The art of getting people to create user generated content

Turning Wallflowers into DancersThe art of getting people to produce user generated content

ByPeter Katz

How much

There are many self organizing systems where people are consuming and producing user generated content.

Audiences will find new places to consume content if they aren’t constantly fed.

4 different principals to build a community of

creators

1. Mentor

Fanfiction.net has nearly 2.2 million fanfic readers/writers.

Fanfiction.net has nearly 2.2 million fanfic readers/writers.

They post their stories and offer constructive criticism to fellow authors.

Advice from site:

dogbertcarroll 2004-11-15 . chapter 1 Couple of minor problems. They need the blood of a Daywalker to complete the ritual. So what were they doing? You also glossed over all the interesting parts. Just the scene of Faith convincing Blade to open up is worth a chapter itself.

Advice from site:

movieexpert1978 2011-05-02 . chapter 3Interesting. Slow down with the characters. Once second sabrina is glaring and cursing at Lucian the next she's crying in his arms. Give the characters more time to develope that or some Explination better be coming up soon becuase i am very curious. Give some more detail. The dialogue is interesting as well. Good luck with the next chapter.

Advice from site:

2. Give props

Creators in real life can get validation in different ways.

Comedians get…

Musicians make people…

It should be fast/easy for audiences to praise user generated content.

Facebook and Youtube have Like buttons for their content.

You can even send a compliment to a Yelper

Yelp has Useful, Funny, and Cool buttons for reviews.

Yelp also lets you easily send compliments to reviewers.

3. Encourage remixes

One piece of content can multiply into new creations and continue the conversation with other artists.

Adrian Tomine’s illustration “Mixed Connections”

Remixes from

4. Exclusivity

To increase discussions on Huffington Post articles, the readers who comment the most are given a Super User badge next to their screen names:

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