If you manage a community—whether it’s a Discord server, a Slack workspace, or a private forum—it’s easy to feel swamped. You’ve got hundreds (maybe thousands) of members, and you know a handful are quietly moving mountains for your brand. But who are they, really? That’s where a tool like Commsor comes in. It promises to help you pinpoint your top influencers, but let’s cut through the buzzwords and actually figure out how to get value from it.
This guide is for community managers, ops folks, or anyone who wants real traction—not vanity metrics. We’ll walk through the process, flag what’s worth your time, and call out what you can safely skip.
Step 1: Connect All Your Community Platforms
Commsor works best when it has all your data. That means connecting every platform where your community hangs out—Slack, Discord, Twitter, GitHub, newsletters, you name it.
Here’s how to do it: - Head to the Integrations section inside Commsor. - Link up every platform you use (don’t just stop at Slack or Discord). - Give it permission to pull in activity and membership data.
What’s worth your time:
- Prioritize platforms where real conversations happen. If your Facebook group is a ghost town, don’t bother.
- Don’t stress about connecting absolutely everything day one. Start with your main channels.
What’s not:
- Importing old CSVs from dead platforms “just in case.” You’ll only muddy the waters.
- Setting up integrations for platforms you don’t actually use.
Pro tip:
The more real activity data Commsor has, the better its insights. But don’t get lost in technical weeds—the basics are usually good enough.
Step 2: Let Commsor Ingest and Map Your Data
Once you connect your platforms, Commsor will start pulling in data. This can take a few minutes to several hours, depending on how much you’ve got.
What’s happening behind the scenes:
- Commsor tries to match users across platforms (e.g., if JaneSmith is active on both GitHub and Discord, it tries to connect those dots).
- It looks for activity: posts, comments, replies, reactions, event attendance, etc.
What’s worth your attention:
- Check that your integrations are actually pulling data. Sometimes an API hiccup or wrong permission setting can break things.
- Spot-check a few profiles. Do they look right? Is John Doe showing up as the same person across Slack and Discord? If not, tweak your settings or manually merge profiles.
What to ignore:
- Obsessing over perfect data mapping. There will always be some mismatches. Don’t let that slow you down.
Step 3: Dig Into the “Influencers” or “Top Members” Dashboards
Commsor has ready-made dashboards for surfacing active, influential members. These usually show up as “Top Members,” “Influencers,” or similar.
What to look for:
- Activity volume: Who’s posting, commenting, replying, or reacting most often?
- Engagement quality: Not just quantity—are people responding to their stuff?
- Cross-platform presence: Are they active in more than one community space?
How to use it:
- Sort by different metrics (posts, reactions, events hosted, etc.).
- Filter by time period—last month, quarter, or all time.
- Click into profiles to see individual activity breakdowns.
What actually matters:
- Focus on members who spark conversations, help others, and get responses—not just those who post a lot.
- Don’t get distracted by “top” lists that are filled with automated accounts or staff.
Where dashboards fall short:
- Algorithms can’t always tell the difference between real influence and spammy overposting.
- You’ll need to use your judgment—look at the context behind the numbers.
Step 4: Customize Your “Influencer” Criteria
Out of the box, Commsor uses its own formulas for influence—usually a mix of posts, replies, reactions, and maybe event attendance. But every community is different.
How to customize:
- Find the settings or filters for your dashboard.
- Tweak the weight of each metric. (For example: Maybe you care more about members who help answer questions, not just those who post memes.)
- Use tags or segments to focus on types of members (e.g., “newcomers,” “moderators,” “contributors”).
What to prioritize:
- Adjust settings to match your actual goals. Want to boost Q&A? Weight replies and helpful reactions higher.
- Save your favorite filters for quick checks next time.
What to skip:
- Over-complicating the formula. If you’re building a spreadsheet to “normalize” 12 different metrics, you’re probably overthinking it.
- Worrying about every edge case. No tool is perfect.
Step 5: Cross-Reference With Your Own Knowledge
No software can truly know your community’s vibe. Numbers miss nuance. Someone might post less, but when they do, it’s gold.
Here’s what you should do:
- Use Commsor’s list as a starting point. Take the top 10–20 names and ask yourself: Who are these people? Are they genuinely influential, or just noisy?
- Think about the kinds of influence that matter to you—welcoming newcomers, sharing great resources, organizing events, or just making the place more fun.
Practical tips:
- Share the list with your moderators. See who stands out to them.
- Look for unsung heroes—people who quietly help behind the scenes.
What to ignore:
- Chasing after “influencers” who don’t actually fit your community’s culture, just because they show up at the top of a dashboard.
- Assuming the loudest voices are always the most influential.
Step 6: Take Action—Don’t Just Admire the Data
This is the part most people skip. It’s easy to get stuck admiring dashboards. The real value comes from acting on what you find.
Ideas for using your influencer list: - Reach out to thank your top contributors—publicly or privately. - Invite them to special events, beta tests, or feedback sessions. - Ask if they want to help shape community guidelines, moderate, or mentor newcomers. - Feature their content or stories in your newsletter.
What works:
- Recognition (even a simple thank you) goes a long way.
- Involving influential members in decision-making builds trust.
What doesn’t:
- Trying to “activate” everyone on the list with cookie-cutter rewards or generic asks. Personal touches work better.
- Ignoring the quieter, behind-the-scenes connectors who might not make the top 10.
Step 7: Revisit and Refine Regularly
Influence in a community changes. Someone who’s super active today might disappear next month. Or a new member could step up.
Keep it simple:
- Schedule a monthly or quarterly check-in. Re-run your reports.
- Update your criteria if your goals change (e.g., you want to promote more events, or encourage more peer support).
- Keep notes on what’s working and what feels off.
Don’t fall into these traps:
- Treating your influencer list like it’s set in stone.
- Letting dashboards replace your own gut instincts.
What Actually Works, and What’s Just Hype?
The good:
- Commsor saves you a ton of guessing and manual tracking.
- It’s great for surfacing people you might otherwise overlook.
The less useful:
- No tool can fully “measure” influence. Community is messy, and numbers only tell part of the story.
- You’ll still need to pay attention, listen, and engage directly.
Ignore:
- Any pitch that says you can “automate community engagement.” You can automate tracking—not relationships.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Focus on People
Finding your community’s top influencers with Commsor isn’t rocket science—and it doesn’t need to be. Connect your platforms, let the tool do its thing, then use your own judgment to turn insights into action. Don’t get lost in dashboards or drown in metrics. The best communities are built on real relationships, not just leaderboards. Start small, try stuff, and tweak as you go. That’s how you’ll actually make a difference.