The Electronic Village
For an unusual take at building communities and best practices, one can
look to M. Night Shyamalan. Remember “The Village?” It
may have been designed to scare you, and make a box office impact, but behind
the walls of its 18th century commune are some pretty interesting
lessons for online communities.
Whether it’s a cult or a community, the biggest challenges are getting people to join, and keeping them engaged.
Marketers often say they’ve got this all figured out, but they make some pretty lame mistakes, typically putting together something that’s for ‘everyone’ – and focusing more on what the community delivers than on what it makes possible.
The Village’s value prop was pretty compelling: Stay in the community,
and stay safe. Leave and you’re on your own.
So how does this translate to Web 2.0? Here’s how:
- Admiration. People join a community because they admire it. What makes people want to be in your group?
- Be truthful, of course. And keep a little mystery, and excitement. Make them hungry for what happens next.
- Create rank. Web 2.0 may democratize everything, but people still like power. Create a chain of command, rewarding admirable members. Everyone likes a goal, especially if it’s valued by others.
- Prevent defection. The Village went to extraordinary lengths to keep members from quitting (including physical threats)…
- Word of Mouth: People still rave about Bruce Willis’ revelation at the end of a different Shyamalan movie. Give people insider information, so they want to talk about you.
- By George Robertson
