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Community Managers

Place for community managers to chat and discuss all things related to running an online community.

Network Leader: Stephen Spector

Groups > Community Managers

Jenn Pedde Social Fresh is looking for 500 Community Managers to take a survey about what the role is like: http://thecommunitymanager.com/the-2012-community-manager-survey-is-here (Anonymous and should only take a minute or two) -- Thanks!

4 weeks ago from Community Managers

Stephen Spector: Took the survey and tweeted it out via @SpectorAtDell. Good Luck
4 weeks ago

TOP IDEA: Ryan Paugh Internships.com reminded me yesterday that big job boards are full of junk when they paid Charlie Sheen to post a social media internship and tweet about it. Being Charlie Sheen's intern sounds terrible and it's just one of many mediocre social media manager positions you'll find on big job sites. So I went through some really bad job postings for social media positions yesterday and came up with some red flags for you. Check them out and add your own red flags: http://bit.ly/gj6wRQ

48 weeks ago from INTERNal Affairs, Interns, Social Media and Community Managers 2 more

Sadya Siddiqui and Claudia recommended this

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Jake Kaminski: Just got into your site and I think the concept is genious and and has the potential to become a new era for this canvas and this dynamic. With ...MoreJust got into your site and I think the concept is genious and and has the potential to become a new era for this canvas and this dynamic. With that being said, it is hard for a dumb jock like me to change the picture that I set through my ex-girlfriend's email.

Thanks,

Jake
45 weeks ago

Kate Davids: Yes, I completely agree with this! I have seen this too often, and it is frightening. They are ready to spend money on someone, but they aren't ...MoreYes, I completely agree with this! I have seen this too often, and it is frightening. They are ready to spend money on someone, but they aren't ready to use that person. They will likely completely ignore their new "social media rockstar" because they aren't ready to implement the organizational change really using social media will require.
45 weeks ago

Adriana Dwan Hi guys, I'm recruiting for an email marketing usability study that pays $50 for 1 hr remote web conference session on Wednesday 8/17 or Friday 8/19. You must be employed, based in the U.S., responsible for the management of email programs, and manage a subscription base of over 10,000 email addresses on one or more lists to participate. For more details and to take the pre-qualification survey, please click the link below. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/605950/3ed8c3e65ebf Thanks! Adriana

26 weeks ago from Community Managers

Stephen Spector I attended the Community Manager Leadership Summit this past weekend and wanted to share the notes from all the discussions: check out http://communityleadershipsummit.wikia.com/wiki/Community_Leadership_Sum.... Lots of great content from the sessions all capture in EtherPads for you to read over.

27 weeks ago from Community Managers

Mehul Kar What are different ways of generating revenue from a community that you have organized? Selling branded merchandise is the only one that I can think of. Any other strategies?

30 weeks ago from Community Managers

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Edward Antrobus: Well, how does Brazen keep the lights on? Frankly, I don't have a clue. And as long as they aren't trying to go for the money that I don't ...MoreWell, how does Brazen keep the lights on? Frankly, I don't have a clue. And as long as they aren't trying to go for the money that I don't actually have, I really don't care.
28 weeks ago

JRandom42: Advertising? Dues? Subscriptions? I don't know. Most of the professional community building I've seen requires time and effort, not capital. But ...MoreAdvertising? Dues? Subscriptions? I don't know. Most of the professional community building I've seen requires time and effort, not capital. But then, I'm no expert on community building either. All I know is that if I'm a member of a community of like minded professionals in the same field, I'd be very offended and insulted if the community leader started trying to sell and market stuff for me, when I was there for the connections, networking and mutual professional support.
28 weeks ago

Stephen Spector I have used Fiverr several times for various projects but was wondering if anyone has tried to use them for something a bit more creative; such as having a person in another country wear a community shirt and take a picture at a famous location? That seems a bit too easy so I thought I would check on some ideas from this group. The site is http://www.fiverr.com

31 weeks ago from Community Managers

Jennifer Koren To anyone that works from home? Are you given guidelines by your employer on what they expect from you when you work from home? I'm looking to put together policies and procedures for a company that has a remote customer service and content staff and looking for examples of what other companies do. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

81 weeks ago from Consultants R US, Ask Penelope Trunk!, Global Careers and Business, Community Managers and Inspiring Leadership 3 more

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Melissa Breau: They expect us to use our own computer/internet. not a big deal since its only 1x a week. Our associate publisher works remotely from NC tho, and ...MoreThey expect us to use our own computer/internet. not a big deal since its only 1x a week. Our associate publisher works remotely from NC tho, and I'd imagine they pay her internet / phone / fax. Though I think if I submitted an expense report no one would give me any issues.
81 weeks ago

Smith+Fritzy: Count on there being internet and power outages. For instance, when I moved into my new place, the city decided to start tearing up our road and ...MoreCount on there being internet and power outages. For instance, when I moved into my new place, the city decided to start tearing up our road and moving existing lines. I also live in the lightning capital of the world and have frequent visits by hurricanes. Things happen. My thought is supplying a back-up system for hourly distance workers wouldn't be very cost effective. I do think offering a simple incentive to the employees that if they need to be on call if needed, and make sure they know it's not going to be a frequent thing.
81 weeks ago

Stephen Spector I have been reading various Community Manager blogs over the past few years and have finally decided that the blogs are not addressing the issues that I think about and are usually a bit too high level. Thus, I have just started a new blog at http://runacommunity.com/. So far, I have a whopping two posts but plan to post about 3 times a week with my thoughts on community management. Feel free to stop by my blog and add your thoughts.

32 weeks ago from Community Managers

Rebecca Thorman recommended this

Stephen Spector For those of you in Portland or willing to travel. Jono Bacon's Community Leadership Summit is July 23-24 in Portland, OR. (http://www.communityleadershipsummit.com/). Let me know if you will be there as it will be fun to meetup with more community managers.

32 weeks ago from Community Managers

Mehul Kar Question: I am the only person managing a new online community (CollegeDesis). What is your opinion on singular vs. plural pronoun usage? I want to develop the community into larger than myself, so I tend to think that the brand is plural. But then I get personal questions like this: http://bit.ly/kgkv6i. I don't want to admit that it's one person for fear of losing reputation or credibility. But I don't want to lie or ignore these questions either. What should I do??

33 weeks ago from Community Managers, Brazen Bloggers, Generation Y Marketers, New Media Marketing and Social Media Marketers 3 more

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Mehul Kar: Thanks for all the replies. The online community is not a company per se, it's a brand that I'm building. There is no business model. There is no ...MoreThanks for all the replies. The online community is not a company per se, it's a brand that I'm building. There is no business model. There is no product. I like Anastasia's comment the best.
32 weeks ago

JRandom42: As in the royal "we"? "We are not amused". :)
32 weeks ago

Mehul Kar I just started an online community (CollegeDesis.com). What sorts of intellectual property rights should I be claiming to make sure I have ownership of the CollegeDesis brand and name?

34 weeks ago from Community Managers, Young Entrepreneur Community, Entrepreneurs, Brazen Bloggers and Generation Y Marketers 3 more

Mehul Kar recommended this

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Steve: Mehul. Don't copywrite anything. It's a complete waste of time until you actually have a substantial business that cranks out cash. drop me a ...MoreMehul. Don't copywrite anything. It's a complete waste of time until you actually have a substantial business that cranks out cash. drop me a line using my contact form at www.stevemonte.com if you want a further discussion on this. This is exactly the kind of activity that people THINK will help them be successful, but doesn't really get the job done.
33 weeks ago

Mehul Kar: Steve/Vicki, that's what I've been thinking. I don't want to spend time bothering with IP if it's not that important. I think a trademark might be ...MoreSteve/Vicki, that's what I've been thinking. I don't want to spend time bothering with IP if it's not that important. I think a trademark might be helpful considering how common the name is. I've had multiple people tell me that they wished they owned the domain...I was surprised it was even available it's so obvious.
33 weeks ago

Tyna Chua I'm looking to network with community managers with experience in Korean or Chinese forums. Who are the thought leaders in community management in Asia? Would love to hear from you!

34 weeks ago from Community Managers

Erin Lariviere Where do you draw the line between feedback / criticism / venting and downright rudeness or community abuse? I'm a big believer in letting people vent... to a certain extent. People get frustrated and they want to be heard. I think that's ok and it should be allowed. But there are times when it crosses a line. I'm not talking trolls. I mean when there's legitimate feedback, but the delivery goes to far. How do you handle this? Where do you draw the line?

48 weeks ago from Community Managers

Clara Kuo and Kristina E. Smith recommended this

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Tyna Chua: One thing we have seen in our community is that the community members themselves give these folks the feedback about things like inappropriate ...MoreOne thing we have seen in our community is that the community members themselves give these folks the feedback about things like inappropriate language, so we don't have to step in....what @Stephen mentioned also applies to us--we have guidelines that the community abides by...
34 weeks ago

Noel Rozny: Great question! I think venting really depends on who is talking to who. I try to vent about anything work-related to someone not in the office, ...MoreGreat question! I think venting really depends on who is talking to who. I try to vent about anything work-related to someone not in the office, because you never know when something you say could come back to you.
34 weeks ago

Jason H. Parker Happy Wednesday, Brazen! I want to hear about your successful internship experiences. What did you do? How were you managed? What made it a successful experience?

42 weeks ago from Brazen Careerists on LinkedIn, Brazen Community Feedback, Community Managers, Young Entrepreneur Community and New Media Marketing 3 more

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Mona Abdel-Halim: My best internship was part of an NSF research program, where there were set goals, but time to shadow others and catch up on my learning curve.
41 weeks ago

Jason H. Parker: WOW! You guys are all wonderful, thanks so much for sharing these stories! @Regina, I think you're right--responsibility helps interns stay ...MoreWOW! You guys are all wonderful, thanks so much for sharing these stories! @Regina, I think you're right--responsibility helps interns stay motivated and builds excitement! @Jim, glad to hear you had such an incredible experience in a start-up--we're hoping to provide that same experience to our interns this summer! @russell: great saying, I'll remember that!
41 weeks ago

Erin Lariviere Do you host webinars for customers? If so, what service do you use to host them? So far, I've checked out GoToWebinar and WebEx. Do you have experience using either of these from a presenter's standpoint? Or another service you'd recommend?

55 weeks ago from Internet Marketers, New Media Marketing, Community Managers and Web 2.0 2 more

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Tony Deblauwe: GotoWebinar or GotoMeeting are easy. Other ones like Yugma or Fuze have problems. Only drawback is playback of video in the webinar. Often when ...MoreGotoWebinar or GotoMeeting are easy. Other ones like Yugma or Fuze have problems. Only drawback is playback of video in the webinar. Often when you project a YouTube video for example, the audience does not hear anything and sees a black-out image.
55 weeks ago

Ryan Koechel: I personally like webex better solely because it has the feature of calling your phone to get you on the call versus having to call into ...MoreI personally like webex better solely because it has the feature of calling your phone to get you on the call versus having to call into gotomeeting, also call quality of gotomeeting is not that good if some people are on softphones.
54 weeks ago

Andrew Lander I'm trying to optimize my (for profit) company's social media presence across Facebook and Twitter. Does anyone know which social media dashboard is best? I preferably need something that can give me solid analytics along with the standard ability to update accounts and pages. I'm leaning towards Hootsuite. but any other thoughts would be helpful.

53 weeks ago from Community Managers

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Erika Kerekes: A colleague recommended Argyle Social - I haven't used it myself but it's on my try-it list.
50 weeks ago

Jonha D. Revesencio: Thank you for the suggestions Maggie! I don't really like Hootsuite a lot so I'm gonna try how your two suggestions might work for me. :-)
43 weeks ago

Erin Lariviere As Community Managers, feedback is great, but sometimes frustrating. Especially when the comments are vague. We recently posted a few guidelines to help customers share effectively - http://www.tungle.me/Home/how-to-be-heard-giving-effective-feedback/ What are your biggest gripes when it comes to feedback? What do you wish you could tell your community before they post?

45 weeks ago from Community Managers

Jonha D. Revesencio: Hi Erin,

That was a nice approach. It makes the people in the community even more welcome as really part of the growth of the community.

As for ...MoreHi Erin,

That was a nice approach. It makes the people in the community even more welcome as really part of the growth of the community.

As for getting the desirable and specific feedbacks, we need to always GUIDE the users to that path. Like I've always been reminded that if you want people to go left, at least let them know and be aware of those options.
43 weeks ago

Stephen Spector State of Community Survey Results Out - http://www.slideshare.net/rhappe/the-2011-state-of-community-management ; worth reading over

45 weeks ago from Community Managers

Erika Kerekes Hey all - got a favor to ask of my fellow community managers. In my new role at Deluxe Corp. I've inherited PartnerUp (http://www.partnerup.com/), an online community for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Suffice it to say that the community has not had a real manager for a while, and things have gotten a bit out of hand. I need help starting some GOOD conversations to drown out the self-promotional stuff while we work on cleaning up. If anyone has time, I'll be grateful. Thanks.

50 weeks ago from Community Managers

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Erika Kerekes: Oh, and as for who is Deluxe Corp - a 95-year-old Fortune 1000 company that provides services to financial institutions and small businesses. Very ...MoreOh, and as for who is Deluxe Corp - a 95-year-old Fortune 1000 company that provides services to financial institutions and small businesses. Very big. Lots of components and subsidiaries. I'm in the small business group (natch).
50 weeks ago

Clara Kuo: Erika, you might want to start out by figuring out your audience on this group and try to narrow in on those influencers who are trying to have ...MoreErika, you might want to start out by figuring out your audience on this group and try to narrow in on those influencers who are trying to have good conversations.
46 weeks ago

Stephen Spector Saw an interesting post today from the FeverBee folks to create an online 12 week course on Community Management. The link to register is http://pillarsummit.com/learn-more/. The Professional Online Community Management Course On April 3rd, we’re launching a comprehensive course in Professional Online Community Management. This course covers the key skills your employees need to know to develop a successful community for your organization.

48 weeks ago from Community Managers

Ryan Shell I'm posting this here, and in the Social Media Marketers group because I thought it may be worthwhile reading. "5 tips for Building a Successful LinkedIn Group" http://bit.ly/ec2SUa This post highlights how I built a group that has more than 1,000 members, and no spam, in less than 3.5 months. Hope you find the info to be helpful.

52 weeks ago from Community Managers

Erika Kerekes: Liked it - it's amazing how these common sense tactics (define and enforce the rules, primarily) help to create a better user experience for all. ...MoreLiked it - it's amazing how these common sense tactics (define and enforce the rules, primarily) help to create a better user experience for all. Thanks for sharing.
50 weeks ago

Dieter Hertling 15 professionals landed jobs last week with our cutting-edge program! Learn more at http://pitch.pe/126694

50 weeks ago from Career Changers, Community Managers, Creating a Life You Love, Ask A Coach and Education 3 more

Stephen Spector Mashable put this post up today - What to look for when hiring a community manager, http://mashable.com/2011/01/25/hiring-community-manager/ . Interested in your thoughts on what they wrote.

54 weeks ago from Community Managers

Jenna Langer: Interesting article, thanks for sharing. I think they hit a number of key points, but that part that get's me is they keep saying it's a "new ...MoreInteresting article, thanks for sharing. I think they hit a number of key points, but that part that get's me is they keep saying it's a "new skill set." The role of community manager has been around since the beginning of the Internet, but now we have more channels where we support the conversations. It's not really a new skill set, the role is just more apparent now in larger companies. They have always had someone playing the part, but now the role is finally becoming more mainstream.
54 weeks ago

Jenn Pedde Hey all! So Wednesday in #Cmgrchat from 2-3pm EST we'll be discussing Klout & Online Influence. Would be great to catch up with you (i've been away from the online space for awhile). Hope you can make it!

55 weeks ago from Community Managers and Social Media Marketers

Chris Gaudreau Hi, I'm new to the group and new to the idea of a community manager. Can anyone give me any advice on becoming a community manager? I have no experience but I am starting school at the end of this month for a BS in internet marketing.

56 weeks ago from Community Managers

Rebecca Thorman recommended this

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Chris Gaudreau: I love your advice Rebecca. It matches my eagerness with real experience. I learn best by doing. Now, I thought facebook was a community; how do I ...MoreI love your advice Rebecca. It matches my eagerness with real experience. I learn best by doing. Now, I thought facebook was a community; how do I create a community inside facebook? Do you mean a fan page or something? I have a painting business with a fan page and about 30 fans but I have struggled over the past year to figure out how to engage them. Any good resources on this? Also, how can I track and record my progress in a way that can be presented on a resume (proof)?
56 weeks ago

Rebecca Thorman: Yep, fan pages are an example, but it could just even be a group created around one of your interests. I would be cognizant of finding something ...MoreYep, fan pages are an example, but it could just even be a group created around one of your interests. I would be cognizant of finding something that a community is actually useful for. Not all businesses, ideas or interests are a good fit for building a community around. Your painting business might not need a fan page. But if it did, I would provide painting tips, example photos, client photo contests, color ideas, suggestions for the best paint brush for certain paints, etc. etc. on such a page (as just a few examples). Always provide useful information, don't just promote a product. There's also a lot of research that fans/community members just want to be engaged, period. So you could almost look at as providing entertainment. Be authentic, and have fun - and don't be afraid to experiment with different types of strategies - it's rare you can guess exactly what a community will respond to right away. To track, measure things like % growth, % engagement (comments, posts, etc.), any press, any influence on larger actions, etc. Hope that helps!
56 weeks ago