The Community Roundtable

Empowering global community leaders with research-backed resources, training, and tools.

  • Who we are
    • Our Values
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
      • Client Success Stories
      • Member Advisory Board
    • Community Leadership Awards
      • Community Leadership Awards 2022
      • Community Leadership Awards 2021
      • TheCR Awards 2020
      • TheCR Awards 2019
      • TheCR Awards 2018
      • TheCR Awards 2017
    • Careers
  • What we do
    • Benchmarking and Audits
      • Community Performance Benchmark
      • Community Readiness Audits
      • Community ROI Calculator
      • The Community Score
    • Models and Frameworks
      • Community Maturity Model™
      • Community Engagement Framework™
      • Community Skills Framework™
      • The Social Executive
    • Research
      • The State of Community Management
        • SOCM 2022
        • SOCM 2021
        • SOCM 2020
      • Community Careers and Compensation
      • The Community Manager Handbook
        • 2022 Edition
        • 2015 Edition
      • The Social Executive
      • Special Reports
    • Training and Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • TheCR Connect
        • TheCR Connect 2022
        • TheCR Connect 2021
      • Community Technology Summit
      • Training
      • Resource Bundles
    • Resources
      • Vendor Resource Center
      • Community FAQs
      • Community Management Podcasts
        • Community Conversations
        • Lessons From The NEW Community Manager Handbook
      • Community Management Jobs
        • Job Board
        • CMGR Profiles
      • Community 101
        • Community Management Glossary
        • Community Management FAQs
      • Case Studies
      • Community Webinars
  • Who we serve
    • Resources for Community Managers
    • Community Program Owners
    • Community Executives
  • TheCR Network
    • Member Login
    • Join TheCR Network
    • Roundtable Call Library
  • TheCR Library
    • Subscriber Login
    • Subscribe to TheCR Library

CMGT 101: The Power of Community Research

February 21, 2018 By Shannon Abram

Community ResearchNote: This content appears in a slightly different form in our ebook: CMGT 101: 17 Community Leaders Share Their Secrets for Success. CMGT 101 is packed with engagement ideas, governance tips, career advice, and more from community leaders working at innovative organizations like CA Technologies, Aetna, Electronic Arts, SAP, Pearson, Akamai, and Atlassian. Download the ebook here for free. 

community research heather ausmusHeather Ausmus, Director of Community at Ciena shared her tips for successfully incorporating research into a community management program.

Why is published research an important tool for a community management program?

Using industry research to guide your work is critical for community managers. Vetted research from a trusted source can help you define goals and objectives and understand accepted engagement benchmarks. Use research strategically to build a roadmap and optimize your strategy to find innovative solutions and make better decisions.

Do find trusted experts.

Sign up for emails, participate in their research, join their communities, attend their events, and follow them on your preferred social channels.

Do make staying informed a priority.

Reserve time each week to read industry information, new articles and blogs. I typically reserve time on Fridays to review relevant industry blogs and reports.

Do familiarize yourself with the source material.

Make sure you are comfortable with the research before you present or discuss within your organization. Be prepared to answer questions about the findings and how they relate to your program, and your plans for the future.

Do connect with peers.

Even if you feel silo’d at your organization there are lots of other people facing the same challenges you are. Ask other community managers in the industry what they’re doing and if they’re willing to discuss their program with you. Don’t have community peers? Find some! There are great groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, and of course, TheCR Network. 

Don’t limit yourself.

Find multiple sources in your industry, and the wider community world, and leverage what fits best for your community use case, stakeholders, and you.

Community Research

About Shannon Abram

I love dogs, drinks, and the oxford comma. Writing from the great commonwealth of Massachusetts, I almost definitely need a nap.

comments powered by Disqus
Community best practices

Resources for the people who build online communities.

ABOUT US
Our Values
Our Team
Our Clients
Careers

RESOURCES
Vendor Resource Center
Podcasts 
Job Board
Community 101
Case Studies
Webinars
Upcoming Events

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Benchmarking and Audits
Models and Frameworks
Research
Training and Events

RESOURCES BY AUDIENCE
Community Managers
Community Program Owners
Community Executives

QUICK LINKS
Blog
Newsletter
About TheCR Network
About TheCR Library
About TheCR Academy

LOGIN
TheCR Network
TheCR Library
TheCR Academy

Contact
Support
Partnership
Inquiries
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter