*Notice* - This article is published with the assumption that the reader is running a website, and not a personal blog. Both vary and personal issues come from both differently.
A Community is a group of people who interact with each other in the same place. A place where they share the same idea, goals, etc. Usually gaming, promotion, or just everyday gibberish.
Whatever the sites genre we all (as webmasters or staff) have a responsibility to take care of the members who visit the site. It's your responsibility to keep up with the site, and maintaining certain aspects of it.
Now I want to only discuss the giving back part of the site, and nothing else. There is a bunch of things a Web Admin has to be responsible for, but this is just the one of many to discuss.
What giving back means to you?
Giving back for you is a way of saying thank you to your members for the valuable time they spent on your site, and showing them how much you appreciate them.
Not only does it help your site members, but your site as a whole is effected. Giving back, and showing you care can help gain potential members. People scrolling through lists of sites may stumble upon one which is holding a contest, or a site that is offering free promotion points of sorts. Whatever enticing gift you have people will visit.
What giving back means to your members?
Obviously if your running a personal blog, site contests, and and goodies do not really have to be offered by you, as posting on a blog is for personal use, and it should never matter if anyone reads it or not. (Now I know I will have disagreements about this but I am fine with that).
Now, if you do run a website, where your goals are to have traffic and it's important to you on getting people to see you, then giving back means a lot, and it means tons to your members.
To them it again shows you care, and are willing to spend time and money on the site. Now this does not mean you always have to spend money, as there are plenty of ways to give back without spending a dime. Their normally traditional ways of giving back, but their always effective, and I will discuss them later on in the article.
Usually people who spend money, or offer something amazingly beyond what most aspect spend it for a purpose, and normally in my head (this is opinion) I feel their serious about what their doing. Their taking a risk, and in such I think it should again in my opinion show others that your serious about the site, and are willing to take a risk with your money.
Doing just the smallest things can really show your members your involved in what is happening.
Ways of giving back?
The following ways are virtually done the same way throughout the web community, but I always find people not following the simplicity of the idea, and only finding the hardship involved.
These ideas were taken from communities I visited, and asked, and I have combined all thoughts into their respective category and only took the ones which cover the best idea.
1. Build funds for the site - Through funds collected from members, or outside means, collect it all in a nice location(s) (Normally a bank). Now take time to calculate the funds, and then you need to disperse the funds evenly (or near even) into different sections of your site.
2. Create Unique and or Original Modifications or Themes - Everyone likes "Awesomeness" and neatness, and overall appeal. Adding in modifications that are made specifically for your site, or creating themes that no other forum has is also a good idea. By doing this on a certain rotation you can keep your members happy, and potential new members coming in.
3. Giving back by means of "FRESH NEW CONTENT" - Everyone loves enticing and engaging topics, and stuff to read. It always brings them back for more, usually more than once ! Valuable content would not be the usual "This is what were doing" thread. Instead shake things up and display an article, or display something funny for your members to read. Offer insight or engaging threads. Something they have to come back for.
4. Keeping the Forum Software and Content up to date - The Forum always needs to be maintained, no one can deny this. It's apart of the web experience if you have one and it's probably the hardest to keep running properly without mistakes. So if as an admin you keep people up to date with what's happening, especially with mod additions or theme changes, people love this !! Just keeping the forum up to date a safe (security wise) really gets people noticing. Your doing all these things to provide, and your showing yourself to them. Showing them your still there.
5. Giving back with gifts to your members - Everyone loves gifts !! Hold contests, offer money (ooh money), or create or buy a custom theme for someone. Your imagination is your own, so think something up, and if money is needed, spend it, but spend wisely.
6. Give back to Charities, or give a gift away to someone outside your forums - Now this is something I think you would or should do as your site progresses beyond what you thought it would. A point in time when your able to give to someone or some place outside the forums. Giving something away on behalf of you and your site members can also turn heads. I would suggest advertising the give away prior to actually giving it away. Charity donations also are cool too, as you would hopefully get a thank you message, and maybe people will visit your site, who knows? Plus the feeling inside knowing you helping people in need, should suffice enough.
That's all the ideas thought out, but since most of them were the same, I just listed the 6 items that most of them talked about. If you have ideas feel free to comment below. Also any thoughts are welcomed.
Giving back should be a normal practice for all businesses and normally it is. You don't have to be McDonalds, or Microsoft, to give back to people. Your still a identity of the internet and potentially the world. Give back, turns heads, show people your there.
It's not something you have to do now, not everyone has money. However, if you can try to give back using the free ways. If you know how to skin a forum, or design a template, why not offer a free custom template by yourself? People enjoy that.
This article is long enough, and I will as always be making more. There are a few points of this article that I would love to discuss at a later date, and I will, but in a new article. All thoughts are welcomed below !! This article is property of DanJMcM (Macster). All use requires permission first. If you happen to use it without my permission, why not at least credit me?
A Community is a group of people who interact with each other in the same place. A place where they share the same idea, goals, etc. Usually gaming, promotion, or just everyday gibberish.
Whatever the sites genre we all (as webmasters or staff) have a responsibility to take care of the members who visit the site. It's your responsibility to keep up with the site, and maintaining certain aspects of it.
Now I want to only discuss the giving back part of the site, and nothing else. There is a bunch of things a Web Admin has to be responsible for, but this is just the one of many to discuss.
What giving back means to you?
Giving back for you is a way of saying thank you to your members for the valuable time they spent on your site, and showing them how much you appreciate them.
Not only does it help your site members, but your site as a whole is effected. Giving back, and showing you care can help gain potential members. People scrolling through lists of sites may stumble upon one which is holding a contest, or a site that is offering free promotion points of sorts. Whatever enticing gift you have people will visit.
What giving back means to your members?
Obviously if your running a personal blog, site contests, and and goodies do not really have to be offered by you, as posting on a blog is for personal use, and it should never matter if anyone reads it or not. (Now I know I will have disagreements about this but I am fine with that).
Now, if you do run a website, where your goals are to have traffic and it's important to you on getting people to see you, then giving back means a lot, and it means tons to your members.
To them it again shows you care, and are willing to spend time and money on the site. Now this does not mean you always have to spend money, as there are plenty of ways to give back without spending a dime. Their normally traditional ways of giving back, but their always effective, and I will discuss them later on in the article.
Usually people who spend money, or offer something amazingly beyond what most aspect spend it for a purpose, and normally in my head (this is opinion) I feel their serious about what their doing. Their taking a risk, and in such I think it should again in my opinion show others that your serious about the site, and are willing to take a risk with your money.
Doing just the smallest things can really show your members your involved in what is happening.
Ways of giving back?
The following ways are virtually done the same way throughout the web community, but I always find people not following the simplicity of the idea, and only finding the hardship involved.
These ideas were taken from communities I visited, and asked, and I have combined all thoughts into their respective category and only took the ones which cover the best idea.
1. Build funds for the site - Through funds collected from members, or outside means, collect it all in a nice location(s) (Normally a bank). Now take time to calculate the funds, and then you need to disperse the funds evenly (or near even) into different sections of your site.
2. Create Unique and or Original Modifications or Themes - Everyone likes "Awesomeness" and neatness, and overall appeal. Adding in modifications that are made specifically for your site, or creating themes that no other forum has is also a good idea. By doing this on a certain rotation you can keep your members happy, and potential new members coming in.
3. Giving back by means of "FRESH NEW CONTENT" - Everyone loves enticing and engaging topics, and stuff to read. It always brings them back for more, usually more than once ! Valuable content would not be the usual "This is what were doing" thread. Instead shake things up and display an article, or display something funny for your members to read. Offer insight or engaging threads. Something they have to come back for.
4. Keeping the Forum Software and Content up to date - The Forum always needs to be maintained, no one can deny this. It's apart of the web experience if you have one and it's probably the hardest to keep running properly without mistakes. So if as an admin you keep people up to date with what's happening, especially with mod additions or theme changes, people love this !! Just keeping the forum up to date a safe (security wise) really gets people noticing. Your doing all these things to provide, and your showing yourself to them. Showing them your still there.
5. Giving back with gifts to your members - Everyone loves gifts !! Hold contests, offer money (ooh money), or create or buy a custom theme for someone. Your imagination is your own, so think something up, and if money is needed, spend it, but spend wisely.
6. Give back to Charities, or give a gift away to someone outside your forums - Now this is something I think you would or should do as your site progresses beyond what you thought it would. A point in time when your able to give to someone or some place outside the forums. Giving something away on behalf of you and your site members can also turn heads. I would suggest advertising the give away prior to actually giving it away. Charity donations also are cool too, as you would hopefully get a thank you message, and maybe people will visit your site, who knows? Plus the feeling inside knowing you helping people in need, should suffice enough.
That's all the ideas thought out, but since most of them were the same, I just listed the 6 items that most of them talked about. If you have ideas feel free to comment below. Also any thoughts are welcomed.
Giving back should be a normal practice for all businesses and normally it is. You don't have to be McDonalds, or Microsoft, to give back to people. Your still a identity of the internet and potentially the world. Give back, turns heads, show people your there.
It's not something you have to do now, not everyone has money. However, if you can try to give back using the free ways. If you know how to skin a forum, or design a template, why not offer a free custom template by yourself? People enjoy that.
This article is long enough, and I will as always be making more. There are a few points of this article that I would love to discuss at a later date, and I will, but in a new article. All thoughts are welcomed below !! This article is property of DanJMcM (Macster). All use requires permission first. If you happen to use it without my permission, why not at least credit me?
