Groups like to be told the positive traits they believe they have.
This is known as in-group language.
Read any speech from a US president, it’s loaded with in-group language. Everyone wants to identify with the positive traits the president is giving to Americans.
The president is creating an in-group which includes himself and everybody listening.
It’s a rhetoric tactic you can use in your community too.
When you address a community, you can highlight the positive values of that group constantly in your messages. You can do this in your one to one discussions, in your mailing lists, and in your forum posts.
You can put it in every announcement.
If you were addressing community professionals, you might highlight their dedication to helping members from all walks of life, for working 24/7, for never completely shutting off and abandoning their community over a weekend. You can congratulate them for tirelessly fighting the trolls and digital bullies of this world.
These are traits that many of us would identify with.
The benefit of using in-group language is it encourages members to better categorize their identity with that group. They identify as a member. They participate more and recommend the group more.
If you’re not sure where to begin, most groups like to be told they’re humble, hard-working, generous, kind, passionate, ambitious, disciplined, and well organized. You can identify other traits yourself.
