How to Engage Your Fans and Followers With Awards

Continuing the conversation with your fans and followers is key to success in selling on the internet.  So the common question is... how do I build engagement and obtain a sense of community as well as increasing the value for everyone that is participating in my community or attending my online event.

One fabulous idea I've recently learned to implement is from the Virtual Event Minisite www.virtualeventminisite.com.

Building an awards and incentive program into your event can really pump up the energy and get people taking action, collaborating and interacting.  These are the 7 steps to build an engaging awards program.

1. Determine the measurement system.  What are people accumulating to qualify or compete for an award. This could be points, stars, gold bars, diamonds, have fun with this, make it relevant to your audience and content.
2. Determine the award structure. You could provide awards for:
• Top 2-3 people receive awards
• Every one that reaches a particular level in your program.
• Team challenge winners.  Put people into teams and have them compete for leveled prizes.
• Give awards each week or at the end.
3. Determine the awards. Here are some ideas:
• Upgrade to the next level of your program
• Promotion of their work/offer to your list
• Additional products- courses, books, etc.
• One on one coaching
4. Determine what you are going to award points for.  Some ideas of what you can award points for:
• Comments on your event site.
• Posts on Facebook
• Tweets
• Status Updates on Linked in
• YouTube Views and Comments - for example viewing the orientation video, or creating a YouTube video, Posting to a blog post
• Referring new members
• Logging into the event website
• Points for completing homework assignments
5. Set up the system for tracking the awards. You will need to track this either on a spreadsheet or another automated system that is built into your virtual event minisite.
6. Communicate the awards program clearly to participants.
7. Announce the winners and encourage people. Remind participants what the next award is that they can achieve.

 If you would like to learn how to automate this award program in your next online event, check out http://www.virtualeventminisite.com.

Freedom Exists in Love

Thank you Shiloh Sophia for teaching a wonderful process of painting with intention and meditation! This painting was an exercise in letting go of anger and the circumstances of the past. And a discovery... when you look at this picture what do you feel?  Can anger, hostility, frustration exist in the same space?