Summer Days, Summer Nights
Summer is here, with its glorious soundtrack of the downing of tools. Great news for those packing their buckets and bikinis: less thrilling for those tasked with engagement of members or customers. Here are some top tips to navigate these quieter weeks, to ensure you don’t come back to tumbleweed in September.
Acceptance
If you’re running a community that isn’t connected with a passion project, accept that things are going to get quieter. Set expectations accordingly so there are no shocks when 1st Sept comes around and you share your engagement metrics with your boss.
Reframe or repurpose
Having said that, there’s no reason your community can’t still bring real value to your members during their down time. Summer is often a time for people to take stock, reflect, explore something in more depth, perhaps use the time to do things that they have had to put off while they’ve been busy, busy, busy. So adjust the dial a little to harness this. Do you have longer-form elements of content for people to read or watch? Is this the time for them to take your online course? Can you propose an interesting task or project to complete (reading lists work really well, for example)? Weave in ways for people to share how they are getting on – ask them to post pictures showing where they’re taking your course/ reading the books/ watching your videos. Some communities also take this opportunity to introduce the individuals behind the community and product. Members might not be able or willing to engage actively themselves, but they will appreciate finding out a bit more about who you are.
A-synchronous v synchronous
People may not want to leave the poolside for a zoom call, but they will have their phone with them and will no doubt be scrolling. Develop a-synchronous methods for people to check in with the community. Consider running a-synchronous ice-breaker questions - the more unusual the better, since out-of-the-ordinary content is more likely to catch the attention. Generally, a-synchronous activities are really effective, as they keep engagement levels up but don’t require people to commit to specific times or dates.
Keep it light
Building on the ice-breaker theme, consider bringing in some more light-hearted activities. Can you organise a challenge, run a quiz, set a puzzle? Time to get creative! Community Roundtable is running a summer bingo challenge for their members this summer. Evan Hamilton wrote about how he organised a “March Madness” challenge for a previous community. What could you do that is a bit more light-hearted but is built around a topic that interests your members? Get your super-users or more committed members on board so they can support engagement at the start.
Consider where they are
People might not be checking emails so much, or want to log into your community platform, so focus activity on channels members will be on - most likely social media - obviously always linking back to the community platform.
If all else fails, call in the pooch
Sounds pretty crackers, but have you ever managed to resist a cute pet photo? This combines the unusual with the light-hearted – time for your team to start posting the pet photos and ask others to share theirs too. Trust us, engagement will follow.
Looking forward
When setting your boss’s expectations for July and August, don’t forget to also drive excitement for the autumn. This is not only great for your internal comms (your SLT will appreciate hearing that you have a great post-summer plan), it’s also an opportunity to get your members fired up about what’s coming, so you are not having to start from scratch come September. Some communities run countdowns to build anticipation. Could that work for you?
8. Don’t forget the team
There may be no “I” in team, but there is in “holiday” and “vacation”, so don’t forget that your team will be making their own summer plans too. Don’t be surprised when they ask for time off, but make sure you clarify who’s doing what, so absences are covered and nothing falls through the cracks. Send calendar invites to people who might be taking on tasks they might not usually do.
As with all engagement tactics, you need to consider what your members value and what their motivators are (these won’t change, no matter what time of year). Have these front and centre at all times and you can’t go wrong.