Grow Your Active Members with a Simple Rewards System
Last updated
Last updated
Make a guess: what percentage of your community members are actively participating?
You might estimate the percentage to be around 20, 30 or even 40%, but research suggests that the number is actually closer to 10%, especially as your community grows bigger. It does seem a tad discouraging, but not to worry, it just means that there is room for improvement!
Here's where this article will come in handy for you: we'll explain how you can grow your active members by creating sustainable reward systems for your community.
Why are reward systems important?
What are your members motivated by?
How do you utilise the appropriate reward systems to encourage participation?
It's the old adage of positive reinforcement - reward behaviour or achievements with a positive association to encourage more engagement and contributions within your community!
A good rewards system can incentivise community members to participate in activities, create a sense of belonging, loyalty, and trust within the community, and improve your community outreach efforts. It's even better if your systems are designed to meet your community's needs, and are aligned with your goals and visions - a simple feat you can achieve through creating a .
We've broken down different member motivations into 4 distinct categories:
Appreciation and Recognition
Everyone wants to feel appreciated for their efforts once in awhile, no matter how small or big. You could recognise these efforts with a simple "Thank You" post or a detailed one for those who have climbed your leaderboard. It's important to spotlight your members as soon as these achievements have been unlocked, and award them appropriate titles where necessary!
Badges for different stages of the leaderboard e.g. keeping a streak, advancing to the next level, big improvements in moving up the rank etc.
"Member of the Month" appreciation post to recognise your most active members with the most contributions, whether they are at the top of the leaderboard or not.
"Welcome New Members" posts with fun facts to start the conversations rolling.
"Project Contributors" to highlight each person's effort in any project.
Tangible Rewards
Tangible rewards like snacks and goodies never fail to encourage others, and it takes little effort on your part to make someone's day. The best part, you can budget as little or as much as you want, so you don't have to break the bank if you don't want to! Here are some examples of tangible rewards you could incorporate into your systems:
Cash prizes: Create a tiered system which works for both small tasks and big projects.
Swag Pack: Include your brand merchandise, snacks, stickers, anything to make your members feel appreciated.
Coupons for snack redemptions e.g. Ice cream cart, soda, coffee etc., an especially effective way to create event engagement.
Travel Compensation e.g. Flight Tickets for members giving speeches abroad etc.
Career Minded - Experience, Skill Building, Networking
Some of your members might be more interested in up-skilling themselves and creating a robust portfolio for their career. You can cater to this need by providing a space for members to display their contributions and easily share their achievements to their social networks. They would also likely be interested in networking opportunities to seek career advice and job offers.
Project Showcase: Allow members to exhibit their work, experiences and skills.
Acknowledgment Badges: Introduce visual badges or graphics for members showcasing their project contributions on multiple platforms.
Committee Roles: Award appropriate titles to members who have made contributions to the team e.g. Team Lead
Partnership Initiatives: Offer exclusive networking opportunities.
Exclusive Sessions: Host Q&A sessions as a way to connect with industry players.
Early Access to New Releases, Feature Updates, Beta Programmes
Finally, if you have members who like being trendsetters, then they would likely be encouraged by access to new releases, beta programmes and other exclusive access to product updates. These people are interested in testing out products and are always looking for the next big thing! You could reward those who have achieved multiple milestones, completed a timed challenge, or for those at the top of the leaderboard.
Try to build your systems using a variety of methods to match various driving motivations - It is important to remember that your community has a diverse range of people and there is no "one size fits all" solution. Why not create a system where members can choose their reward from a given selection? This will encourage participation from a diverse range of motivations for a common goal.
Combine tangible rewards and recognition for lower tier achievements e.g:
Refer a friend to our event to redeem 2 free ice cream coupons or $2 off the event ticket.
Participate in 10 community activities to get our Swag Pack or a free ticket to our next event.
Complete the feedback form for food vouchers worth $5.
Create exclusive perks and opportunities for top contributors e.g:
Complete 10 quests each month for 3 months to be awarded "Top contributor of the Quarter Badge".
Be a Top Contributor, and submit 2 projects to gain access to our next Beta Programme launch or get a Q&A session with our mentors.
Get a $50 cash reward for being no.1 on the leaderboard at the end of the year, and receive an invite to our networking session with partnering brands.
Whatever you decide, be sure to be transparent with your reward metrics and display them in an accessible format for all members. This ensures fairness and legitimacy in the reward system which makes it sustainable in the long run.
The best method is to seek on the ground feedback from your members and incorporate them into your system. You can also look at what works for other developer communities, ambassador programmes and etc. Create fluid systems which allow you to experiment and make improvements along the way - these small additions can help grow your active members and build your dream community!
