influence - Cultivating Community2024-03-29T09:37:43Zhttps://cultivate.ning.com/ning-blog/feed/tag/influencePower and Influencehttps://cultivate.ning.com/ning-blog/power-and-influence2014-07-02T16:30:00.000Z2014-07-02T16:30:00.000ZRichard Millingtonhttps://cultivate.ning.com/community/RichardMillington<div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1282087?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1282087?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"></a>You don’t have much power.</p>
<p>You can remove people and posts. You can write announcements. You can probably prioritise the content of some people above others. That’s about it.</p>
<p>You can’t use your power to get any member to do anything. Much of what we recommend is impossible unless you have influence. You can have influence in one or two ways.</p>
<p>1) You can become a highly respected and influential power user in your community.</p>
<p>2) You can develop great relationships with respected and highly influential members of the community.</p>
<p>You have a choice. Do you spend your time becoming the most influential member of your community or by becoming great friends with the most influential members of your community. The former is more tempting. It’s great if everybody knows your name. But it is a lot more work.</p>
<p>It’s easier to identify the key people and build strong relationships with them. Give them real power and then when you need something to happen, letting them know.</p>
<p>Start today. Pick the five people who made the biggest contributions in the past month and introduce yourself. Ask them how you can help them improve the community. You have to give before you get. Work hard to help the key people in your community before you ask the key people to help you.</p>
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<p><em>(Image via The Noun Project)</em></p></div>Influencing Community Members [Video]https://cultivate.ning.com/ning-blog/influencing-community-members-video2013-08-17T00:20:00.000Z2013-08-17T00:20:00.000ZAllison Leahyhttps://cultivate.ning.com/community/allisonleahy<div><p>Gone are the days of ruling an online community with only a scepter and your royal lineage. Modern times have proven that there are three paths to gaining influence in your community: likability, reciprocity, and expertise.</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/72447140?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=75af42" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>The first, likability, is the most common path people take, and it is the most difficult. It is saturated -- most people in your community want to be liked. It is also dependent upon maintaining a positive communication style in even the most difficult of situations (read: patience, verbal smiles). So, if you're aiming to lead the community to great things via likability, you may want to give it a second thought. Or, at the very least, weave some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocity_(social_and_political_philosophy)" target="_blank">reciprocity philosophy</a> into your community strategy. Take notes along the way, too. You don't want to wake up five months later and realize you've only managed to convert six friendlies.</p>
<p>If likability and reciprocity are such time intensive and tricky ways to gain influence in your community, what is the most direct way to gaining the kind of influence that will allow you to really drive your community's success? Expertise. Note that expertise is an especially effective path toward influence in communities of practice where intellect, experience, generosity, and communication skills combine to make the most potent community influence cocktail on the planet.</p>
<p>What is your style of community management? How do you leverage your own influence to get things done in the community? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you!</p>
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