From Homer to Hollywood, Troubadours to Tweeters, stories have entertained, informed, bonded and reminded us who we are.

These are critical benefits for communities.

They’re vehicles for shared memories. They’re the narratives and dramas that vividly describe why we’re together, what we’ve done and why others should join.

The most successful recruiters into networks and groups (including religions) are good storytellers. They’ll dramatize how and why they joined. They’ll tell stories about the group’s successes, and it’s memorable events and moments. They’ll narrate how people were transformed after they joined, or how the world became a better place because of the actions of the network.

Stories can be written testaments of events, achievements, and sometimes disappointments. They can also be videos. And photos can be worth a thousand words. Post them on your site. Scrapbook events. Nominate a member to be the documentarian of what the community has done, whether it’s a successful barbecue or a change in legislation.

Identify stories that brilliantly articulate what your community stands for and what it’s achieved… and post them prominently on your site to demonstrate why people should join. Circulate them to members to remind them why they have joined. Use them to the spread the message of the network’s purpose to members and potential members alike.

An active community will keep its members. But being obviously active will attract new ones.

People stay in active communities because they do stuff that satisfies their original need for joining. And because they’re interacting with others, which builds sticky relationships.

But being active, and showing it, is good for growth too. Potential members need to see that the group is doing the kind of things they want to do, and with the kind of people they want to do it with.

Do you have events planned? Is your home page crammed with scheduled activities? Are there pictures, videos and write-ups of past ones? Are there lots of people attending the next event? Show that. Is there a feedback tool that shows progress towards the goals of the group? Is there an active feed showing members actions and conversations?

Be as unsubtle as you can.