On the TV show Cheers, Coach would slide a beer toward the end of the bar, knowing that Norm would catch it as he sat down in the last stool on the end. And when my family goes out to eat at the local spaghetti joint, the servers know that my son always wants the cat picture to color while we're waiting for our food.
Online community tools and social media help every online storefront be Cheers. Visitors to your site should feel greeted (NORM!) and comfortable engaging with you.
3 things you can do right now to be Cheers
- Publicly welcome new visitors/members
- Don't stay behind the bar; come out and play pool sometimes
- Encourage friendly rivalry (remember the fancy bar upstairs?)
Social media is becoming so pervasive that it can be ironically impersonal. So when you're mingling in your own online community, try remembering your members' drink orders and get involved in some hijinks.
What things do you already do to welcome people to your storefront?
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