Create souvenirs that members can buy.
Very few communities offer souvenirs. It’s a shame. People buy souvenirs to remind them of a positive experience. These souvenirs, like your community, are usually based around shared experiences. Persuading members to spend money in your community is the hardest of the four investments a member can make.
T-shirts, mugs and refrigerator magnets are easy targets. But why not go further? What about a yearbook? Featuring profiles of the regular members ($30 gets you featured – and buys you a copy). How about a commemorative coin or a deck of playing cards featuring profiles members?
Better still, what about branding some of your products after topics/members/groups in the community?
Souvenirs is the easiest way to make money from communities. You create the feeling, then sell the feeling. Most importantly, souvenirs solidify a member’s involvement in the community. You might even find superiors are more enthusiastic about your community when it can generate some revenue.
If your community doesn’t have souvenirs, today would be a time to introduce them.
