By Shannon Abram, The Community Roundtable
The one of the most frequent questions we get from community managers is “How can I increase engagement in my community?” It’s a great question – and one that has no single answer. Of course the variables that define every community – size, scope, audience, purpose, all directly influence the way you need to interact with and engage your members. But – there is good news! We have identified some community engagement drivers that can help you increase activity and loyalty in your community.
This week’s #throwbackthursday focuses on community engagement drivers.
- Best Practices from TheCR Network: Hosting an Ask Me Anything (AMA) – Recently we’ve caught the AMA (Ask Me Anything) bug. Maybe you’ve seen our AMA webinars with community managers? Our members are realizing the value of the AMA format for real-time community engagement, and have been sharing best practices for AMAs within their communities. I wanted to share a few of the best practices that TheCR Network members swear by when planning and executing a successful AMA.
- How Can I Use Gamification for Community Engagement? – Gamification is a hot topic in TheCR Network, and among community managers at large. In fact, – nearly half of our surveyed communities in the State of Community Management 2014 employed some form of gamification (and more than 60% of best-in-class communities do). As gamification tools become more common, more community managers are looking to tap into gamification as part of their efforts to increase engagement. It’s more than just “turning it on.” Everything from how you structure rewards, badges and levels to general usage patterns can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your effort.
- For TheCR Network Eyes Only – Engagement Drivers: Down & Dirty Case Studies – A roundtable report recapping a recent panel of members sharing case studies on their best community programs. Hillary shared that one of the competencies in TheCR’s Maturity Model that is most often overlooked is the content and programming competency. This call, therefore, was dedicated to discussing how to create engagement through content and programming. Case studies were used as a way of learning from others.
Want even more #throwbackthursday action? Check out all our throwback posts!
