3/8/11 Reading

This reading is about the "S" in RIBS, significance. Dr. Howard lists the ways that a community can become significant: be well recognized, established as the "go to" place for accomplishing your user's goals, valued by people your users respect, populated by people who are serious and passionate in their field, and distinguished as a reputable brand to your users. He also talks about the paradox of exclusivity. People want to be part of a group, but they don't want to be part of a crowd. If becoming a member is too easy, they won't value the other members. They want to not only be part of a group, but an exclusive group. The more exclusive, the more prestige. He uses the example of Facebook as a site that used exclusivity to gain popularity. Instead of making it public so that they could maximize users immediately, they made it private so that it would be more exclusive and therefore, more desired.

Dr. Howard offers these techniques for developing significance:

1. Provide a story that shares a vision. The power of storytelling has been a common theme in our readings this semester. It is something we all know how to do, and all can relate to. A good story can link people together through their understanding as well as their ability to pass on that story to others.

2. List Members Accomplishments. This is sometimes seen on message boards where users will have their number of posts next to their user name, or some other medals or awards for their participation in the social network.

3. Participate in Influential Communities to Create Trails Back to Yours. This is an interesting technique, for instance commenting on a high traffic area in order to draw them back to your "home base" or social network where the discussion may continue. What you post about may be relevant to your social network tangibly or abstractly, as long as it leads them back to you.

4. Build your social network or community in a custom space. This will increase feelings of exclusivity, if it is not in a public or commonplace space.

5. Make connections with other leaders in social media. This will allow you to stretch across platforms and reach even more users. For instance utilizing twitter and facebook, or amazon and linkedin as the book provides as an example.

6. Celebrate Celebrities. Utilize celebrity for your purposes.

7. Create a Contest, game or video. This will get members involved, as well as show who is the "best", and create more of an awareness of status on the site which others will hope to attain.

8. Mobilize your existing members. Use your group as a tool.