|
SarahClimber
Posts:
19
From:
Berkeley, CA
Registered:
12/9/08
|
|
|
Along with the welcome message board as a community manager you can create a template for a new member interview. I have done this on many communities and it was really helpful. It is also always good to give people a prompt and place to start, especially when they are new.
--
Sarah Silverman
Community Manager
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."
|
|
Jenna
Posts:
184
From:
Silicon Valley
Registered:
9/22/05
|
|
|
The Welcome board as reason to return to the community is a great point. Stopping by to see who's joined and what you might have in common then becomes a habit, part of your general online route. It's also easier to reach out to people who've posted there, welcoming them and starting up initial conversations.
--
Make friends with the facts.
|
|
LinDee
Posts:
504
From:
Chicago, ILL
Registered:
3/12/07
|
|
|
I like the welcome team concept. Having a welcome team also makes active members community stars.
BraveHeart has a welcome message board. New users post general information about themselves and the communities they enjoy or are creating. Most of the information posted can be found in the members profile but the message board is much more personal. The message board gives a new user a warm and fuzzy feeling. It also encourages the user to return to the community.
--
Lin Dantonio
|
|
SarahClimber
Posts:
19
From:
Berkeley, CA
Registered:
12/9/08
|
|
|
Star-great point! When I was managing the community at ExperienceProject.com we ended up having dedicated users take it upon themselves to form a Welcoming Team. It was pretty impressive. If you were a new member on EP, they found you and sent you a welcome message, commented on your content, send you a gift, etc.
We all know the feeling of being at a party were we know no one. You always are appreciative of someone making an introduction.
--
Sarah Silverman
Community Manager
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."
|
|
Star
Posts:
699
Registered:
9/15/05
|
|
|
In addition to featuring new members, another great way to encourage new members and potential members to participate is by reaching out to welcome those newcomers who often feel like no one wants to "talk" with the new kid on the block. A regular feature in a newsletter could serve this purpose.
--
Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.
-- Brenda Peterson
|
|
Jenna
Posts:
184
From:
Silicon Valley
Registered:
9/22/05
|
|
|
And just adding another Amen thought to Sarah's input...
The newsletter is a great tack to take. Unless a community is using Facebook Connect (which ours and many others will be soon), and the members of the particular community tend to be on Facebook (increasingly, they are, no matter who), people need to be reminded about an online community until they form the habit of checking it regularly. Certain age groups are more oriented toward email than they are to social networking, and if this is true of the members of the community you're working with, email is a great way to reach them. Thanks for this reminder, Sarah.
--
Make friends with the facts.
|
|
Jenna
Posts:
184
From:
Silicon Valley
Registered:
9/22/05
|
|
|
Amen. And besides, the more people you feature, the more who participate. It's a great tack for establishing the culture and encouraging more interactions. That feeling that there are people in here largely comes from the process of featuring good content. We all feel like coming in to get involved.
--
Make friends with the facts.
|
|
SarahClimber
Posts:
19
From:
Berkeley, CA
Registered:
12/9/08
|
|
|
KEEP IT FRESH.
I think one of the biggest ways to get people engaged and keep them engaged is helping to serve up intersting and new content. Keep things turning frequently.
Would you stay at a party if the same song was playing over and over and over? NO!
If you are struggling in getting members to notice your hard work and fresh content-start a weekly email newsletter. Keep it SIMPLE. Don't overload it with images, text, or too many links. Featured three or four conversations or new blog entries. Try using top ten lists or bullet points to communicate in an effective and visually friendly way.
--
Sarah Silverman
Community Manager
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."
|
|
Mark
Posts:
192
From:
Campbell, CA.
Registered:
4/3/06
|
|
|
Got any tips for strategies that have shown to increase engagement in a community?
(note: please don't give brand names unless the case study is well-known, or the client hasn't given you specific permission to use their name)
|
|
|
|
|
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
