgroup creators succeed with starter kits that include:
Sample welcome messages
Onboarding flows for subgroup members
Event formats and communication rhythms
Moderation guidance
The goal is to reduce friction and set up self-sustaining spaces.
3. Balance visibility and privacy
Offer a range of subgroup settings:
Open (visible and joinable by all)
Private (visible but requires approval to join)
Hidden (invitation-only, not discoverable)
Give subgroup leaders autonomy while supporting community-wide discovery where appropriate.
4. Create space for subgroup feedback and iteration
Regularly check in with subgroup leaders to:
Identify emerging needs or blockers
Surface ideas for main community programming
Track activity, growth and health
This ensures alignment and allows you to amplify subgroup success stories.
5. Avoid over-segmentation
More isn’t always better. Encourage subgroups that are active, focused and distinct. Too many overlapping or inactive groups can fragment attention and dilute participation.
Platform considerations for user-created subgroups
When choosing or configuring your platform, evaluate whether it supports:
Nested group structures or channels
Role-based permissions (for subgroup admins or moderators)
Customisable onboarding for subgroups
Cross-group discovery tools (e.g. directories, search)
Integrated communication (e.g. notifications, digests)
Platforms like Discord, Slack, Circle, Discourse and Mighty Networks each offer different subgroup capabilities—choose based on your goals and technical capacity.
Final thoughts
User-created subgroups are a sign of maturity, not chaos. They represent a community that is not only growing in size but in complexity, voice and ownership. When members feel trusted to shape their own spaces, they deepen their investment—not just in their subgroup, but in the community as a whole.
Subgroups are not side projects. They are extensions of the main community’s value. When nurtured thoughtfully, they become some of the most vibrant, resilient and innovative pockets of your entire ecosystem.
Because the best communities don’t just speak to members. They make room for members to speak to each other—on their own terms, in their own spaces. That’s where the real connection begins.
FAQs: User-created subgroups
How do user-created subgroups differ from admin-created groups?
User-created subgroups are initiated and led by members based on their own interests, identities or needs. They typically emerge from the bottom up. In contrast, admin-created groups are formed by community leaders to serve predefined functions or topics. Member-led subgroups tend to offer more organic engagement and peer-led innovation, while admin-led groups are often more structured and centrally moderated.
What platform features are essential for supporting user-created subgroups?
To enable subgroups effectively, a community platform should include:
Self-service group creation tools with permissions management
Custom roles for subgroup leaders or moderators
Join request workflows for private or gated spaces
Searchable directories to browse or discover active subgroups
Flexible notification settings for subgroup updates
These features ensure member autonomy without sacrificing platform usability or oversight.
Can subgroups harm overall community cohesion?
Only if they’re poorly managed or oversaturated. To maintain cohesion:
Encourage alignment between subgroup values and the main community’s mission
Use regular cross-group updates or spotlights
Offer shared rituals, events or content that bring different subgroups together
Establish lightweight governance to prevent isolation or in-group bias
When designed with intention, subgroups actually strengthen cohesion by supporting identity within belonging.
How do you evaluate the success of user-created subgroups?
Success can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively:
Active participation (posts, comments, event turnout)
Member retention within the group
Creation of original content or initiatives
Feedback from subgroup members
Contribution to overall community engagement or sentiment
It’s less about size, and more about meaningful connection and sustained relevance.
Should every community allow users to create their own subgroups?
Not necessarily. Subgroup creation should be based on:
Community maturity (more effective in mid-to-late-stage communities)
Member trust and self-direction
Platform capability
Clarity of purpose
If the community is still forming its core culture or lacks moderation capacity, it may be better to offer curated subgroup opportunities first, and open user creation later.
