Now that You Have a Group
So, if you already had a group or have started one while reading this series (Part I), it’s time to give it some love. Feeding it links is a good start, and you’ll be amazed at what happens organically, but here are a few hints on how to kick start the activity.
Spread the Word
Odds are pretty good that you know other people interested in the same subject, so go to the main page for the group and click on the “Recommend Group” button to invite folks to join it. This is a super fast way to spread the word about your new group to friends on Ma.gnolia, as well as to people who have never visited the site before, as you can send the invite to people via your Ma.gnolia contact list, or outside e-mail addresses.
Adding Links and the Hot Groups List
Good links, that are on the topic are the best way to expand the group, but just as important is maintaining a steady stream of these links. When you first set up your group, one of the best ways to get it noticed is to fill it with links right away, as that may get your new collection listed in the Hot Groups section of Ma.gnolia for a little while. The size of the group doesn’t matter - the activity within the group does. This is great as it evens the playing field for new, small groups compared to the older large ones. If your group’s subject appeals to an audience that wants to contribute, you’ll find that the group periodically returns to this list as more and more people participate.
Talking to Your Group
Ma.gnolia has some great functionality that is under-utilized. As a group manager, you have the ability to send a message to all members of your group, and while you don’t want to spam them, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional message to remind them of the group, promote some interesting links, or ask for links on a specific topic. You can also utilize the discussion boards attached to each group to generate conversation and some activity. The boards don’t always garner a lot of participation, but that is easily remedied if you post some good topics. You’ll find that each group contains some people who would absolutely love the opportunity to talk about the group’s subject, or provide ideas that could improve the group.
Ultimately, the best way to expand your group, is to rely on your members, giving them every opportunity to add to it. We joined Ma.gnolia because we want to share our interests, so the easier you make it, and the more excitement you have for the subject, the better your group will be.
More to Come
I hope this has helped you expand your group. This is just one in a series of articles about Ma.gnolia, so please check back in the next few days, or subscribe to my feed.
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Hey there, Alex. Thanks for the helpful posts. It’s funny, actually. I was going to ask you about this very topic. Thanks!
Another good technique is to take advantage the “group badge” for posting around sites. Which is found at the “Get a Button link” near the bottom of the group’s page.
You’re very welcome Chris! The next post in the series will post a bit later today. I hope it is helpful as well.
Your idea about using the group badge is a good one. I don’t use badges nearly enough… I think I will spend some time on creating badges for my group over this next week.
Cheers!
I would like to set up a group with my colleagues teaching ESL to adult students with low-level literacy skills (often in their own language as well as English). My colleagues know less about web2 than I do (and I’m still really on a steep learning curve with all this), so I’d like something that’s really user-friendly.
How do you think ma.gnolia compares with say Ning and Google Groups - both of which I’m contemplating using. I’ve had trouble in the past with ma.gnolia re signing on again once I’ve set it up but I like the look and feel of this site that I’d like to try again.
Is it possible to edit my posts?
Hi Rebecca, the three sites you listed have different purposes, so a lot will depend upon what capabilities you want to use.
Ma.gnolia is ultimately a site for sharing links, and while it has some basic forum and messaging, it may not be ideal as the central hub for a group like yours.
Google Groups is great as a mailing list / forum and it makes it very easy to share documents amongst the group, but it can take a bit of learning to use it to the fullest.
Ning has a ton of capabilities, but it is also the service that I am least familiar with, so I don’t know how it stacks up compared to the other two. I’ve heard great things about the platform though.
Depending on the amount of time you have available, I would recommend setting up an account with each service and testing them out prior to choosing one. That way you’ll know which feels right and provides you with the tools needed to get the job done.
As for editing your comment, it looks like I need to add a link that makes it easy for people to do that. Sorry that the capability isn’t available at the moment.