Strong communities are built on shared goals and trust.
Engagement How to convert lurking members/guests to engage more?
- Thread starter Bawse
- Start date
For increasing member interaction and participation.
Cedric
ready to reach your impossible?
That is a good question. 90% of the users are lurkers. There’s a good article about that here:
www.linkedin.com
Have you tried engaging with them personally? Send them a PM, ask how they’re doing. Ask what they like and don’t like about your forum.
Do You Know Who’s Lurking? 90% of Social Media Users don't publicly interact.
It sounds a little creepy, and it sounds even creepier when you think that the term encompasses a full 90% of social media users. So what is a lurker? Are you a lurker? Are you being lurked at? (Do these questions make you feel like you should quickly run and join the nearest Witness Protection Prog
Have you tried engaging with them personally? Send them a PM, ask how they’re doing. Ask what they like and don’t like about your forum.
It's always been true that there are 90% lurkers in any given community. Not everyone wants to put their head above the parapet especially if they feel they have nothing to add (or worse, they have something to add but it's controversial)
Be careful with trying to force engagement with them though: it used to be a thing that people would offer up downloads or whatever, hidden behind a 'like this post to see the link' or 'reply to this post to see the content' which will absolutely create engagement - just it'll be trash engagement that doesn't convert into anything else useful.
There will always be transactionalists who turn up on a forum and don't want to integrate or become a productive member, but simply to ask one question/get one thing and go. And that's OK - a certain amount of footfall is normal and necessary. Especially as people like that do pass on the URL to other people at times.
The only strategy I've ever seen work to convert lurkers to usefully engaging, is to give them something to engage with. You may have to reach out and ask what that might be for some people, but be prepared for 'I only come for the free stuff' as an answer - some people aren't ever going to be there to convert.
Be careful with trying to force engagement with them though: it used to be a thing that people would offer up downloads or whatever, hidden behind a 'like this post to see the link' or 'reply to this post to see the content' which will absolutely create engagement - just it'll be trash engagement that doesn't convert into anything else useful.
There will always be transactionalists who turn up on a forum and don't want to integrate or become a productive member, but simply to ask one question/get one thing and go. And that's OK - a certain amount of footfall is normal and necessary. Especially as people like that do pass on the URL to other people at times.
The only strategy I've ever seen work to convert lurkers to usefully engaging, is to give them something to engage with. You may have to reach out and ask what that might be for some people, but be prepared for 'I only come for the free stuff' as an answer - some people aren't ever going to be there to convert.
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