One of the best ways to grow community engagement is to ask for feedback, take it seriously, and act upon it with excitement. The feedback loops and demonstration of it do wonders for investment from members.
TLDR: If you truly give a damn, they will too
In the 25 years I’ve been studying communities, the most depressing part is that people still start communities (social apps, sites, any company that lets people talk to each other) without thinking through who, exactly, is going to manage the community and how. But it would be ridiculous to start a bar without a bartender.