The Community Roundtable

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

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Community 101

If you're new to community management and are looking to learn more, you've come to the right place!

Recommended Reading

What is Community? - Learn how online community is defined by community managers. Even as the discipline of online community management matures we still are often asked, "What is Community?"

The Basics of Community Strategy - Are you just getting started and looking to build your community strategy? Learn more about the value of community and how to build your community strategy.

The Value of Community - Why do communities matter? We share our perspective on the power of online communities to increase collaboration, decrease costs and improve ROI.

Community Management Glossary - This community management glossary provides a list of common terms and acronyms you'll encounter in the community world.

Community Management FAQs - Since we started in 2009, we've answered a lot of community management questions. This list of Community Management FAQs brings the most common questions (and answers) together in one place. Have a question not answered here? Send it to us and we'll add it to the list!

Training

Community 101 | Community Frameworks and Models
Explore the four frameworks and models that form the foundation of a successful community program. You can take this course, and get your certification for free here.
Community 101 | Internal Community Fundamentals
This course for new community managers outlines the scope of the community manager role in internal communities and provides prescriptive approaches for successful community management.
Community 101 | External Community Fundamentals
This course for new community managers outlines the scope of the community manager role in external communities and provides prescriptive approaches for successful community management.

Programming Ideas

https://communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Question_of_the_Week.mp4

Question of the Week

https://communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/AMA.mp4

Ask Me Anything

https://communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Member_Spotlights.mp4

Member Spotlight

Community Resource Bundles

We've spent a decade working with global community leaders fine-tuning the programs, tactics, and tools that make online communities successful. We've distilled the best of these research-backed resources into individual bundles focused on common community challenges.

Click on a bundle to learn more:

Community Management 101
How to launch a new online community community resource bundle
How to improve online engagement
How to calculate community ROI
Online community policies and governance

Online Community Case Studies

Heifer International Case Study Online Community

Community Case Study: Heifer International

Using Gamification to Increase Engagement Heifer International is a global nonprofit with a mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For 75 years, they have provided […]

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Humana online case study

Community Case Study: Humana, Inc.

Humana is a healthcare company that has transitioned through its 50+ years from operating nursing homes to operating hospitals to offering health insurance to millions of people. In recent years, […]

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Newark element14 Case Study Cover Shadow

Community Case Study: Newark element14

Using ROI to Gain Executive Support Shared by Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media  Element14 is an online community of over half a million engineers, makers, educators and […]

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Community Management Case Study

Community Case Study: Mimecast

Nurturing Super Users to Cultivate Success The Mimecaster Central “Legends” Program rewards the most active community champions who continue to offer Legendary assistance to their peers in their support community. […]

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community sentiment

Community Case Study: Improving Community Sentiment

Taking a Community from Hostile to Happy When community sentiment is good, it often gets taken for granted. When it’s bad, it’s clear that it is one of the biggest […]

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Community Manager case study

Community Case Study: Carbon Black

Harnessing the Super Power of Community Advocates With a global ecosystem of more than 4,000 customers globally, including 33 of the Fortune 100, Carbon Black knew they needed a way […]

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Community case studies

Community Case Study: Aetna

Ensuring Consistent Brand Voice through Community Governance   A community management case study from Tara Autrey, Senior Project Manager, Aetna. Download the Case Study: More Case Studies: Want more community management […]

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community case study

Community Case Study: Autodesk

Getting the New Member Experience Right  A community case study from Camilo Lemos, Community Manager at Autodesk. Download the Case Study Now: More Case Studies: Want more community management resources like […]

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Community best practices

Resources for the people who build online communities.

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