October 29, 2012 Assignment

In Design to Thrive chapter 7 reading, Howard discusses techniques to make people feel significant to your social network. I found this section to be engaging because there are so many companies in need of this on their websites.

The list of techniques on page 186 covers the following: Provide a story that shares a vision, list members accomplishments, participate in influential communities to create trails back to yours, build your social network or community in a custom space, make connections with other leaders in social media, celebrate celebrities, create a contest or a game or a video, and mobilize your existing members.

Looking at this list makes me think of a project I am working on for another class. We are having to create a social media marketing plan for the Clemson Mocha Club because their existence on social media pages is lacking. The National Mocha Club's vision is to change Africa and it supports five core projects - orphan care, education, hiv/

aids medication, child mothers+women at risk, and clean water. They keep their members engage by posting success stories regularly. This relates to the technique "list members' accomplishments" because members donate $7 a month (equivalent to giving up two mochas) and that money goes towards those five projects. When a success story occurs, it is because 

the members stayed true to the organization and donated their $7 each month. 

Thinking about many other examples, like the Mocha Club, the list of techniques is extremely crucial in creating a significance for members of companies or organizations on social networks.