Surprisingly easy ways to encourage better content from a community
UPDATE: I organized these notes considerably and wrote a real article for A List Apart that you can read here.
My work in communities has shown me that people will always surprise you. That said, I’ve found certain techniques for directing content really reliable. For the purpose of this short post, I’ll assume that you have a goal, and a community of people selfishly (in the best sense of the word) motivated in helping you meet that goal. Some quick notes:.
-
Communicate effectively. You have a working relationship with a group of people, and many ways of communicating with them: usually a blog, a newsletter, site mail, email, comments, etc. Find out what appropriate channels are most powerful, and find a way to use them.
-
Make your expectations clear and specific. Your members aren’t mind readers, but they are often interested in successfully meeting your needs. Put yourself in their shoes: would you rather start typing on a blank page, or answer a set of specific questions within your field of knowledge?
-
Mentor your contributors. Treat your star members like the most talented coworkers you could ever have, and give them direct, constructive feedback. Be kind and don’t lead them on or give false hope. In two years of editing articles from community contributors, I managed to come to consensus on changes with every one of them — it matters.
-
Work the memes. Internet phenomena happen for a reason — people dig them. So find an interesting one related to your community, and reach out to the meme’s creator or contributors. They’ll usually be stoked to see their idea taken to the next level. Your end of the bargain is to credit them appropriately and respect them immensely.
-
Praise effusively, but not recklessly. Different positive actions deserve different rewards — and keeping them separate is really important, or you can deflate the value of all of them. Think of school: you wouldn’t get an A just for perfect attendance, but you might get a certificate.
