For quite some time, I've felt that we don't do enough to engage new members and entice them to stick around and become active participants in the IAP community. We get thousands of visitors daily who arrive from a Google search looking for a specific piece of information. An average of about 10 per day take the time to join, look around, maybe even ask a few questions. But very few become active members of our community. I would like to do more to bring these new members "into the action" and keep them around. Unless we continuously sow seeds of interest in new members, we'll eventually wither and die. The lifeblood of any society is the fresh perspective and enthusiasm of its new members.
To address this situation, I've created the position of NEW MEMBER ADVOCATE, and I've somehow convinced an outstanding candidate to take on this challenge.
Please welcome the first occupant of that position, Mr. Edgar Dohmann. ([profile]edohmann[/profile])
Last December, Edgar asked me if he could do anything to help with IAP management. On and off since then, we've brainstormed a few ideas. We both recognized the problem of retaining new members, and agreed that a position such as "New Member Advocate" could be a good start at helping new members engage in the community and decide to stick around.
The three main objectives of the position are:
Some specific initiatives Edgar will be pursuing:
I've had many email exchanges with Edgar and as you've probably noticed as well, he's a calm, patient, friendly guy, and is someone I think represents the "personality" of the management team and the IAP and is very well suited to bringing new members into the organization.
Edgar will be a full member of the IAP Management Team, and will have a dedicated forum for communicating with members. (Watch for that showing up in the next few days...)
Please join me in welcoming Edgar to this position, and please consider helping him out when he comes calling.
Edgar, please accept my sincere personal thanks for the generosity of your time. This forum would have folded years ago without the help of people like you.
To address this situation, I've created the position of NEW MEMBER ADVOCATE, and I've somehow convinced an outstanding candidate to take on this challenge.
Please welcome the first occupant of that position, Mr. Edgar Dohmann. ([profile]edohmann[/profile])
Last December, Edgar asked me if he could do anything to help with IAP management. On and off since then, we've brainstormed a few ideas. We both recognized the problem of retaining new members, and agreed that a position such as "New Member Advocate" could be a good start at helping new members engage in the community and decide to stick around.
The three main objectives of the position are:
- Help new members feel welcome and encourage them to participate in IAP activities and forum discussions by reducing the intimidation factor that often comes with joining a new public forum
- Come up with creative ways to bring in new members and encourage them to stick around
- Keep the management team informed as to what changes and improvements we can make to help this effort
Some specific initiatives Edgar will be pursuing:
- Develop activities and services for new members
- Communicate with new members, describing the activities and services and encouraging them to post in the introduction forum
- Send special invitations to recent new members encouraging them to participate in events like The Bash and Summer Extravaganza
- Host special activities for new members. One possibility is a monthly blank & goodies box drawing for those new members who have posted an Introduction thread within the previous month.
- Serve as a contact for new members to submit questions and concerns via PM if they are not yet comfortable with posting to a public forum, while at the same time encouraging them to make public posts for broader responses to their questions.
- Work with Wayne Wracinowski (wracinowski) and Chris Cannon (thewishman) on development of a Beginner's Guide to IAP and a Beginner's Guide to Pen Turning. These would be organized & indexed hyperlink guides to IAP Library tutorials & other on-line information.
- Recruit a small New Member Support Team to assist with some of the service & support activities for new members
I've had many email exchanges with Edgar and as you've probably noticed as well, he's a calm, patient, friendly guy, and is someone I think represents the "personality" of the management team and the IAP and is very well suited to bringing new members into the organization.
Edgar will be a full member of the IAP Management Team, and will have a dedicated forum for communicating with members. (Watch for that showing up in the next few days...)
Please join me in welcoming Edgar to this position, and please consider helping him out when he comes calling.
Edgar, please accept my sincere personal thanks for the generosity of your time. This forum would have folded years ago without the help of people like you.
