TheSwagGuy Eats RIBS

The meat of Howard's Design to Thrive comes in the form of RIBS. Chapters four through seven focus on his four key elements of designing lasting social networks or online communities: renumeration, influence, belonging, and significance. In these sections, Howard not only defines these terms for his readers, but he also debunks myths of what others have termed them to be. What I like best, though, about the format of these chapters in particular is the practical nature of it and the straightforward "how-to"s he suggests for each principle.

In the "R" section, Howard discusses the principle of renumeration, explaining that users of a social network or online community expect a positive investment on time spent in the network or online community. I absolutely agree with this principle and doubt that many would disagree. What I think most people would disagree on, which Howard mentions in this section, is what type of renumeration people are expecting in the network or community. I think this largely depends on the type of site that is being designed. Howard points out that businesses often continuously think from a business mindset, either denying the user experience, adopting it after the functionality has fully developed (leaving little room for a good user experience to be developed), or look at renumeration from a purely business standpoint. Touching on this last point, Howard explains that all users are not looking for monetary renumeration; most are looking for an experience, and it is up to the creators of that site to determine what experience the users want and need and to do their best to not only help create it but to help facilitate it as well. He provides a checklist of techniques with suggestions as to how to increase the renumeration of the site, all of which I think are helpful. The one that I liked the best, though, was number nine: create a regular event.

One of the online communities that I have been a part of is Swagbucks, a group of users who earn "bucks" for searching the web, taking polls, taking surveys, and completing tasks. The Swagbucks staff do a good job of facilitating discussion on discussion boards and placing "codes" on the web for users to find on other networks like Facebook and Twitter to earn extra bucks as well. What they do best, though, I think, is create regular events. Each Friday, they have Mega Swagbucks Day, a day where Swagbucks users have a higher opportunity to earn bucks on searches. On this day, they send out several tweets and Facebook posts reminding users to search for extra Swagbucks, and they encourage other users to post, too. To encourage more user posts, they occasionally reward users with extra bucks just for posting that they won some Mega Swagbucks. (Click here for details on Mega Swagbucks Day).

Swagbucks' regular event - Mega Swagbucks Day - not only increases renumeration for their users, but it also helps to provide Howard's "I" influence element. As users post on sites such as Twitter and Facebook that they are winning Mega Swagbucks, other non-users become aware of the site and go to visit it for the first time. They will also likely be able to see Swagbucks members interacting directly with  TheSwagGuy or TheSwagGal, who will listen to and respond to feedback that users are giving on Facebook/Twitter/SwagBlog. Having this community extend into these social networks allows visitors the ability to see the influence that users are having on the community itself, something that will likely increase the number of users interested in being a part of the site. And, once they get to the Swagbucks site, users are not overwhelmed with what to do - there is a friendly video on the homepage that explains the gist of the community and explains how getting started works - allowing users to start interacting from the very beginning because they will understand how it works. (Click here for homepage with video).

Swagbucks also creates a sense of belonging among its users. While it uses some elements from Howard's book such as corporate branding and the establishment of symbols, colors, and visual identities, the primary way that they create belonging is through the level of communication that occurs between the individual users as well as the SwagTeam. Swagbucks is trying to increase its branding by encouraging members to use their bucks to purchase items with the SwagLogo on it such as T-shirts, mouse pads, desktop backgrounds, etc., but I have not seen much of that catch on yet.

Swagbucks' significance is shown to users through many of the techniques mentioned in Howard's chapter; however, there is a one additional technique that they would likely benefit from implementing. It needs to work on balancing the paradox of exclusivity. Right now, the site is open to anyone, and other users are practically begging people to sign up under them because of a short-term pyramid reward system. This takes away any element of exclusivity and makes the community less appealing. I'm not sure how Swagbucks can balance this better, though, because if they continue to offer the pyramid rewards for getting new users, then Swagbucks users will continue to invite others to join under their names, and it will continue to feel kind of needy. At the same time, this is a key marketing ploy - they have their users doing their legwork and inviting others while at the same time rewarding them by giving them bucks for it. Perhaps this is something that Swagbucks will have to live with as it is already doing many of the other techniques that Howard suggests in the significance section, primarily mobilizing its members and creating contests, games, and videos.

All in all, I think Howard's book provides excellent, practical strategies for providing a productive and enjoyable user experience within social networks and online communities. Those who are creating these types of sites would benefit from reading these techniques and implementing the ones that would best suit their users' needs. TheSwagGuy, I hope you're listening.

And, finally, if you'd like to sign up for Swagbucks, please do so, and by all means, use the following link: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/kbellby.