The Ladder Of Participation. How You Turn Observers Into Co-Creators

Most people observe. A smaller group supports. An even smaller group sticks around and helps you build. If we’re trying to create something meaningful, the magic isn’t just in the idea, it’s in who joins us to shape it.

In this article, let’s dive into everyday participation. It’s how to encourage the right people to not just be aware of what you do, but to step into it with you. 

If you’re creating something centred on values, vision, and community at its heart, participation is vital.

You don’t need hundreds or thousands. You need the right ones from the hundreds or thousands.

The strongest personal brands aren’t about being known by everyone, they’re about being known by the right people who are willing to walk with you and carry the mission forward.

That starts by getting specific about who you’re for.

It’s easy to create for the masses. One thing I know over the years is that vague messages result in vague commitment. Specificity is what helps people recognise themselves in your message. When people say, “This is for me,” they’re more likely to say, “How can I help?”

YATM is designed for business people who choose not to fit in, but to be accepted for who they are, quirks fully in place. The work intention is to help people promote themselves better, by having other people on their side, cheering for them and not be over reliant on an algorithm or a middleman. That is what community represents, people with you for the journey.

This clarity wasn’t here a few years ago, it was labelled as a marketing learning community, which felt vague. 

Here are two of my biggest errors when it comes to shaping a space to encourage involvement.

1 – It is unproductive to involve people who were never aligned in the first place. Those who know you best are already on your side; you just have to create the conditions for their participation.

2 – spending too much time in my local area (Dorset), while the YATM community spans many places across the UK. As a result, I sought out people nearby who ultimately had no intention of engaging with the community. Despite my efforts to encourage commitment, I realised that our work isn’t meant for everyone.

Presence does not equal participation. Just because you create and post something, and someone likes it, doesn’t mean they will necessarily help you build.

Think of involvement as a ladder, with steps that allow people to gradually move closer.

Here is how my ladder looks:

From Passive to Active: The Participation Ladder

Bystander – Watches quietly, maybe they read your content. However, relying on random acts of content will not effectively boost visibility of your work.

Spectator – Likes, shares, nods along. These are people who are there, familiarity is built, yet participation is lacking. You may approach directly, but falls at the last hurdle.

Supporter – Comments, replies, engages, attends. This is where people have made that decision to commit. They recognise the return from involvement and becomes easier to join in.

Amplifier – Tells other people, promotes your work, brings other people in. These people value your work so that needs to be recognised on your behalf. Their involvement enhances your own efforts and contribute to the longevity of what you do. This stage marks the transition from belonging to actively advocating.

Co-Creator – Collaborates alongside you, takes ownership. This is where status is recognised and encouraged. Here, people contribute to shaping and advancing a collective approach, embracing the idea that we are better together than figuring things out on our own.

Guide – Shapes the direction, not just supports the mission. This reflects those people who not only build with you but influence the why and where next. These people embody those who take on mentoring or peer support roles within the community.

Not everyone needs to reach the top, but the more you create space at each step, the more momentum you build. This is how communities develop, not just in size, but in depth.

Participation doesn’t happen by chance. People need a way in. They need a role. They need a reason.

We often assume that if people believe in you, they’ll show up. But attention doesn’t lead to action. It’s important to provide value first and to be specific in your approach. For instance, I used to think that because someone subscribes to the YATM newsletter, and lives near to Poole, they will come to Creator Day. That assumption has proven to be incorrect.

The same principle applies when inviting people into what you’re building. Don’t leave participation open-ended. Make it obvious, warm, and worth their while.

Here’s how:

Clarity – What’s the one thing someone can do next? You need to show the work you have put in, so it feels easier for them, to apply, think or join in.

Warmth – Make the invitation feel like an inside track, not a mass broadcast. Look at what you can’t scale such as a direct ‘thank you.’

Visibility – Show people the impact of their action. Let them see themselves reflected back. This could be stepping up to be seen by others. 

For example, if someone replies to your newsletter with an email, find a way to feature them in a future edition. If someone shares an idea, bring it to life and credit them. These small moments of recognition turn occasional participants into regular contributors.

Participation thrives on feedback. When people see that their input shapes what comes next, they keep showing up.

Some of the strongest momentum at YATM has come from giving people a stake, not just asking for their endorsement. 

Here’s what that looks like in practice that relates to the co-creation stage of the ladder:

Sense Check inside YATM Club helps ideas take shape together. It’s not a focus group, it’s a trusted space where people value the input from others to help progress their own work and projects.

Lunch Club leaders emerge from within the community. These are people who feel comfortable and know they’ll be supported to do something that may not have done before. 

Creator Day contributors are community members first and foremost. From those people who are a beacon of others during the day to those who step on stage, their involvement isn’t performance; it’s participation.

Every Thursday, the YATM newsletter starts with someone from the community. That opening slot is a signal: this isn’t my platform, it’s ours.

Each of these moments creates a ripple effect. People don’t just feel included, they feel trusted. Over the years I know that trust unlocks contribution.

You build community not by broadcasting constantly, but by creating shared space, meaning and effort.

People stay not because they’re entertained, but because they feel part of something they helped shape.

This is why participation matters. It’s not about giving people “content.” It’s about giving them an invitation, to be seen, heard, and part of what’s next.

When someone shows up and says, “I’d like to help with this,” and you give them a space to contribute, you’re not just growing your work, you’re building theirs, too.

It’s a different model from the conventional audience-building advice. This isn’t “build your brand and with the intention for people to follow.” It’s: “build the space with people so they have something to come back to.”

That’s how momentum lasts.

Here’s the core idea again:

“People don’t just want to feel seen. They want to feel in it with you.”

The goal is alignment that inspires action, not just awareness or applause. You don’t need a huge audience, just the right people in the right environment.

So, here’s the question to take forward:

What’s one thing someone could do this week to feel more involved in what you’re building?

Make the ask. Make it easy. Make it meaningful and see what happens next.