BJ Fogg has an excellent model of behavioral change.
Key amongst these is the trigger.
What will trigger members to visit the
community?
Existing, established, members visit the community several times per
day out of habit. For new communities (and new members) a trigger is required.
How will visiting the community become part of the daily routine.
Sometimes lunch is the trigger. Members eat at their desk and browse
what is new in the community.
Two years ago we struggled to find a successful trigger for an
internal community for a healthcare client. When members visited, they
typically participated and became active, they just weren’t visiting.
On a visit to the client, we noticed that whenever a staff member
opened a web browser the default page was the news page of a healthcare
publication. We changed this to first the community homepage and then to
specific discussions or activities within the community.
The result was immediate. Of the 1300 employees, 800 registered
accounts and some 400 made a contribution within
1 week. This ticked up to just under
1000 participating members within 3 months.
We were lucky to stumble upon an remarkable effective trigger. This
trigger might not work for you, but another will.
E-mail notifications won’t always work.
Carefully examine the daily routine of staff and look for opportunities where a
visit to the community would be relevant. This will take months, not days to
establish.
