I field a ton of questions about TheCR Network, and while it’s easy to point people to our awesome descriptions on the site, there is a certain je ne sais quoi that is lost in a link. I sat down over the weekend and wrote up five things that make TheCR Network an unparalleled community management resource. I hope this list answers some questions you might have had.
If you have a question I didn’t answer – ask me! Seriously, tweet at me, email me or drop us a line!
1. What are Roundtable calls and how do they work?
Each Roundtable call is assigned to one competency of the Community Maturity Model.
Roundtable calls are at the heart of TheCR Network. Calls are scheduled about once a week on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at various times to account the diverse locations and time zones of our members.
They are live video conference calls with community peers on topics pertaining to the various elements of community management and social business. Calls take various forms including case studies, working groups, peer reviews, and interactive expert presentations.
Members tell us all the time that these calls are as valuable as you make them. The more you invest your time and expertise, the more you’ll get out of the experience. We encourage our members to show up with questions and to bring their stories and experiences to the table to learn and grow your career and skill set.
We keep the vibe as fun and casual as possible while maintaining a high integrity of quality of information.
Note for Members: You can find all upcoming roundtable calls on the Events page inside the Network and we encourage you to RSVP and upate your RSVPs according to your availability. We spend time prepping the call to meet the needs of participants and it’s helpful to know who is coming.
2. I want to learn more about community analytics (or gamification, or internal adoption strategy or content management). Why is TheCR Network the best way best way to approach my interests?
If you are looking research a specific topic we have a treasure trove of high-quality resources inside TheCR Network for you. One of our goals is to help manage the firehose of information our members face on the internet. Our resources are highly-vetted, research-backed and proven to be successful.
There are literally hundreds of reports and case studies in TheCR Network Library.
Members have access to all our research, articles, and reports curated by topic tags as benefit of membership. And our special interest cohorts and working groups help members dig deep into specific topics in a collaborative way.
Another way to learn is to start a discussion around the topic you are interested in learning about. If enough members are interested in the topic we help shape the conversation into a Roundtable call. Or if there is a specific author, industry expert, or topic you would like to see on the programming calendar just give us a shout! Many of our calls are sourced directly from our members’ interests, challenges, and requests.
Note for Members: You can use the Library in the main Roundtable group to browse reports from the past 10 years of Roundtable calls with industry experts and experienced peers.
3. Where does community happen at TheCR Network? 
TheCR Network’s member site is our home base. It’s where our member-only information and content lives. But the network’s best value is in its relationships and your peers live in a wider world than our network home site!
We also use Slack for more real-time conversations, and our weekly Happy Hour chats are wonderful places to make casual connections with other members, but we encourage you to take the next step. If there was a member you met on a roundtable call or in a Happy Hour chat go check out their profile, follow them on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn and continue the conversation.
And since nothing beats in-person connections we host our annual member conference- TheCR Connect every Fall in Boston.
Note for Members: Use the member directory to identify members you want to connect with and either reach out on your own or request an introduction. We do it all the time and are always happy to coordinate a meeting amongst members. Want help? Let me know who you want to connect with and I’ll make the intro!
4. Where can research, reports, & other resources help my work?
Even though it can sometimes feel like it, you are not the first person facing community management challenges. Our members have designed community surveys, built community playbooks, organized social media training programs for employees, and run community maturity gap analyses. That’s the beauty of the network – it’s full of people like you.
The resources in TheCR Network make it so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Lean on the Network and work out loud. You might be surprised at how much more efficient you can be!
And don’t forget to share your work, too. The resources mentioned above are all here for you because other members graciously made their efforts and expertise available for the rest of the network.
Note for Members: Have something you want to share? We have an easy case study template to help you share your community story back with your peers. Get in touch and we can help make it happen.
5. What is Working Out Loud and how can it help me?
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of the work out loud concept. We believe working out loud helps you define and articulate your goals, identify challenges and find support in an organic and productive way. Every week we encourage our members to work out loud by sharing their top priorities for the week and asking the Network great questions to help them solve problems. Working out loud enables member-to-member support and collaboration and helps us connect members with resources they need to succeed.
Note for Members: Work out loud with us here.
I hope this gives you a better idea of the magic that is happening every day inside TheCR Network. I’d love to chat and answer any specific questions you have. I hope I see you inside the Network soon!
