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
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?
