Building a highly engaged community starts with the right incentives. Community and collaboration strategist, author, and speaker, Jono Bacon explains what incentives are, how they work, how to create them, and the many different types of rewards you can incorporate into your group.
Main Takeaways
- “The best experiences are journeys.” Think about what experience you want your members to have through your group.
- You want to move your members from becoming “casual” to “regular” to “core” members. Here are the phases that a member will go through in that transition:
- Access – New members need to get started, which will typically mean showing up to an event in person or online.
- Contribute – As members show up, they will want to contribute. Joining discussions, giving talks, leading workshops, etc.
- Self-respect – Members start to feel worthy, that they are adding value to the group.
- Dignity – Members feel like they are an important part of the group.
- Impact – Members start feeling like they can suggest impactful changes.
- Belonging – This is the ultimate treasure in any community. For people to feel like they belong.
- Use incentives to help move your members along. Think about the action you want your members to take (this may be different based on what stage a given member is in), and find ways to validate and reward those behaviors. Rewards can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
- Examples of extrinsic rewards: T-shirts (Jono does not recommend because they can be costly), Challenge coins (collectible, customizable coins that are low cost and can be given to members)
- Examples of intrinsic rewards: Giving members a shout-out on a blog or social media channel, sending a thank you email, etc.
- If you’re interested in more of Jono’s work, head over to his page.
Video Q&A with Jono Bacon (Part 2)
Top Q&A Questions (Part 1)
Any tips on increasing show-up rate?
I think it’s all about value. Whether online or in person. Great content and networking are great. But maybe there are other things you can tie into that like giveaways (partner with local businesses) or supplemental material for attendees. The best events I’ve ever seen, whether online or in person, are filled with material. I would rather recommend to everybody that you run fewer events at a much higher level of preparation and thought to value.
Could you speak about monetizing a class?
I’m generally of the view that if you’re really putting together significant value then it’s okay to charge for it. Ideally, you want to make it affordable for everybody. You can explain what that money is used for and you may allow those who can’t afford it to attend for free.
From a monetization perspective, I think one of the greatest ways of monetizing is to coordinate. So your Meetup event is free, but you run training sessions, certification sessions, or additional education material and charge for that.
How do you deal with failures when they come up? Knowing that every incentive is not going to work for every member, how should organizers press forward?
The first thing I would say is, “failure is part of the journey to building cool things.” The first time you try something it’s probably going to suck. But the best communities that I’ve ever seen just keep trying ideas and they stick with the ones that work. What doesn’t work is another piece of data you can learn from.
Also, if you’ve tried every possible way and no one’s showing up, maybe the topic isn’t interesting enough and you have to find another topic.
Last modified on June 23, 2021
