Every community has a group of people who are more engaged, more enthusiastic, more prolific than most members. These folks have been called a variety of things: Super Users, Rockstars, Fans, Power Members... the list goes on. Whatever we brand them, these community superstars are critical to the health and growth of any online community. They are leaders who can help guide and grow a community’s culture. They generate answers, feedback, and ideas in significant quantities. And they model behaviors, culturally and tactically, that we want all community members to replicate.
But super user programs aren’t like Ambassador programs or Influencer programs. We can’t just toss some goods over the fence and hope they continue doing the behaviors we want to see. We can’t make their engagement with our company or with our community a transactional one (“If you do X, I’ll give you Y”). Legal teams are rightfully worried about creating volunteer roles that more resemble a paid job, minus benefits, protections, or salary. Cases against About.com and AOL have made corporate legal teams leery of volunteer programs. While every legal team is different, common approach seems to be to avoid any quid pro quo exchanges with volunteers like super users.
We absolutely must think about rewards for our super users. But that word “reward” can get tricky for two key reasons:
So how do we encourage more community members to step up into a super user role? How do we get existing super users to keep on doing what they do so well? We have to first think beyond incentives like free t-shirts, and start thinking in terms of multi-faceted motivations. We have to stop asking “what rewards do we need to give away?” Our question is really “what is the incentive stack that motivates super users?
You’ll notice the order of these three. The “stuff” is the last part of the stack, and if you’re doing the first two right, it may be the least important.
Psychologist Erik Erikson defined identity as “socially distinguishing features that a person takes a special pride in.” We want to drive that “special pride” by creating identity incentives such as:
Identity incentives helps super users reflect their accomplishments to themselves, to the community, and to the world at large. Imagine that feeling when you get that new business cards that reflect our recent promotion. It’s a tangible reminder of your accomplishment that is showcased to anyone you meet and exchange cards with.
And the more we can develop a super user identity that’s “portable,” the more than that identity extends beyond their participation in our community platform. It now becomes something that helps them land jobs or more successfully represent themselves beyond the virtual walls of our community. Microsoft MVPs, for instance, often use their MVP status on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles as a means of improving their professional profile.
Because identity is tied to how we think about ourselves and how we define ourselves to others, we fight hard to maintain it. When super users have taken special pride in their identity, they tend to work harder to maintain that status. This is a critical part of ensuring that super users are continually returning value to the community, rather than letting their contributions wane over time.
Leaders want to lead. They don’t want to gain status and sit quietly on the sidelines. They’re eager to get in the game and make big plays. Getting invited to join a super user program can grant a number of privileges that typical community members don’t receive, such as:
CAUTION:It’s important to think about how you can avoid treating super users as quasi-employees rather than empowered volunteers. Any super user program should be signed off on by your Legal department to avoid any issues that may be present about the relationship you’re creating. There is a risk, although a small one, that companies could get sued by super users claiming that they were effectively acting as an employee rather than a volunteer. You can avoid many of those risks by doing the following:
And last, but not least, we move to the tangible goods. This seemingly easy category can actually be quite tricky to get right. We want any tangible item to be satisfying and connecting. We want to avoid the sense that the program is a better way of getting big discounts on product purchases. And tangibles are more than just an account credit or a t-shirt. They’re ways of creating connection between the individual super user and the overall program. Here are a few examples:<ul><li>Program (and timeframe) branded and designed t-shirts, stickers, and other gear.
Yearly super user summit event, where the company pays for all or part of each super user’s travel and accommodations.
Building a successful incentive stack will require looking at all three pillars outlined above and balancing the quantity and timing of which super users get each one. If your program cycle resets every year, think about how to deliver these benefits over that full year, tied into busy times and slow times, and in the most delightful ways you can. Don’t just drop a pen in a FedEx box. Spend a few extra bucks on a special mailer. Include a handwritten thank you note. Making the Super User feel like they’re getting access behind the velvet rope, joining an elite group helps drive a sense of connection to the program that yields higher outputs, deeper emotional connection, and a greater enjoyment to participate.
Super users are an amazing resource, but more importantly, they’re passionate enthusiasts who bring that passion to the community. How can each of your interactions with them create a delightful experience that connects them to your community, your program, and your company?
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