A hot topic in our project right now is what is the best method kick off member recruitment?
Just opening up for anybody to sign up or to do the “invite a limited number of friends”-thing?
Of course, opening up for anybody makes it easy for Tom, Dick and Harry to join the community. But does it create the buzz? I’d say no.
A limited invitations to friends, on the other hand, might reduce the number of spontaneous sign-ups, but would help spreading the word. Since all other communities seem to do it this way, it probably works the best. (And, of course, it could always be coupled with an option to ask the team for an invitation.)
But then comes the next question, how many invitations per member and how do you earn new invitations or do you just get new invitations by a fixed number each day or week?
I’m inclined to vote for ten invitations initially and then one added for each log-on. That would keep the technical complexity reasonable. Alternatives to that would be two new for each you send. Or some function of your level of activity in the community. But would really the added value be worth the technical complexity. I doubt it and I guess that Toby would agree.
September 1, 2007 at 3:42 pm
> Alternatives to that would be two new for each you send
What kind of math is that? Then there is no limitations in your limitation logic.
September 1, 2007 at 11:16 pm
It’s poor maths.
That’s why I won’t vote for it.
But it highlights another aspect of member invitations, the possibility of somehow rewarding members who actively recruit new members. But, as you rightly point out, this isn’t the way to do it.
September 6, 2007 at 6:48 pm
We have had a lot of emails since Bob posted this entry asking when we’re going to open up for member-to-member invitations. We expect to enable this within three weeks, so if you have a nice friend that is a already a member chances are good that s/he will invite you before September is over.