Community Zen

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All memberships, including membership websites, have basically the same three kinds of members. You’re either going to be a regular member, an activist member, or a leader. No group, whether it’s a political party, business group, or basic neighborhood book club can really function without these three types of members.

Generating increases in membership must target all three of these groups. You’re wondering how exactly you can do that? Well, the general membership, or regular types of members, often are the type that respond to advertising, to word-of-mouth recommendations (these often come from the activist members, by the way), and by being impressed with your membership site’s reputation and what you have to offer.

Activist members are recruited in several ways. These folks often have a long history of being involved in one capacity or another with various groups. They have likely experienced frustration with how other organizations are run, and will probably speak their mind. These are the people who really ignite your forums and discussions. These are also very valuable members to have when you are trying to recruit a lot of regular members. They tend to make a lot of “noise,” so give them something to really shout about with your products and services.

Leaders are hard to find, but when you have them, it’s important to keep them happy. Leaders often rein in the activists, keeping things level, keeping arguments and disagreements to a minimum. These are your level-headed and experienced members, the ones who the newbies look to for advice, and often they’ve been the ones that recommended your membership—so treat them well and respect their leadership abilities.

Building a membership website that incorporates all three types of members, and caters to each group appropriately, is an important part of running a membership site. Each type of member is looking for something a little different, but, they are all also looking for each other. Make your site the one they use to connect and network!

Which type of member are you? Has that changed with your experience or over time?

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