You probably have several highly active
members.
They participate most frequently. They
contribute the best content.
How do you reward them?
You don’t.
These aren’t the members you need to worry
about. They’re already doing what you want them to do.
Members don’t leave a community because
they didn’t receive appreciation/rewards/gratitude. They leave because they
don’t feel part of the group, become bored of the group, or lose interest in
the topic altogether.
When you reward the people that are already
doing what you want, you risk unsettling them. It creates jealousy. Some
members will be below the reward cut-off point. It also risks changing their
motivation to something less sustainable.
The members you need to worry about are
those which have joined within the previous 48 hours, those average level of
activity is declining, and those who could be brought up to top member level. Finding ways to
encourage these members to participate is far more productive.
Top members have their uses. They give you
influence. They’re also those who most likely want to be more involved as
volunteers. Just don’t assume that because someone is a top member, they need
to be rewarded. Simply being a top member is
their reward.
