Let's look at how members change levels over time and what actions the Orbit Model recommends to facilitate the journey.
Jeri is a Level 4 Explorer. Jeri reads the community's blog and has registered for an upcoming workshop. The Orbit Model recommends introducing Jeri to a few members who'll be at the workshop first. Let's do that.
Voilà! Thanks to the intros, Jeri had a great time at the workshop and already signed up for the next one. Jeri's also planning to meet regularly with some members she met. We can now say that Jeri has reached the next level as a Participant.
By facilitating an increase in reach as the same time as love, we increased the chance of Jeri moving to the next level.
Now, let's assume Jeri's been meeting regularly with members for a while and Jeri's network is strong for a Participant. What does the path to becoming a Contributor look like?
In this situation, the Orbit Model recommends increasing love since reach is already high. To do this, let's invite Jeri to step up and lead some workshops.
Jeri accepted the invitation and has now led a few workshops. Her expertise, commitment level, and network have increased in the process.
After a call with Jeri to confirm that this is sustainable, we're excited to welcome Jeri to the Contributor level. We now count Jeri among our actively invested members.
Fast forward six months and Jeri has continued to lead workshops, coordinate introductions, and has expressed interest in helping organize the community's annual conference. Hooray!
To help Jeri develop further, the Orbit Model recommends comparing Jeri's activities to those of members at the next level, Advocates. It turns out that every Advocate plays a big role in the community's conference, so asking Jeri to be involved there is a smart next move.
At the conference Jeri gave a presentation, MC'd for one full day, and met all of the members considered to be at the Advocate level. The delta between Jeri's activities and those of the Advocates has shrunk over time and is now negligible.
As a community builder, you decide that Jeri is ready to be considered an Advocate. Nice work! You speak to Jeri about joining your Ambassador program, open only to members at the Advocate level.
As a community builder, Jeri's member journey is one you're sure to be proud of. But it's by no means the only valid journey, nor the final stop in Jeri's.
As a community builder your job is to activate, nurture, and retain members by helping them take the right steps in their journey. Knowing their love, reach, and history will help you make the right decisions.