An iGrOOp without members is like a webpage without visitors -- pointless.  Just by creating an iGrOOp and adding content, you will get some exposure with the search engines.  But to really build membership, you will need to do some "work".

Traditional offline and online marketing techniques will work just fine in marketing your iGrOOp and building membership.  Obviously, marketing is a very general subject in which countless books exist.  Offline and online marketing techniques are beyond the scope of this document.  This document was created to get in to specifics on how iGrOOp administrators can use some of the tools and features specific to iGrOOps to increase membership.

Here are some ideas on how you can increase membership to your iGrOOp:

•  Activate trial memberships.  Have a solid plan to convert trial members into paying members.  Using the membership database, you can see all trial members in the order they joined.  You can then send them private messages asking them for feedback on your groop and inviting them to join as permanent members.
•  Seed your groop with active members by using prepaid memberships.  Give people you know will be active free memberships in exchange for their services.  Have them enter content and be active in the communications.
• Send people to your homepage.  Use your message of the day to give clear instructions on how to join and restate the benefits of joining.
• Forward a custom domain name to your iGrOOp homepage.  Most domain registrars will allow you to forward your domains to any URL.  Your own domain will be beneficial in your online and offline marketing.
• Open your apps for guest/world viewing.  Allow everyone to read certain content, but have them join if they would like to add content and communicate with other members.  The more content the search engines can pick up, the more exposure your iGrOOp will have.
• Use Meebo™ for sales.  Activate the Meebo client in your homepage settings for sales and be there to answer any questions from guests. 
• Use RSS feeds on your home page.  In the homepage settings, you can include one or more RSS feeds.  This will add dynamic content to your homepage that is updated every hour.  These feeds will stimulate conversation and activity, thus increasing membership.
• Use the "benefits" feature of your iGrOOps in your "administrator settings" to "sweeten the deal" for potential members.
• Use your iGrOOp tools and applications to promote your iGrOOp.
  • Create A/V presentations on the benefits of your iGrOOp, similar to the one we created for iGrOOps on the iGrOOps homepage.
  • Create a world-readable blog.  Blogs will get picked up and drive traffic to your iGrOOp.
  • Create a world-readable calendar.  Any events you can make public?
  • Create FAQs.  Again the point is to create content that will drive traffic to your iGrOOp.
  • Reviews.  Allow guests to read reviews related to your groop topic.  If guests wish to add comments or add a rating, they will need to become a member :)
  • Share video.  You can simply find an amusing or interesting video from any video website and add it to your iGrOOp using the "embed code" feature.  Then, using the video share feature send out this video to prospects.
• Allow and encourage members to create their own webpage.  Activate this application and promote it .  When your members create their own webpages, they are driving traffic to your iGrOOp.
• Use the invite feature to invite prospects to your iGrOOp, and encourage your members to use this feature as well.
• Make sure you enter good keywords in your "basic configurations" for your iGrOOp.  These keywords are used in the HTML coding of your iGrOOp.

Hopefully this is enough to get you started.  Once you have an active group of members who are passionate about your iGrOOp, membership will start to grow on its own.  But until that time, you need to take action to make it happen.

Any ideas we left out?  Comment below!