Community Management

Haven’t done my Community Manager Job of the Day in a while. Here’s one for Changyou.com, based in Santa Clara, CA:

Online Community Manager: Build new online communities with Changyou.com
Summary

Changyou.com (NASDAQ:CYOU) is an online gaming company, focusing on MMORPG market globally. We’re looking for an Online Community Manager with a dynamic personality, innovative thinking and a strong background in online community for games. The Online Community Manager will be in a position to build up a sustainable community for millions of members all who will get to enjoy the same rewarding, meaningful experience and fun of our games. The Online Community Manager will serve as a hub and should have the ability to personally connect with the users (humanize the company), and provide feedback to many departments internally (product, PR, marketing, customer service, tech support, etc). This is a chance to build out a scalable community, work in an office that is seriously fun, make millions of people happy, and have the opportunity to contribute to shaping its direction and development.

Responsibilities
? Plan strategically the functions and development of the community
? Maintain strong familiarity and dialog with the game community by reading and posting to official forums, external forums and Web sites and deliver regular community feedback reports
? Creatively and proactively assist users and go the extra mile to make sure our users have a wonderful community experience
? Solve community disputes and enforce community rules
? Manage the teams of volunteer moderators that oversee the forums, adoption areas, groups
? Identify and analyze issues, patterns and trends in users requests & product performance
? Stay up to date on new social media tools, best practices and how other organizations and companies are using them, so that the company can continue to be an early adopter of these technologies
? Create events, write copy and work with the Marketing team to promote the product
? Participate in professional networking by following the prominent bloggers and online writers & attending events
? Work in concert with the Product and Customer Service teams to ensure an all-around great user experience and product additions/enhancements
? Support the growth of external community Web sites by establishing and maintaining contact with Web site operators, in conjunction with Marketing
? Take an analytical approach to improve the efficiency of online community and customer service processes

Qualifications for the position:

• Previous experience moderating online communities through forums, Web sites and other platforms;
• The ability to communicate and comprehend technical topics clearly. Both written and verbally;
• Proven time and project and team management skills with demonstrable ability in handling multiple responsibilities concurrently while working well under deadline pressures;
• An understanding of marketing strategies and online business models;
• The ability to prepare reports and analyze customers’ trend and characteristics;
• Strong organizational, analytical, and presentation skills;
• Superb interpersonal skills;
• A creative mindset. Adept at finding new ways to deliver old material;
• A proven ability to take initiative and be proactive;
• Proven experience in successfully developing and managing people, resources and schedules;
• A passion for online games and an understanding of MMO games and the market.

This is a full-time, on-site position located in the Santa Clara , Ca Office. Salary based on experience and skills. Growth opportunities based on achievements.
Email your resume and cover letter to job_us@cyou.com

Original ad

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Are you a community manager? If so, we’re interested in learning about your experience. We’ve put together a survey for community managers that will tell us a little something about community managers salaries, who they report to, job challenges and more. And yes, we’ll post the results here.

Please note, we’re not asking for names and don’t need to know who you are. Feel free to speak openly and candidly about the issues facing you as a community manager.

Please access the community manager survey here. We’d be doubly appreciative if you could pass this around to other community managers in your network.

Tagged as: community manager survey

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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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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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