Let’s have a group project, shall we? Some folks have been talking about growing communities lately, and there is a heap of scattered information out there about the best way to do it. I thought we might be able to put some of the best advice together here and compile it into a resource that we can share.
Let’s harness the power of our connections and see what we can build. I’ll start with a couple of my own tactics:
A. Prove that you are a passionate believer.
As Hugh McLeod says, “The market for something to believe in is infinite.” People want to believe in something (or someone) so give them a reason to join your community. Express your passion with authentic language.
B. Make it easy to share the enthusiasm.
Provide a vehicle for community members to share with each other. Comments on blog posts are a simple method, creating an actual forum platform is even better. Depending on your community and its needs there are plenty of applications to choose from:
- ning.com
- flickr.com
C. Encourage new ideas.
Keeping the content fresh is what entices people to come back and to stay involved. Explore new concepts and get people talking about them. Reward innovation and collaboration.
Take it one step further
What say you? What would you like to add as advice for a community evangelist? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
