Foundations for Group Engagement

Identify other Group Moderators - "Group Stewards"

Your group needs one or more dedicated stewards who are committed to building your community on Hylo, and can show up regularly to water the seeds, pull weeds, and harvest the abundance. As your group grows, participants will lend a hand more and more, until one day you have a collective of stewards caring for your group as a commons.

Identifying group stewards early on can allow you to co-create the foundation of your group, including identifying Group's purpose, values, and agreements.

• Who are the early adopters who will help steward your group and model behavior?

• Identify individuals who want to create engagement in your Group.

Create an Inviting Hylo Group

Help Group Members Feel at Home

As Hylo is your Group’s online home, there are ways you can curate your Group to feel more welcoming.

• Upload a banner image and a logo relevant to your Group

• Include a Group Description and Welcome Message on your Explore Page

• Moderators should build out their personal profiles to serve as a model for others.

• Add an "About Video," which can be a Youtube or Vimeo link about your Group. This will display on the Explore page under "About Us".

Clearly Communicate your Group’s Intention and Guidelines

Your Group's purpose and agreements are the foundation of the Group. Members will want to know why they are a part of the Group and how to engage. Here are some ways you can share this information on Hylo:

• Share your purpose in the Group Description.

• Include a Welcome Message on the Explore page with clear intentions for the Group.

• Add a Custom View with links to your website or other documentation you may have.

• Create a pinned post with how you want folks to engage in the the Group.

Populate Posts in your Group

Rather than inviting people to an empty Group, build up some content in your group with other moderators prior to inviting new members. Use various types of posts, comment on posts, and create conversations on Hylo! When users join, they will see that engagement already existing within your group and be inspired to follow suit.

Here are some example posts:

• Create an Event Post for a member meeting where you demo Hylo.

• Create introduction Posts where you introduce yourself and other Moderators.

• Create a Discussion Post where you post the question "What are you most excited about in joining this community?"