One of my biggest frustrations is when I want to communicate with a blogger or web site owner and his or her contact details are no where to be found. If anyone should be easy to reach, it’s the Community Manager.
Make sure the members of your community know your email address as well as hours you’re available to chat via Skype or other means. Post these details on the company blog, website and community forum if you have one. Feel free to establish guidelines, for instance, if you’re only available during certain hours make sure everyone knows. Having a Community Manager who is easy to reach and talk to is one of the most important things a business can do.
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Deb:
Not being able to immediately find a blogger/website owner’s contact details is one of my biggest peeves. It seems so smack-me-over-the-head obvious that people visiting your site to read your content should know precisely when and how to get in touch with you.
If contact information is too difficult to find or folks have to jump through too many hoops to get in touch with you (filling out a lengthy contact form, for example), they probably just won’t even bother. And that is the biggest shame.
Bryan | @BryanPerson
LiveWorld
Hi Bryan,
Here’s something else to consider. As Community Manager I reach out to bloggers on a regular basis to see if I can set up interviews or if they’re interested in certain BlogTalkRadio shows. When I can’t find their contact details they miss out on a mutually beneficial relationship. Some folks feel that by dropping their email addresses they’re setting themselves up for spam. Yes, this happens sometimes but then these people miss out on job offers, advertising requests, project proposals and more. It doesn’t pay to have a closed door policy.
Absolutely, Deb! I was once contacted by phone a mainstream media reporter and featured in the Sunday newspaper about my blogging and social media efforts. How did she find my number? I have it listed on the Contact page on my blog.
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