7 Reasons for Comms Channel Fatigue

I'm gonna be honest, in the ERG space, I don't believe "Slack fatigue" is the issue. You may think "but we're different"…but you're probably not. Poorly executed Slack (ok, Teams, Viva Engage, etc. count too, but I'm a Slack girly so we're referring to them all as Slack today) strategies are the real problem.

When people join your Slack channel, they're there because they wanted something. Maybe connection, insights, or something else. And they want it consistently — not whenever you get around to posting.

So when you write off low engagement as "Slack fatigue," you're quitting before you even start really doing the work to be a community facilitator (aka ERG Leader). You're not solving the problem — you're dodging it. And let me just say, in 2025, I'm doubling down on this: people aren't "Slack fatigued" from your ERGs. They're fatigued from how you're running your ERGs on Slack.

Here's how we fix that.

Slack mistakes that actually kill engagement

1. Overusing notifications. If you're using @here and @channel more than once a month (honestly, I'd say you don't need to use it at all), yeah, people are tuning out. Slack isn't inherently disruptive — unless you make it that way.
2. No consistency. People joined your channel because they expected something valuable. If you post sporadically or only when you "feel like it," you're not delivering on that unspoken promise. Consistency builds trust — get on it.
3. Promo overload. If your channel is just endless updates, promos, or generic announcements, congrats — you've created another muted "help desk" channel. People want value, not clutter.
4. Pointless posts. Every message you drop should add value. If it doesn't entertain, educate, or inform, it's just noise. And noise gets ignored.
5. Poor formatting. Walls of text? Nope. Make your messages skimmable. Use bullets, emojis, and headers. Yes, emojis — they aren't childish; they make stuff easier to process.
6. Treating Slack like it's synchronous. Nobody needs to be "on" 24/7. Normalize asynchronous communication. Stop expecting instant replies, and encourage people to engage when it works for them.
7. Forgetting to foster connection. Slack is a community space. Post conversation starters, highlight members, and create moments of engagement. If your channel feels transactional, people won't stick around.

The real fix? Step up your Slack game

If people are complaining about Slack fatigue, chances are they don't know how to use Slack effectively — or worse, neither do you (said with love). Educate yourself and your members:

• Teach them how to control notifications.
• Show them cool features like VIP settings and sidebar sections.
• Create a channel experience people actually want to come back to.

The bottom line

The platform isn't the problem. You might be. But here's the good news: that means you have the power to turn it around. Start delivering consistent, intentional, and engaging content, and people will show up.