How To 'Borrow' Members From Rival Online Communities

Because stealing isn't very nice.

Competitors have done the hard work for you. They've educated members about the tools and benefits of joining online communities. Targeting competitors is a speedy way to grow your community.

Here's a few tips and tricks:

• Write About Rival Communities. If you talk about a major event, key members or debates taking place at rival communities - people will want to know what you're saying. Ask them or their expert opinions.
• Start A Cause/Attack A Common Enemy. Find something you and your rivals believe in, and lead the charge. A common enemy helps too. Become the unifying tip of the sword.
• Be A Big Participator. Spend a lot of time participating in the sites of rival communities. You'll make lots of friends, stay close to the issue that matter and be the hub of the eco-system.
• Or Send Your Members To Participate, Often. Send your members to participate in relevant issues. They carry the debates and more members back with them.
• Interview The Founder. You interview them, they promote it on their community, it builds a relationship and sends traffic your way.
• Message Conversation Starters. Who starts the most debated conversations? Why not message them and see if they will start the same on your community too? Add another perspective.
• Challenge Them To A Competition. Competitions work.
• Headhunt Big Influencers. People love being headhunted. Make the big influencers as rival communities an offer they can't refuse. Maybe as head forum moderator? Chief Columnist?
• Focus On One Important Issue. Pick an important topical issue on one community, and develop content, debates and actions around it.
• Form Alliances.  Not quite as successful as enemies, but having alliances with communities in similar fields can work. It has to be related but not directly head-to-head. Cover the same issues from time to time.
• Secure Exclusives. Like being in the publishing industry, secure exclusives that your competition can't match. It helps if your client can offer something. Maybe a sneak preview of new products or live chats with the CEO?
• Special Offers To Certain Members. Anyone joins this week from [rival community] will be sent a free, relevant, ebook, or gain special bonus points. One week only.
• Votes/Polls. Rank the top ten communities for your eco-system.
• Sub-Groups Of Members. Start a sub-group in your community for members from your rival community. [Rival community] expats group. Put a big influencer in charge.

Don't be surprised if your competitors start copying your ideas. You just have to work harder.

Comments

[Martin Reed]

I love the idea of 'headhunting' big influencers from other communities. Not sure about immediately offering them a staff position (especially as a head moderator), though!

Big influencers and opinion formers love ego strokes - I have no doubt that this strategy could work.

- Martin