The Rise of the Community Manager
As the popularity of online communities has risen over the last decade, so too has the role of Community Manager.
Organizations are realizing the power and importance of connection and authentic relationships in growing their brands.
Major companies across industries have built robust community management programs, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Airbnb, Salesforce, Nike, and Netflix.
According to Linkedin data, there has been over a 1000% increase in community and social media positions listed on the platform in the last decade.
You may be considering hiring a Community Manager, but what does their role really entail?
The goal of having a community around your organization is to have stakeholders form a bond with the brand and, of course, to continue to provide quality service to those individuals. A Community Manager wears many hats to ensure stakeholder satisfaction.
The role varies depending on the need of the organization, but some example responsibilities include:
Creating content on various online community platforms, including blogs, emails, social media posts, and even events
Acting as the liaison between the brand and the community, answering any questions or concerns that arise
Executing an engagement strategy that drives growth and/or action within the community
Forming a relationship with audience members and customers in order to nurture sales
Maintaining CRMs to accurately reflect member engagement
Using analytics to understand trends within the community as it relates to the brand
Some key qualities to look for in a Community Manager include strong writing and communication skills, empathy, organization skills, initiative, and a passion for bringing people together.
Since the role of a Community Manager is fairly new, establishing the right tools and training for your future Community Manager is important. Train your Community Manager on understanding the brand’s voice and core values. A training on empathy can be useful since the Community Manager will be speaking to stakeholders daily.
Make sure your Community Manager understands the community tools and platforms you plan to use, or your “community stack”, such as:
Your Website (ie. WordPress, Squarespace, Wix)
Messaging Tool (ie. Mailchimp, Constant Contact)
Social Media (ie. Facebook, Twitter)
Event Registration (ie. Eventbrite)
Event Gathering Space (ie. Zoom)
Community Hub (ie. Slack, MightyNetworks)
Content Creation (ie. Canva)
Content Library (ie. Dropbox, Google Drive)
You might not need everything for every community. If your organization is not tech-savvy and you don’t have the money to hire a team to manage things for you, we’d advise you to start small.
Still unsure? Simply put, your organization needs a dedicated Community Manager.
A Community Manager will help grow your brand, provide service and connect authentically to your audience – key goals for your organization that should never be an afterthought.
Are you trying to start a new community, and want tips and feedback from your peers? If you’re interested in learning more, consider joining our Revival Community!