Imagine you launched an event for your audience tomorrow.
Call it the “how to increase your status webinar”.
Not many people would attend.
That’s not because they don’t want to boost their status, most people certainly do.
It’s because they know the deliberate pursuit of status undermines its value. It’s socially awkward at best and invites outright mockery at worst. Put simply, no-one respects the person desperately trying to earn their respect.
This is why explicit appeals to status are ineffective. Members might be motivated to boost their status but feel uncomfortable about being seen to do it.
You need to be very subtle here to avoid falling into this trap. Don’t use direct copy or references to increasing status. No-one wants to hang out with that crowd. Look towards language that implies status but is more socially acceptable.
Members who feel awkward about pursuing status would love to be someone the community turns to for advice, be consulted on future changes, and have their opinion sought on topical news stories etc…
Status is a really powerful weapon, we need to be better at wielding it.