My #SXSW Interactive Experience – Day 2

I came to SXSW Interactive 2011 to gain perspectives, discover technology and learn practical steps that will help Resurrection Online fulfill our purpose of building a Christian community where non and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians. I hope to share some highlights and next steps from the day for Resurrection Online and myself.

My Experience – Day 2

• Groupon was originally a spinoff to financially support a social good website – http://www.thepoint.com. They are now living out this mission through http://www.groupon.com/g-team.
• I enjoyed using Uber to catch a ride on a pedicab for one trip between venues.
• Great time sharing meals and conversation
• Lunch with Vince Marotte, Matt McKee and Andre Barnes
• Supper with DJ Chuang

How Many Rungs?: Social Change & the Engagement Ladder

• Most of the most important actions you may hope to influence do not happen online.
• Micro-donors are making an emotional connection to a cause – They don’t care if you are tax-deductible or not.
• Help everyone take the next step in their engagement instead of focusing on how many people are at a particular engagement level.
• Choose one technology platform that you can use well instead of multiple platforms that you do not use well.
• Help people know that they are truly able to make a difference in the world.

Are Your Customers a Crowd or a Community?

• Crowds: receive information passively; have pride; are looking for benefits; driven by connection; prefer to get; powered by inspiration; are sustained by service
• Communities: need a forum to communicate and interact; have purpose; are looking to belong; driven by collaboration; prefer to give; powered by influence; are sustained by story
• Belonging can never be commoditized.
• You do not have to scale the resources to connect the community and organization if you allow the whole community to belong to each other.
• Do you have more places for your constituents to connect (listen and respond) or collaborate (influence next steps)?

Keynote: Seth Priebatsch

• The previous decade was about the social layer – taking connections to family and friends online.
• The next decade will be about the game layer – using game mechanics in the real world to motivate action.
• The game layer may give us tools to make an impossible problem possible.
• It is a huge win to move a problem from impossible to very difficult.
• A group may be able to quickly solve a complex problem when given clear rules.

The Behavior Change Checklist. Down With Gamefication

• The secret to behavior change is a feedback loop – an understanding of what one’s actions and how they affect things.

  

• To create a feedback loop move data to meaning, meaning to actionability and actionability to data.
• Our mind turns a feedback loop into a game.
• Time discounting and delayed gratification are two major barriers to behavior change.
• Time discounting refers to the greater value that is placed on enjoyment now over enjoyment in the future.

Lurkers: Your Most Important Community Members

• At times, lurker = learner. People want to gain more information about the organization.
• Everyone who becomes an active part of a community begin as lurkers.
• The most active community members will cycle in and out over time.
• Helping lurkers take one sharing opportunity is critical to ensure a continuing active community
• Create the opportunity for people to engage as soon as they begin.

Next Steps for Resurrection Online

• Focus on a single platform and use it very well before expanding.

  

• Encourage offline actions (love your neighbor) through what happens online.
• Develop a way to share and receive stories of people who worship with Resurrection Online.
• Create opportunities to live out attributes of a community for Resurrection Online
• Create opportunities for Resurrection Online regulars to influence future development.
• What would a game layer would look like for the journey of knowing, loving and serving God?
• What would a game layer would look like for worship at Resurrection Online?
• Create feedback loops for membership expectations.
• Pay attention to whether those that share feedback are regulars at Resurrection Online
• Practice random acts of connection among regulars – email, phone, letter.
• Create predictable programs to invite people to engage – once a week, first Monday, etc.
• Facilitate connections among regular worshipers that are in similar situations
• Create the opportunity for people to engage from the very first time they worship online

Next Steps for Me

• Where can I be involved in making a difference that has a multiplier effect?
• Be active in communities of which I am a part.
• Try out http://scvngr.com.
• Check out TED Talks, each from a Seth – http://bit.ly/glpy5p and http://bit.ly/fNaJPC
• Create additional feedback loops around my desired behavior change.
• Become a lurker/learner in some new online communities.

Sites to Investigate 

 

• volunteermatch.org
• causes.com
• change.org
• jumo.com
• thelevelup.com
• scvngr.com
• massiveh.com
• moodscope.com
• socialeyes.com