Can big online groups actually feel intimate?
Big Zoom rooms can be full of energy, ideas, and momentum.
But as they grow, participation often shrinks.
The challenge isn’t getting people into the room.
It’s helping people feel like they’re part of the room.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot because it’s one of those challenges that keeps coming up responses to the Online Engagement Scorecard:
- “Running large group workshops”
- “Getting people’s voices into the room”
- “Creating a space where people feel comfortable contributing”
- “Building connection when everyone can’t fit on one screen”
Maybe you’ve experienced it too?
As the group gets bigger:
🚫 You can’t see everyone.
🚫 You can’t read the room as easily.
🚫 The discussion techniques that work beautifully with 15 people start to break down.
Before you know it, your interactive workshop starts feeling like a webinar in disguise. 😬
And there’s a reason for that.
Research on social loafing tells us that as group size increases, individual participation often decreases. Not because people don’t care, but because it’s easier to assume someone else will contribute.
The good news?
Big groups can absolutely be engaging.
They just need to be designed differently.
I’ve stopped asking:
“How do I engage this giant group all at once?”
And started asking:
“How can I help people feel connected enough to contribute?”
Here are five moves that have helped me make large online groups feel surprisingly intimate.
1️⃣ Create a warm welcome
The first few minutes matter even more in a large group.
Welcome early arrivals by name. Drop a question in the chat. Respond to what people share.
When people feel seen from the start, they’re much more likely to engage throughout the session.
Connection starts before the content does.
2️⃣ Connect early and often
I aim to get people into their first breakout conversation within the first 10 minutes.
A simple prompt works well:
“What made you say yes to this session?”
In pairs or groups of three, everyone gets a chance to speak.
This does something powerful.
Instead of joining a room full of strangers, participants quickly connect with a few real people.
The group immediately feels smaller.
(Thanks to facilitator and trainer Jenny Sauer Klein for inspiring this approach.)
3️⃣ Set participation expectations
Don’t assume people know how you want them to participate.
Tell them.
I often introduce a simple group agreement around “participating fully.”
Then I explain what participation can look like:
- Using the chat
- Joining breakouts
- Sharing verbally
- Reacting with emojis
- Reflecting privately
Participation doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.
What matters is making the expectation visible and inviting people into it.
4️⃣ Go wide, then go deep
One mistake I see often is asking someone to unmute and share right away.
For many people, that’s a high-risk invitation.
Instead, start with a low-risk interaction:
- Drop one word in the chat
- Vote in a poll
- Finish a sentence
- React with an emoji
Now everyone can participate simultaneously.
From there, look for patterns.
“I noticed several people mentioned time constraints.”
“A lot of you are saying confidence is the challenge.”
Then invite a few people to elaborate.
This approach surfaces many voices before spotlighting a few.
5️⃣ Narrate the room
In large groups, people can easily feel invisible.
One of the facilitator’s most important jobs is helping people experience the group.
That means naming what you’re seeing:
“I notice several people mentioning burnout.”
“We’re almost evenly split in this poll.”
“Tatiana, Shade, and Gustave are all pointing to something similar.”
These small observations create a shared experience.
People realize:
Others are thinking about this too.
That sense of connection can dramatically increase engagement.
Bottom line –> large groups don’t have to feel impersonal.
When you intentionally design moments of welcome, connection, participation, and shared experience, something shifts.
The room feels more human.
More connected.
More alive.
Even a little bit magical. ✨
Over to you 🎤
👉 What’s one way you make your big groups feel more intimate?
Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear it!
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