This website / social network

[Leif Hansen]

Well, by virtue of being the web guy here, seems like I should be part of this discussion. One question I have, as setting things up, is are intended audience for this site:
1) AIN Members
2) AIN Member Clients
3) The public

The reason being, if 2 and/or 3 are in mind, then we might need to reconsider what is in our profile. In other words their is a balance between personal/honest/open comments and other content, and that which we want anyone to see...

[Paul Z Jackson]

Hi Leif

In response to 'Who should be making these decisions?', it's preferably not the Board (a legally necessary formal body); rather the self-selected Leadership group, or more accurately those within that group who get involved in any particular decision. The principle is that of self-organisation. A good example is that you can do what you like with this website (Leif) and that in practice you are taking best-idea-at-the-time decisions, having consulted whoever you think worth consulting. If you do something we don't like, I guess people will let you know. Small steps at a time.

[Leif Hansen]

Thanks Paul, that was helpful to clarify.
-Leif

[Paula Beltgens]

Hi all,
I'm joining in because I'm interested in the AIN membership aspect and marketing is something to think about in that context.

Leif, in response to the question you've posed about who this site is for - my understanding was that it was for members. I notice a certain freedom I feel in writing posts knowing that they won't come up in any old Google hunt...I'm thinking that's true - is it?

On the other hand - it might be interesting to have part of the site devoted to clients and potential clients so they can get a sense of what this is all about. ...and now I'm wondering to myself if there is any reason they couldn't just see the whole site anyhow. You know, I think this is a bigger question than just a marketing one and maybe worth posting to the larger forum.

Cheers,
Paula

[Leif Hansen]

Hi Paula, thanks for your thoughts. Yes, it gets complicated to us. Just how much do we mean we are about transparency? (: Yet that is not totally fair as I do think there are some good/practical reasons to have a public and parters/private face. The confusing thing for me right now is the question of WHO should be making these decisions. I guess we now have a board and thats the best place to start. BTW, Johnnie started another forum called "Website Watercooler" where this issue is being talked about as well. One outcome is the new 'conferences' tab, which you can link to and has a much cleaner feel.
Cheers,
Leif

[Nicole Cramer]

I think there is room for all options but I feel the need to get our house in order, build the site membership and really form the community online before opening this forum up to the public/clients/potential clients.

Then that begs the question of our target for marketing beyond the web as well. What are we try to accomplish in the next year and where do we want to take all the interesting work that we are doing?
We are marketing to eachother and ourselves in the process as well. How do we get to known eachother better on all fronts so that we can unite to inform our larger communities.
I'm still chewing on all this but let's start talking...

[Paul Z Jackson]

I agree with Nic that this website IS marketing - and a jolly good start. In answer to Leif, I'd say this site is most definitely for AIN members - to expand our network by creating a social space for ourselves (practitioners) beyond the conference and occasional regional get-togethers. It may also attract and be visited by 2 and 3, so we shouldn't do anything that would put us in a bad light.

The next step for marketing will be to speak to current and potential AIN member clients. I guess that will need a different website, perhaps alongside some other approaches (viral marketing, a book, etc), or maybe eventually separate areas within this site.

[Nicole Cramer]

Paul - very interesting about viral marketing, especially in light of the case studies that you brought up at the conference. I'm attaching some work that my agency has done.
I think AIN will be viral in a nontraditional site, and has been thus far even in the case of how I found it and joined.
Just a case or two to continue the thinking. Obviously these are corporate and in a different realm but why not swipe the foundation of the idea:

[Brenda Parkerson]

Hello All,
I've just joined AIN and the marketing group. So I hope I can bring a fresh perspective to your discussion.

What I'm hearing is confusion about who the website is for, who makes decisions at AIN. And I also hear concerns around marketing approaches and the issue of confidntiality.

I see no reason why the website can't be for both members and potential clients. No-go areas for non-members are common and can help to keep sensitive information within the community, however, I believe it is naive to think that anything on the internet can be kept confidential. The Way Back Machine takes a snap shot of every website on a regular basis and archives it for anyone to access. And search engines love blogs - which is great for marketing, but no so great if you post something that could be damaging further down the line.

As for making decisions - you've got a board and a marketing group which seems to be led by Leif. Great - there's a decision making structure in place. Do you have a strategy and implementation plan (complete with assigned tasks)? Networks are funny things, because people come in and out on a personal as needed basis, networks tend to be difficult places to get things done.
Something this group could do is put together a plan to present to the board for approval. I'm assuming the board has some level of liability and therefore needs to approve things.

You've mentioned marketing approaches. AIN is already working virally through its members. That's how I found my way in. There are certainly more ways to do this that can be looked at within a strategy that identifies where AIN wants to be in two to three years time and within the bugetary contstraints and time constraints of people in the network.

I think its a very interesting website with some great people and really look forward to listening and learning more.

Brenda

[Paul Z Jackson]

Hi Brenda

Thanks for these comments. This website is doing fine as an attractor of applied improvisers, and also as a way of marketing ourselves to each other.

Next, we can consider marketing ourselves to prospective purchasers of applied improvisation - so far a largely unfulfilled aim of the AIN. Two strands for this might be:

1 Statements addressed by us (as the AIN) to such prospects, under headings such as 'If you are wondering what applied improvisation might bring you...' or '3 ways applied improv can get you better results'.

2 Some 'market-facing' information in our individual profiles, perhaps generated by profile questions such as 'What do you want to say to anyone searching this site for an applied improvisation provider?'

The first of these options is probably going to be easier and more fruitful to start.

If someone (or some combination) in the marketing group comes up with such a statement, we can post it (with Leif's help) as a section in the website - and make it clear that that's the place for seekers of services to look first. No further permissions are needed for us to do this. If it turns out to be a good thing, we can develop it further within the website, or start another (outward-facing) website, as we wish.

Any offers? Cheers, Paul.

[Leif Hansen]

Love the video Nicole, forgot to tell you earlier. Thanks!
-Leif