Do you know what members value in the community? Do you know
what keeps established members coming back? It’s a combination of the
following:
- Their
reputation. This is their own body of work in the community and the
responses/impact of their work. Most of the participation in communities is
driven by members looking to enhance and maintain their reputation.
- The
community’s reputation. These are the community’s achievements, unique
personality, unique focus, or momentum established. This is gained through
having regular activity, having a visible impact upon their sector, and a
friendly atmosphere. Members visit to associate themselves with the community’s
reputation and identity.
- Friendships/relationships.
These are the friends they have made through participating in the community.
People value these connections and want to stay informed with what their
friends are up to.
- Good,
quality, information. This is the information that has been created and
documented in that community. Members visit a community to get useful
information from other members. This is especially good when members have a
problem.
- Access to
terrific people. This is the ability to interact with people of importance
in that sector – perhaps get noticed by them.
Too often we focus on the information. Information is just
one element of the mix. The individual’s own reputation and the reputation of
the community are by far the most important aspects.
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