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description: The action or process of integrating a new member into a community.
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# Onboarding

## **Welcome**

The welcome guide is a document that explains the culture of the community and helps members to get started. It should be specific in what members can do, but it should not appear, nor read, as a rules document.

* **How to get started.** Cover what is new and popular in the community that week. List specific activities members can participate in immediately. Be specific about what members might like to say and how they like to say it.
* **Community culture.** basic etiquette, rituals and a list of the most common topics. It is also prudent to advise members of what not to do when they make a contribution. What tone of voice, words, topics and language should they avoid using?
* **Community history.** Include a summary of the community’s history (linked to after the summary) explaining the evolution of the community.

## **Referral and Promotional Growth**

* You should now gradually shift away from direct growth and encourage referral and promotional growth&#x20;
* Referral growth tactics will include ownership/involvement level ideas that encourage members to invite their friends.&#x20;
* A widely used method to stimulate referrals is to provide members with a discount code they can share with friends. This must be integrated into the process of joining the community. For example, the shared discount can only be redeemed when the non-member registers for the community through the shared link/code.

