Here’s a typical morning for Deb:
- Wake up early
- Put on a jug of coffee
- Turn on the laptop
- Settle down for a good read
Every morning before beginning my day I read my email, respond to as much as possible, answer Twitter DM’s, FaceBook wall comments, and visit forums and groups relating to my jobs and blogs. It can be a lot of work, but I firmly believe in this practice. Though there are times when the email and questions are out of control, I do try and respond to everyone who reaches out to me.
Folks are trusting me to help them solve a problem or get results. I feel like I’d be letting them down if I ignored them. Moreover, it’s a bad representation of the company I work for to ignore emails and messages. If I don’t have the answer, I can find the answer or find the person who can answer.
It’s not just email, either. I answer questions in a busy forum, blog comments, and messages sent via social networks. I think a community manager has to be approachable, but also responsive. I’m being entrusted to be the voice of the community, what kind of voice can I give them if I don’t reach out in return?
