Seth Rogen and Kommein’s own David Peralty. Ever notice how you never see the two of them together in the same room? Coinicidence? I think not.
David Peralty
Seth Rogen
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From the category archives:
Community Discussions
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.
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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.
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I have a confession to make. I’m technically challenged. When it comes to blogging I can handle the writing end and maybe even a little widget and plugin installation, but when it comes to the nitty gritty, I haven’t a clue. I generally hire people to design my blogs and to handle the issues I can’t.
In November, I was thrilled to be able to announce I was revamping my popular Freelance Writing Jobs blog from a single blog into a network of six blogs. Imagine how it feels watching a small blog grow into the number one online community for freelance writers? This was a thrilling and scary time for me. At the recommendation of my trusted tech guys, I moved over to a more reliable hosting company. It was a company that came highly recommended, received good reviews and they patiently answered all my questions when I called.
A tale of two servers
A couple of weeks after the move and upgrade, I received a notice from the host. My site is too busy, processes are running and it’s affecting the other websites on the server. Could we look into it? Indeed we could. My tech guys looked into it and fixed the problem. Or so we thought. In mid- December the host sent another notice. My blog network is too busy for the chosen plan, I had to move to a dedicated server. This must be done within 24 hours or my service would be yanked. Feeling I had no choice, I paid hundreds of dollars (that I couldn’t spare during the holidays) to get this done. Some of that money, by the way, had been earmarked so I could give my bloggers an end of the year bonus. Sorry, guys. [click to continue…]
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As Community Managers, it’s our job to find out what is on folks’ minds and bring it to the attention of the people who can solve the issues. Many times issues have to do with technical difficulties or scenarios that may make folks a little unhappy.Most communities are respectful however, and usually present their case in a kindly manner in one of our forums.
Still, sometimes other members of the team would rather the community doesn’t have a place to discuss technical issues or user unhappiness. It’s not that they don’t want the issues to come to light, but they’d:
A. Prefer not to have to do this extra bit of work
B. Prefer not to have the whole community discuss these issues. The power of suggestion and all that. One question can lead to many people claiming the same issue.
Riddle me this, Community Managers. Should issues such as these be discussed in public, or is best to hide them away so the world thinks everything is rosy? I realize there are certain things that should only be discussed internally, but should a community be allowed to discuss negative issues they face as well?
Please discuss…
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This past September at BlogWorld Expo, my co-Kommein conspirator David Peralty and I hung out in the blogging lounge and had a little discussion about community forums. Specifically whether or not it’s a good idea for businesses to have a community gathering place. David wasn’t so sure he liked forums as they’re a lot of work to moderate, and as David showed me with his own company’s forum, the most popular folder is the one designated for complaints and technical support issues.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of community forums. I find they can really bring a community together - moreso than comments or social networks. It gives a bunch of like-minded people the ability to carry on a continuous conversation without word limits and it’s a great way to for folks to share ideas, help each other out and cultivate friendships and relationships.
The place I work recently launched a forum and I’m about to open one at the blog network I own. David was right. So far, the most comments have gone to the technical issues folder. Now mind you, we’re only a couple of days into the forum, but I did expect a bit more of the warm and fuzzy. Something else to keep in mind is that the company I work for just launched a major website redesign and the regulars are feeling a bit out of their comfort level. I’m willing to give the complaints about the relaunch a bit more time as the community gets used to a new interface.
The good news is that the forum has eliminated a lot of the email the team gets on a regular basis. Instead of emailing technical support or customer service, folks post at the forum. Our team visits regularly and responds in kind. I also enjoy watching everyone discuss and share.
A couple of days into it, I’m glad we launched a forum. Yeah, the technical issues folder is a thorn in my side, but isn’t it our job to find out what works and what doesn’t? I’m still a big fan of forums. They’re a great place for the community and team to interact and they bring everyone closer together. I’d rather not be in the dark about what my community is thinking.
I’d love to learn your thoughts about community forums. Is it better to not know what your community is thinking?
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When I was at BlogWorld Expo last fall someone asked me this question, “As a Community Manager, what is more important, talking or listening. Certainly you have to be a good listener, but you also have to be a good talker. You have to know the right words to say for every situation. So what’s more important, talking or listening?”
Before I throw the question out to you, I’ll give my answer. I think anyone can talk and say what people want to hear. Some people can be very charismatic and charming with their words but they don’t mean any of what they’re saying. Listening and truly hearig what a person is saying is a rare gift but an importat one. I think it’s more important to listen, and listen carefully. Talk is cheap, listening is a skill.
Discuss…
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