Community Rocks!

Many businesses hire community managers because they hear one might be necessary, but once hired have no clue what to do with him. Is he a customer service person? Does he hang out with the marketing team or is he on board to help close sales?

What should you do with your community manager?

Customer Service: The obvious place for a CM is with customer service. Many business use the CM to talk with users via blogs and online networks. Therefore it’s a customer service experience, right? For sure the community manager should work with service or support so they know what the people who use their products or services are saying about them. They should know the areas in which they’re doing the best, and also the areas that need a little work. The community manager is an integral part of the customer service team..but that’s not all.

Marketing: The community manager should be part of the marketing team as well. Who else to better plan promotional strategies than the person who speaks to the people taking part? The community manger has his finger on the pulse of the people and will help plan the programs that best fit the community. Every good community manager also knows other community managers and could offer ideas and suggestions for cross promotions that would enable communities to mingle.

Public Relations & Editorial: See marketing. Also the community manager could assist with announcements and letters to the community as well as the company blog and newsletter. Most community managers moonlight as bloggers anyway.

Sales: Community managers aren’t there to close sales, but with their heavy social media presence they might be able to suggest potential advertising and business clients.

Social Media: A no brainer. Many community managers are  social media savvy and are the best people in the company to handle social media campaigns. No doubt they’re majorly into blogging and have a heavy online presence. Take advantage of this, trust me.

All of the Above: The most successful community managers aren’t departmentalized. They answer to the community, first and foremost, and also play parts in the success of several different departments.

If you’re not sure where to put your community manager, ask him. The answers may surprise - and enlighten you.

Tagged as: community building, Community Management, community manager

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Successful community managers know cultivating a community is more than just creating a Facebook group or spamming Twitter with some links. It’s about building relationships and touching on users’ wants and needs. The community manager truly is the voice of the community. This means she needs to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the business. Leaving a community manager in the dark, is leaving a community in the dark.

Here’s how to set up a community manager for failure. For your CM to be a success, do not do any of these things:

Don’t train your community manager or let her in on the workings of the various departments

Your community manager likes nothing more than to be clueless. Her favorite thing in the world is for her community to get frustrated with her for not knowing the answers.  Nothing gives a community manager more pleasure than to always have to ask other people for answers, rather than saving time by responding to questions on her own. Give yourself bonuses points if, when your CM looks to others for answers, they don’t answer for days - or not at all.

Don’t invite your community manager to departmental meetings or conference calls

To further ensure your community manager’s lack of success, make sure she’s never privy to any of the discussions pertaining to her community, especially customer service. The less she knows about anything having to do with the community the better.

Don’t keep your community manager apprised of new product and service launches

You know the best way to have your community manager look like a fool? Don’t tell her about any product or service launches. Don’t get her opinion on new applications or web designs. Don’t tell her anything until after the launch. She’ll love that, I promise.

Don’t let your community manager answer for herself

Canned, approved  by management responses only. Who needs a personal touch?

Have a community manager for appearances only

Just because it’s all about community nowadays, doesn’t mean it has to be about community. Go ahead and hire a community manager but don’t actually allow her to do anything resembling community management. Instead have her act as a glorified assistant handling paperwork, spreadsheets or web research.

Don’t ask your community manger for her opinion

What the heck does she know anyway?

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Here’s a situation to ponder:

You’re a fairly well known professional blogger. You’re also moving up in the world of social media. People are respecting your opinion and your brand and you feel you’re going places. Respect isn’t paying the bills, however. You take a job in social media with a fairly well-known organization, and work hard at building their brand. There’s only one problem, your brand, the one you worked so hard to build up all those years, is falling to the wayside. Weekend branding is taking its toll. What do you do when the place you work wants you to lose your brand in order to build up theirs?

I’m thinking it would be a good thing to hire a social media expert with a good following.  Using a well known brand to promote another well known brand could only be a good thing, right? Not all businesses feel that way. Especially those that thing they get the whole social media thing, but don’t have much of a clue.

So I’ll put it to you - how do you build up your brand, and build up a businesses brand, without losing your identity or making your employer think your more concerned with your own brand than theirs?

Discuss…

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I’ve been a part of this social media thing for several years now. I’ve been blogging and working online for about a decade. I’ve been building up online communities in some form or another for at least ten years. While I won’t claim to be an expert, I think it’s safe to say I know a little of what I’m talking about.  I’ve come to two conclusions about community management. The first is that everyone has a different idea about what a community manager’s job entails. The second is that most people think a community manager is nothing more than a glorified forum moderator who only needs to worry about the social networks.

That’s not it at all.

Community management  is more than just Twitter. It’s more than FaceBook or Ning or MySpace. I’m even going to go as far as to say it doesn’t have much to do with those things at all, and anyone who thinks it’s about how many friends you have on Facebook or followers on Twitter, is clearly missing the mark. Community management is about creating a positive user experience. Yes, that does mean one should monitor the social networks to see what one’s community is saying about them, but that’s not what it’s about at all.

What I like to do is pretend there’s no Twitter or Facebook. How would I reach out to my community then? How can I find out what they think of our service? When I think about it, why would I want to create separate “groups” on the different social networks when the ultimate goal is to get them to socialize at their community’s home base. That just makes cliques, not communities.

Community management isn’t just Twitter. It’s being a voice for the people. It’s being a hands on customer service person. It’s finding out  what the people in your community are talking about and taking that information and putting it to good use. Community management is about creating a positive user experience. It’s about building up relationships with people and gaining their trust. When you think about it, that has nothing to do with Twitter at all.

Tagged as: Community Management, social networking, Twitter

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I’ve recently bought, and have been working on a forum. I thought the site would be right up my alley, but after purchasing it, I realized that it didn’t have an active community of its own, and so I am trying my best to jump start it. One of the hardest things to do in community management is to try to start, grow and manage a community that doesn’t have a product, service, or company brand to go with it. The community I am trying to build is focused on sharing information, partnering, and growing businesses online.

Unfortunately, this is a hyper-competitive niche, and is very saturated. Add to that, the normal community pitfalls of not having enough people seed discussions, and you have a community that looks like a failure due to lack of activity, and attraction of activity.

Sure, there are ways to make it look like there is an active community that exists, so that people feel more interested in joining and being part of something that already exists, but my original intent was to search for people that don’t just want to join in, but instead they want to lead. Lead discussions, lead actions, and really grow both their own business and the businesses of others.

The difference between the actions taken to build a successful community and a community that is an ineffective flop can be hard to see, but with patience, effort, and persistence, anyone can be the lightning rod that brings brilliant people, ideas and energy to their community.

Wish me luck with my own and let me know, in the comments below, how you got your community started off on the right foot.

*Shameless Plug* In case you are interested in my forum, you can find it over on EarnersTalk.com and I’ve released two free e-books based on my blogging experiences there.

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Warning: This post was written a little before 4:00 a.m. just before I left for the airport home from SXSWi. Crankiness may ensue.

On Friday some of my SXSWi friends and I started a drinking game. Every time someone said the word “conversation” we drank. After the first couple of hours it was pretty clear we’d have to lay off the alcohol for this drinking game. “Conversation” was being talked about at every table in every pub. It was used in every panel and discussion topic. Conversations about conversation were unavoidable. No, we’d have to swig water if we wanted to make it through the weekend. SXSWi barely even started and it was clearly all about having, creating, or participating in a conversation.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind that it’s all about conversation. I’m the first to admit I’m somewhat of a talker. Sure, conversation is important. It’s damn important. Having a dialogue with the members of our community is the best way to learn how they use our service.  I can think of a word that’s even more important than conversation however, and that’s “action”. Talking and listening are indeed important but it’s the folks who take action who are the real rock stars.

Is “Space” Too Limiting?

Another word being bandied about at SXSWi’s every corner was “space”. As in, “it’s how you use the space.” I’m not quite sure where this space is everyone is referring to. Is there a party going on somewhere I haven’t been invited to? Does one buy the space or rent it? Am I in the right space now, or am I just a squatter? I’m obviously not involved in the right conversations. I mean, how do I find out how big my space is and where I can get more?

To me, “space”, and the discussion about how to use one’s space implies a limited area, which is why I’m not so fond of the term. When possibilities are endless, the implication should be the space we’re occupying must be unlimited as well. Like an infinityland or a black hole of community. I agree that we have to figure out ways to use our spaces (wherever they may be) rather than occupy them, but what does space really have to do with finding out what people want.

If I learned anything these past few days is that there aren’t many set rules. There’s no right or wrong. Just because one person uses Twitter as a promotional tool while another uses it to banter, doesn’t mean either is doing it wrong. Every blogger, every community manager and every social media specialist has his or her own set of rules. It’s not only about conversation or space. It’s about keeping an open mind and not using a manual or the phrase of the week to mold your community. Communities are indivdual collectives and what works for one might not be the ticket for another. Just because someone with a famous name does something, doesn’t mean it’s the perfect situation for you. By all means, have conversations but don’t forget to act and think outside your box…er …space.

Tagged as: SXSW, sxswi

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Yesterday I received a tweet from a member of the BlogTalkRadio community. “You know Deb,” it said.  “I’ve been thinking & you have made my BTR experience so much better.” I ask you, for an online community manager is there any better compliment? It’s my pleasure to serve my community (no, really) but a compliment like this is worth way more than a paycheck. It means I’m doing my job right and people are responding.

I was thinking the other day how if community manager jobs were available in the mid 80’s it would have saved me 20 years of trying to find my place. Being a community manager isn’t always Twitter and blogs, however. Most days are good, but we have our not so good days too. If you’re thinking of becoming a community manager, you should know that (like all jobs) there are pros and cons to consider.

Pros and Cons of Being an Online Community Manager

Pro: You get to talk to awesome, passionate people every single day. The people in your community are there because they believe in your product or service. In fact, they enjoy it so much they want to talk about it all the time with like-minded people. As community manager, you must be passionate about the same, because it’s up to you to lead and direct these conversations.

Con: Someone is always disgruntled. Someone always finds something to nitpick or complain about. You’ll have to be smiley and happy even when that’s not what you’re feeling at all. Someone in need of an anger management class is not cut out to be a community manager.

Pro: Social networking. What other job do you know of where you get to hang out on Twitter or FaceBook for the better part of the day? As community manager you get to talk with your community, and invite others to become part of it.You can also share links and product info and get customer feedback.

Con: Some folks may see you as being too spammy. You’ll need to find the balance between chit chat and promotion. If you do nothing than tweet links, folks probably won’t want to follow.

Pro: Online community never sleeps. When I wake up in the morning, my community is always there to welcome me - and vice versa. On weekends, during episodes of insomnia, and holidays, our community is still going strong. You are never alone if you’re a community manager.

Con: Online community never sleeps. Forums and chatrooms still need moderation. Folks are still looking for assistance. Just because it’s the weekend doesn’t mean the community is out having barbecues. If you’re not prepared to be a 24/7 presence for your community, you may as well find a new calling.

Pro: You get to attend cool conferences and meetups. Community managers are often stars of  community meetups and conferences are a terrific way to interact as well.  This is my favorite part of the job. Working the booth and working the room gives me the opportunity to shake hands, get feedback and convince others to drink our Kool Aid.

Cons: You’re traveling to work. When you attend conferences as a representative of a business, you’re not necessarily there for fun. You’re working a booth and hanging out on the trade floor. You don’t always get to attend learning sessions and many times at the end of the day, you’re just too darned tired for parties.

Pros: You’re a reflection of your community. If you have a happy, lively community, you’ll be hailed as a terrific community manager. If you rock the customer service and put out fires in a timely manner, you’ll be seen as one of the best in the business. Your company will be known for having a great community and this will only put them in a more positive light.

Cons: You represent your company. As community manager you’re front and center. You are the first impression many people get of your business and its community. If you do a poor job, it will not only reflect on your community, but your company as a whole. Make decisions wisely and take your role as community manager seriously.

Online community management doesn’t only mean hanging out on Twitter or updating FaceBook profiles. There’s a lot of responsibility there. You have to be a voice for your community. If someone is disgruntled, it’s your job to put out the fire.  You have to help solve the problem and then follow up to make sure there’s closure. You have to see all issues through to the end even if it means you’re staying up until 2:00 a.m. If your business is receiving bad press or publicity, it’s your job to make sure people see the positive and not the negative and if you see folks in need of help, it’s your job to reach out and make sure there’s no more confustion.

I think I have the perfect job, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. However, so many people see community managers as glorified social networkers and there’s much more to it than that. The positives outweigh the negatives, for sure, but only if you’re up to the true task.

Tagged as: Community Management, community manager, online community manager

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If your community has a forum or other gathering place, you’ll recognize the Chronic Malcontent. This is the person who never posts anything positive. Everything she (or he) writes is negative. She nitpicks the service, nitpicks the web design, nitpicks customer support and anything else she can think of. She knows the private email address of everyone on the support team but would rather take her complaints public because she feels she has a better chance of getting a response, plus she wants people to agree with her.(In most cases they don’t).

The Chronic Malcontent is probably the most challenging of all the community forum personalities because:

1. As community manager I have to be polite to everyone I come in contact with. Though I want to shake our chronic malcontent and say, “Get over it lady! This is a free service! If this free service is so much trouble find another silimar service that’s more to your liking. The fact that the Chronic Malcontent stays with us despite her daily laundry list of complaints is telling, because she doesn’t choose to go elsewhere.
2. One has to act quickly with the Chronic Malcontent because we don’t want others in the forum taking up the same tone and turning the thread into a complaintfest. Usually I thank Ms.Malcontent for her comments and assure her I’ve passed her information on to the folks who can best handle it, and give her the email for our services team once again so she can contact directly next time. Which she won’t.
3. I also have to be careful it doesn’t turn into a negative situation for the rest of the forum. Folks get sick of seeing constant whining from the same person and it’s only a matter of time before someone turns around and tells the Chronic Malcontent to shut up. Then others agree and before you know it you’re in moderation and delete mode.

Every now and then Chronic Malconent is worthy of an email or forum private message I’ll nicely ask her (or him) to please cool it with the negativity as it turns people off from visiting the forum. I’ll request she contact support directly for a quick response to her problems. She’ll send me a note back apologizing profusely and telling me how much she loves our service and how I’m the best community manager ever and she’s ever so sorry for any inconvenience. She really didn’t mean to be so negative. And then the process will start all over again the next week.

Does your forum have a chronic malcontent? If so, what do you do to diffuse the situation?

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Here’s a work in your jammies gig - can be done from home - and looks like a lot of fun. Salary isn’t bad either - $55 - $65K. This business will be launching in the spring:

Check it out:

Before we begin with the nitty gritty, let’s make no mistake. Just because you spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook doesn’t make you a social media expert. It just means you like to spend a lot of time online.And that’s OK, but we want a community manager who truly rocks the social media knowledge. Not just with the social networks but with blogs, community management, forum setup and moderation, newsletters and more. You’ll spend a lot of time online but you’ll also need to take it offline for a good part of the day too.

Your job won’t be just to lead the community but to empower them. To teach them how to use social media to cultivate business relationships and help their businesses grow. The ideal candidates must be able to offer fresh social media tips every single day. Can you truly do that?

Ideal candidates can also rock the following:

*Social media expertise
*Managing forums and online communities for at least 3 years
*Maintaining successful blogs for at least 2 years
* Web 2.0 expertise
* Doesn’t mind traveling to blogging and social media related conferences
* Write and send out weekly social media newsletter
*Strong Organizational Skills
*The ability to work without anyone standing over you
* Trustworthy - If you’re working at home we want to believe you’re really working

To apply, tell us the following:

*What is social media?
*Why is social media important?
*Why you are best qualified for this job?
*What can you do that is different from what everyone else is doing?
*Communities you have managed in the past
*Which social networks you use regularly

Please paste your resume in the body of your cover letter and send to sophiemwatkins@gmail.com. Attachments make us crazy.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Good luck!

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