The document discusses different techniques for increasing user engagement and participation on websites and online platforms. It suggests reducing the cost of participation compared to free options, designing for ego rather than self-promotion, using reputation systems, recognition, popularity rankings, and relevant metrics. Social factors that can encourage participation include social pressure, herd mentality, reciprocity, publicly made commitments, and discovery.
Successful cases of crowdsourcing/user participation
Reduce friction Capture the moment – Netflix / Amazon star rating, Yelp useful yes / no buttons Lower the barrier to entry.
What’s In It For Me? People make actions for self interest that results in a common good
Ebay and Yelp – people are publicly rated
first / leader - Yelp - first to review Elite status
Fans, Followers Stumbleupon, Yelp, Digg, Twitter
Amazon Reviewer Rank
Show me Metrics that I care about + relevant to me
People don’t participate because of the high labor cost. The amount of work involved. Make it so that the social cost of not participating is greater
LinkedIn eHarmony
Social Pressure - my friends have posted # articles or their profile is x% complete Conformity
Social Pressure - my friends have posted # articles or their profile is x% complete Conformity
Popularity lists reduce cognitive load
Facebook Werewolf App – you bite me, I’m more likely to bite you back LinkedIn endorsement / recommendation – you’re more likely to recommend a person if they’ve recommended you Prof. Dennis Regan, Cornell University experiment. Raffle tickets favor. Free Coke vs no free coke prior. Twice as many tickets with Coke.
Other examples include Super Poke, and X-me Facebook apps
Social Psychologists Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard. Experiment: Estimate length of lines Group A: Commit themselves publicly by writing down and signing names Group B: Commit themselves privately by writing down and erase before anyone saw Group C: No commitment, kept private Chance to change their estimates with new knowledge Group B Significatly less willing to change their minds. By far most committed and stubborn was Group A. More effort involved. You convince yourself with the extra effort.
Facebook: People you may know Changing world keeps you coming back – World of Warcraft, Second Life Moments of serendipity