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.
The Behavior Change Checklist. Down With Gamefication - 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.
Inside the Austin Convention Center - 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
Downtown Austin
Rev. Andrew Conard 