Traditions help develop a sense of community amongst members and stimulate participation. Don't dismiss them as dumb, try one.
Fridays are an excellent opportunity to encourage an off-topic tradition. People expecting something fun and different. They want something to smile about before the weekend.
Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Craziest weekend plan award. Who has the craziest or most bizarre weekend plan? Invite members, once every Friday in a short-term sticky-thread to share their plan for the weekend. After 24 hours close the thread with a message announcing the winner.
- Caturday. Ruthlessly stolen from caturday, why not let members share funny pictures of their pets for a day?
- Games. Word-association, trivia etc…
- Beat my score. Pick a simply browser-based game and challenge members to get the highest score. It is Friday after all…
- Discounts/Promotional days. One day a week, let members promote their products/items.
- Mod-day. What’s the most interesting modification of an existing product/item a member has?
It’s easy to dismiss fun and off-topic traditions as silly and ill suited to your community. Yet, like many other activities mentioned on this blog, they’re a proven tactic. They stimulate activity and help develop a sense of community.
You might just be silly not to do it.
We have 3 places remaining on our Professional Community Management course. If you would like more information, click here. Deadline October 31st.