Configure your community in the right format for your audience.
Honeycommb uses a Follow Model for the standard way that users' home feed is populated with content. The follow model (as the name suggests) means that when another user is added to the home feed, content from that user will be displayed. When managing your community, there are two different ways you can set up how users' content is displayed in the Home Feed dynamic.
Opt-In Model:
The Opt-In Model is one where each user is NOT following any other members of the community and can opt-in to follow other specific members as they so choose. Upon account creation, this leaves their home feed to content that they have posted and content that the community leader (admin account) account has posted only.
When It Works Best:
The Opt-In model is best applied when the size of the community is above 300 people. Because you're automatically adding each user to the home feed, which can create a lot of unwanted content and the feeling of "lack of control" by users in your community.
Opt-Out Model:
The Opt-Out Model is one where each user can opt-out of following another specific user. By default, each user is auto-following every other member of the community, and their content is added to the home feed by default - this also turns each user into a subscriber of each other so they'll receive post notification as well.
When It Works Best:
The Opt-Out model is best applied when the size of the community is below 300 people. As the community feels intimate and tight-knit, it can make the experience feel much more engaging and your home feed is going to display content from all the other members of the community.
Opt-Out Model No Subscriptions:
The Opt-Out Model is one where each user can opt-out of following another specific user. By default, each user is auto-following every other member of the community, and their content is added to the home feed by default - users will not be automatically subscribed to other users so they will not get a flood of post notification from every single user they're following.
When It Works Best:
The Opt-Out Model is best when you want to make sure each member's home feed is full of content posted from every other member in the community. They're exposed to the content being posted in the community from the get-go but will not be notified for each piece of content published from each community member.
Overall, it never hurts to ask your community what they'd prefer. Capturing feedback from those in your network is a great tactic to create an optimal experience. Models are not retroactive so if your community is launched with the Opt-In model then switched to the Opt-Out model 3 months after launch, new users from that 3 month point that Opt-Out was turned on will be applied but not prior to those who signed up into the Opt-In model.
To adjust your model, please contact your Honeycommb Success Manager. Each network is created under Opt-In by default unless otherwise noted by the partner.