community growth - Blogs - Ning Creators Social Network2024-03-29T07:18:19Zhttps://creators.ning.com/blogs/feed/tag/community+growthHow To Help Members Overcome Their Fear of Participationhttps://creators.ning.com/blogs/how-to-help-members-overcome-their-fear-of-participation2014-04-30T17:54:07.000Z2014-04-30T17:54:07.000ZCrystalhttps://creators.ning.com/members/CrystalC<div><p><em><span class="font-size-3">By Richard Millington</span></em></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">If you could increase the number of members initiating discussions, the level of activity and engagement would rise sharply. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">The percentage of members who initiate discussions is usually small. This limits activity and the level of engagement members have in the community.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Members need both the motivation to initiate and to overcome their fear of starting a discussion. Their motivation to initiate will be to either learn something (e.g. <i>"Does anyone know how to....?"</i>), to impress others (e.g. "<i>does anyone else think business class travel isn't as great as it used to be?</i>") or to bond with others (e.g. "<i>I'm upset Kelly got fired from the Apprentice</i>").</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Motivation comes relatively easy in active communities. It's social anxiety which prevents most members from initiating discussions. This social anxiety comes in three forms:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><span class="font-size-3">I might ask a dumb question or make a dumb statement.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3">My comment won’t receive any reply and I will appear unpopular.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3">I might be criticised by members of the community.</span></li>
</ol>
<p><span class="font-size-3">A community can overcome much of this anxiety in a few simple steps...</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><em>(Read More at the <a href="http://cultivate.ning.com/ning-blog/how-to-help-members-overcome-their-fear-of-participation" target="_blank">Ning Blog</a>)</em></span></p>
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