(by 2 people)
Cure blogger's block, build community, find out new things about people, have something to say on a date, or at the dinner table with this lens!
Tending a Community or a Conversation
Really Sometimes The Same Thing.
You have a blog...a board...a group...a forum...it is all pretty and waiting....you are ready for community, conversation, comments but...nothing is happening. Here are some basics whether this is new to you or you are trying a fresh start.
1. Introduce yourself. People talk to people they feel they know.
2. Keep spam out of your community. Use a spam filter and/or ensure spam is removed promptly.
3. Make titles and teasers cute, make them funny, make them catchy.
4. Ask questions to stimulate discussion in your community.
* Dole the questions out
* Don't blast the community with a bunch of questions all on one day and expect the things to take off.
* Add a little anecdote with each question-- end with the question after your anecdote....
5. POST EVERY DAY whether you are talking to yourself or not.
* It takes awhile to develop a presence and a following.
7. Respond to comments even if it is just a thank you, welcome, or nice point.
8. Be open and friendly.
10. Knowing that the someone is there, listens, and responds is a strong encouragement for people to post their comments and remarks, remember that.
11. Get to know other blogs, communities, share link-love, comment on them.
12. Keep on top of the media coverage that relates to your topic and ask for comments.
1. Introduce yourself. People talk to people they feel they know.
2. Keep spam out of your community. Use a spam filter and/or ensure spam is removed promptly.
3. Make titles and teasers cute, make them funny, make them catchy.
4. Ask questions to stimulate discussion in your community.
* Dole the questions out
* Don't blast the community with a bunch of questions all on one day and expect the things to take off.
* Add a little anecdote with each question-- end with the question after your anecdote....
5. POST EVERY DAY whether you are talking to yourself or not.
* It takes awhile to develop a presence and a following.
7. Respond to comments even if it is just a thank you, welcome, or nice point.
8. Be open and friendly.
10. Knowing that the someone is there, listens, and responds is a strong encouragement for people to post their comments and remarks, remember that.
11. Get to know other blogs, communities, share link-love, comment on them.
12. Keep on top of the media coverage that relates to your topic and ask for comments.
Conversation Fodder
- Make Matt Happy! Spread his Meme
- A meme worth spreading: If you could give the commencement address at a graduation ceremony....
This is Signal vs. Noise, a weblog by 37signals about design, customer experience, entertainment, politics, Basecamp, products we like, small business, ourselves, and more. Established 1999 in Chicago. - The Happy Feminist: WHERE WERE YOU?
- The Happy Feminist has a fab topic here...so go and share where you were...and link on back to her.
- Mechanical Contrivium
- Top 10 Trivia Tips About...YOU
- The Meme List
- The Memes List
As seen in the New York Times! Memes for every day of the week, with dailies and monthlies too. - del.icio.us/popular
- This one might take a bit of explaining. If you go see what people are bookmarking, you know what they are THINKING and TALKING about. Join in or start a conversation on that or a related topic.
- Resolution Generator
- The 2006 New Year's Resolution Generator
Ok, New Year's day is gone but we all need a resolution or two to get us through the day. Worth a smile and a bit of conversation when everyone shares their fun resolution. - Media Diet
- This is an interesting idea to talk about...what is your media diet? What is on your daily reading list? Do you read on paper or online?
- reddit: what's new online
- Something new to talk about all the time...
- Cosmopolitan: 30 Sexy Conversation Starters
- You definitely could start a conversation...about these conversation starters...Anyone game to try?
- Daydreaming on Paper | Random Inspiration
- Ideas for creative journaling
- Monday Memories
- A new question to help spur your memory each Monday
- Book Page Tag
- This is an example of a popular blog game...seen all over the internet...
Here are the instructions:
Here are the instructions:
-Grab the book closest to you
-Open to page 123
-Scroll down to the 5th sentence
-Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog
-Name of the book and the author
-Tag 3 people
The Power of ONE:
One regular will tell other people about you if you stay engaging and interesting.
Conversation Tips and Tending Community
- How To Win Friends & Influence People
- Community interaction, building community, and life in general is about building relationships. Dale Carnegie had great advice on how to do this in 1937. Like all great advice, it has stood the test of time. Read this guide based on the classic principles of relationship building and selling yourself/your product. Consider how much this has to do with building a better blog, community and offline life!
- Online Community Toolkit
- This is the classic and most incredible resource for anyone attempting to build online community and foster community interaction.
An online repository from Full Circle Associates of articles, case studies, resources and musings on online community, virtual community, online interaction and online facilitation. - Conversation Starters that Work Like Magic
- Conversation Starters that Work Like Magic-These rules don't just apply to face-to-face conversations.
ProBlogger
Make Money Online with ProBlogger
From beginner bloggers to pros...ProBlogger has help for everyone, not just people wanting to make enough money to give up their day job.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBlogthings
Silly, Quick, Spam-Free Quizzes
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAmy Gahran: The Right Conversation
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBroadsheet (and the rest of new Salon Stuff)
- Critics' Picks
- What you need to see, read, do this week: Indie rock for Barack, a time capsule of late-'80s bohemia...
- Sarah Palin: The view from Alaska
- Amid "Troopergate" and other government scandals, including killing wolf pups, an Alaskan writer exp...
- Don't call it mumblecore
- Ultra-indie American film grows up in a hurry with Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig's erotic, wrenching...
Great Stuff on Amazon
If..., (Questions For The Game of Life)
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 10/10/2008)
Community Building on the Web : Secret Strategies for Successful Online Communities
Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion
Amazon Price: $10.39 (as of 10/10/2008)
How Far Will You Go?: Questions to Test Your Limits
Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 10/10/2008)
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
The Well: A Story of Love, Death & Real Life in the Seminal Online Community
Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
Design for Community
Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
Online Communities: Designing Usability and Supporting Sociability
Amazon Price: $63.00 (as of 10/10/2008)
