I remember working with a company on their ERG growth strategy. We had spent an entire year measuring progress, and I was so proud—our membership had nearly doubled! I walked into a meeting ready to celebrate, but the executive sponsor hit me with a game-changing question: "That’s cool and all, but how engaged were those people?" And that was it. That was the moment I realized what actually mattered.

Most executives don’t need every single person in the company to be in an ERG—especially now. What they do need is to know whether the ERG program is actually impactful. Are the people in these niche communities engaged? Is the ERG making a difference for them? More people doesn’t mean a better ERG. More engaged people does.

Understanding ERG Engagement Through the Pyramid of Fandom

A good community puts its people first. And when we say people, we’re talking about ERG members—both affinity group members and allies. But let’s be real, not everyone who identifies with a particular community wants to join an ERG. That’s why focusing solely on getting more people in the door is a flawed strategy.

Enter Pat Flynn’s Pyramid of Fandom, a concept from his book Superfans (which, by the way, I highly recommend if you’re an ERG program manager). The book is all about building community and driving engagement, and the pyramid perfectly applies to ERGs.

The Pyramid of Fandom is a framework that categorizes audience members based on their level of engagement, showing the journey from awareness to deep connection. At its core, it helps leaders understand that engagement isn't about sheer numbers but about cultivating a dedicated and invested community. The further up the pyramid someone moves, the more loyal and engaged they become.

Let’s break it down:

1. Casual Audience – These are people who know about your ERG but aren’t members.
2. Active Audience – These are general members of your ERG.
3. Connected Community – These are engaged members who feel a deep sense of belonging.
4. Superfans – These are the people who attend every event, actively participate, and may even become ERG leaders themselves.

Right now, most ERG programs don’t need to focus on creating superfans just yet. The real priority? Moving people from Active Audience to Connected Community. That’s what real engagement looks like.

The Engagement Mistake ERG Leaders Make

Too often, ERG leaders and program managers think engagement means more people. So they send a company-wide invite, blast every Slack channel, and cross-promote events across every ERG. Why? Because they’re afraid of low turnout. If only four or five people show up, they think it’s a failure. They assume their ERG must be struggling.

But let me be clear: this is not the way to drive engagement. More people in the room doesn’t equal more impact. If engagement is low, it’s a sign that your ERG isn’t currently providing enough value to the people already in it. So why would you bring in even more people just to have them disengage, too? That’s like trying to fix a leaky bucket by adding more water instead of plugging the holes.

The Right Approach to ERG Engagement

Ironically, when you focus on making the people already in your ERG feel deeply connected, they naturally become promoters of your ERG. And guess what? That’s when real growth happens—organically.

So, here’s Rule #1: Focus on who you have.

The goal isn’t to drag casual audience members into the ERG. It’s to move the existing members up the pyramid—from Active Audience to Connected Community. That’s the only real way to increase engagement.

At the end of the day, an ERG isn’t successful because it has the most members. It’s successful because it makes an impact on the people who are truly part of it. So instead of worrying about numbers, shift your focus to deepening connections. That’s where the real magic happens.