How do you nurture your Yammer subject matter experts?

[Julius Meliton]

Our Yammer network is almost 27,000 members strong and we have about 400 subject matter experts, which we call Yammer Champions.

These roles are completely voluntary, so there's nothing really in their objectives to continually use Yammer, or any metrics to measure them. But I'm wondering if any community managers have a method of nurturing them, ensuring they continue to be subject matter experts singing Yammer's praise with very little intervention from me (our network's community manager).

It was interesting, however, that while I was on vacation, many Champions stepped up to engage conversations that I otherwise would have. Anyways, looking to discuss. 

[#2]

Love Yammer Champs! You can use this - @Noah Sparks has provided this link in the past. It's the Build Champions Program from FastTrack

Some quick ideas off the top of my head:

• Create a special private group for them where you share things that you hear in this community or new developments
• Give them a place to share their expertise with each other or ask questions of one another
• Give them some SWAG from your company or Yammer branded
• Create some kind of regular highlight program- interview them and post their interview in the network
• Make sure their managers know how helpful they've been (if appropriate...check with the champ first, maybe their manager doesn't WANT them to be doing that)
• Make sure they know their contributions are valued - maybe share their best practices with the group you create highlighting what you love about what they did
• Thank them and recognize them for helping you when you were out.

[#3]

Thanks for the tag, @Amy Dolzine!

My attempt at cultivating champs was challenging. Yambassadors need feedback that their attention and community efforts don't go unnoticed. Swag is also a way to show appreciation. Early access to upcoming features or badged profile pictures could benefit the group as well. Adding visible indicators of their Yambassador / Champion status within their Yammer profile picture could also appeal to some. I can't take credit for the attached template. 

[#4]

Aside from the other suggestions I try to provide insight to changes to the service and put the rationale in context (if known) and also editorialize about my own thoughts about the change and it's likely affect on our network/usage. Be transparent and open about the changes.