Joining an online community should make that activity/interest more fun.
Your community needs to use the usual elements of fun (some unexpected) to increase participation in your online community. What is fun?
- Competition/Comparison. The most fun element of joining an online community is it lets you compare yourself to your peers. This level of competition, of trying to be better and knowing your standing amongst others is vital for a passion to be more fun. It gives you targets to aim for.
- Improving yourself. It’s fun when you can improve at what you do. By sharing advice, interacting with others, picking up tips you can be better. That’s fun.
- Feedback. If you’ve read Flow, you know feedback is important. Alone you can’t always get feedback, with others you can get immediate feedback on your abilities, your posts, your videos, your impact as part of the wider group. This spurs you on further…which is fun.
- Making friends who share your hobby. Feeling a part of something special is fun. You can’t do that alone, you need others. Having friends who share and validate your interest makes your interest more fun.
- Mentally focused. Being a part of a community increases your focus and interest in the topic. You spend more time on your interest, become more engaged and learn more about it. You’re more mentally focused on your passion – that’s, you guessed it, fun.
How does this translate to your community?
If you’re giving members opportunities to interact and you provide the opportunity to compare themselves. When they share advice, they can improve themselves (you need to solicit their best ideas). When members share their experiences, they get feedback. Over time they make friends in the field.
You can (and should) influence how much enjoyment people gain from their chosen activity/interest.
I just highly recommended your site on twitter Richard. I think your is the best site for community builders on the web and subscribe direct. Best wishes, Ian
Posted by: Ian Berry | Saturday, 31 July 2010 at 02:25