  Contests & Activities
This week: Where Did Everyone Go??? Edited by: ~WhoMe???~  
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Group participation is at an all time low, and I don't know what to do. The contests, once flooded with entries, now trickle with submissions, sometimes even running dry a round or two. Forums, where you couldn't get a word in edge wise, now echo in silence. What can I do to revitalize my groups? Can you relate to any of these situations?
 HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!
Some ideas that come to mind:
   Host a group only party. Send out personalized invitations to group members. Announce that a party is to be held in honor of the group members. The key to this, is that not everyone will be able to attend at the same time. A poll, or questionnaire may be needed to pin down times everyone is available. It might be necessary to have this party last through a whole day, with volunteers hosting it in addition to yourself.
Depending on how you choose to throw your party, and what you have involved, this could be a huge undertaking, or a small simple affair. A meeting room in chat where everyone gets together and converses back and forth can be fun, but with a party you want games and fun too. So some prizes may also be in order. Be creative, have fun, and engage your members. While there, ask them what they want out of the group, and how they think the group can improve. You may be surprised at the answers.
 Invite a guest host. Asking for volunteers, or hand selecting a committee to alternate the group maintenance of the forum or contest, allows for the host to take a break and participate themselves in some of the group only activities. Even if you don't wish to join in yourself, by having another member help with the running of the activity or contest, you are engaging other minds to help you along. You could choose a new person each week. At the end of the month, hold a vote to see which co-leader did this or that to the better liking of the members. Then reward that volunteer.
Encourage forum posting.Post a question or comment in the forum. Reward each reply with a small gift in token of appreciation for participation. Some groups have scoreboards that credit each member for group participation on a point system. One point for a forum post, three for a contest entry, two for an affiliated review...at the end of the month, the scores are tallied and the members awarded with X Y AND Z.
Lead by example.Nothing is more rewarding than being actively involved within your own group, on a personal level. There is nothing better than a group leader who is in the trenches with the members. Do you post in the forum, greeting new members, and replying to other forum posts? Do you read their contest entries and send them each a review, even when you are not judging that round? Do you enter the contests and activities yourself? Something to consider here if you answered no to any of the above. Show them you care, send them a review. Inquire upon their activities, and their contests, and participate there as well. Send them a cnote, just because they are a member of the group. Drop them an email, just to say "hi, this is how the day is, the group is doing this and join us in the forum for that..." An invitation, is most always welcome.
Expand and recruit.Be on the lookout for new members to join your ranks. Review, read reviews and visit the ports of someone new each day, each week, and you will find someone who has something to add to the group. Introduce yourself and the group, inviting them in with welcome arms. As new members join the team, fresh faces and warm smiles will encourage other participation as well, even if only to drop in and say hello.
Overall, it comes down to communication with your members. Find what works for the individual needs of the group or activity and fine tune the execution for maximum results. Through input of your members and leaders, you will know what it takes to run a successful and productive activity, contest, or group. These were just a few of my ideas. I hope they may be able to help. |
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What do you do, to encourage group participation? How do you revitalize your groups and activities? Write in and let us know.
rproseus had this to say about "Invalid Item" ...Don't figure I'll get the time of day, but WTH I figure bother someone long enough and I'll get noticed. Here's to hoping, vain though it may be. Sounds to me like someone was needing some reviewing help. How many readers will stop in with a review to help them out?
scrange wrote in with this...Hey thanks for putting all of those items together in an easy to find format :) Every time I look up contests and activities, the listings all seem jumbled with stories and random links to random places. I'm happy to have found a few new places to wander to while I'm whiling away time online. I'm enclosing a link to a story that recently won a writer's cramp (one of my favorite contests) that I'd really like some reviews on. I'll be most grateful for a plug on your page! "Invalid Item" .
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful  wrote...Always fun. "Monster City Police Force" |
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Contests & Activities: October 26, 2011 Issue [#4680]
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