What Halloween Can Teach Us About Community Management

When we were kids, Halloween was a big deal. Going door-to-door with friends and seeing who could collect the most candy was a highlight of the year. But now we’re adults, and we’re on the other side of the door. And for some reason, we feel slighted if children don’t come to our house demanding treats.

Likewise, those of us in the online community business worry whether or not people will come and knock on our virtual doors and see what goodies our communities have to offer. So let’s embrace the spirit of the season with this Halloween take on community management.

Make sure the pumpkin is lit

A glowing jack-o-lantern is the universal welcome sign for trick-or-treaters. Make sure you give a similar cue to those that visit your community. The entryway should be welcoming and clearly spell out what’s in store for those who enter. Don’t spook newcomers by requiring registration just to look around.

Don’t make it too scary

If your Halloween decorations are too spooky, you’ll scare off some of the younger kids who might have otherwise come to visit. If your community is too intimidating, you’ll never get lurkers to join in the conversation. Make sure everybody feels comfortable posting. Never give them a hard time for failing to follow rules about where and how to post (if needed, give them a gentle reminder couched  in a hearty welcome).

Make sure you have enough candy

If kids knock on the door and you’re out of candy, you may be spending November 1st cleaning toilet paper and eggs off your house. When people visit your community, make sure you have plenty of “treats” on hand. That means engaging content that invites newcomers to participate.

Set down the candy rules

When we give out candy, we tell the kids how many pieces they can help themselves to. Otherwise, some of the more aggressive kids will just grab as much as they can. Set down rules for your community as well. Not everyone will read them, but you can always refer back to them if and when somebody crosses the line.

Keep it fun

If Halloween isn’t fun, what’s the point? Your community needs to have an element of fun as well. Even if you manage an internal corporate community or one dedicated to helping people do their jobs better, there’s always time for a fun poll or offbeat story. On Delphi Forums, we have very active community for home improvement professionals. In one of the more active threads in that forum, people are sharing pictures of their kids in their Halloween costumes .

Are you doing anything to mark Halloween in your community? Share your ideas in the comments section.

Photo credit: Pedro J. Ferreira