The Community Roundtable

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5 Things I Thought I Knew About Community Management…But Didn’t

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By Georgina Cannie, Community Manager at The Community Roundtable

community management January marks the 10th month of my work in community management. While it feels like no time at all, I have come to realize that it is an eternity in terms of knowledge acquisition in this space. As I closed the door on 2015, I couldn’t help but notice how incorrect my initial ideas on community management were. Here are the top 5 things I thought I knew about community, but didn’t.

Everyone Knows What Community Is

When I first learned the term “community management” I thought it was just me who had never heard of it. Turns out, I am not the oddball – most people have no idea what I’m talking about when I throw the term into the mix at cocktail parties. Sometimes I’ll get lucky and someone in marketing will recognize it as a buzz word. Ironically, community work can get a little lonely. Luckily, there is a blooming subset of those in-the-know who recognize community as the legitimate area of study that it is. While community management does not have the name recognition that say, Human Resources does, it’s a discipline with a growing following. Google “community management research” and see what I mean.

Community Management Sits in The HR or Marketing Department

…. well technically it does. Sometimes. But it also sits in the communications, customer service and management departments. So where does it actually belong? As it happens, there are a number of debates on this topic. In the end, community can wind up sitting in every possible department. But this inconsistency isn’t a point of strife among community managers – it’s an indication that community is multi-facetted, with dynamic applications and broad-reaching effectiveness. Talk about a chameleon! You can launch an equally valuable community for your hiring managers, as you can for your product developers – I double dare you.

Community Management Means Commenting on Chat Boards All Day

True and false. Some time inevitably needs to be spent commenting and posting in the community platform, but it’s a small fraction of a community manager’s time. The majority of work is poured into things like designing editorial calendars, establishing detailed playbooks, or organizing community-wide behavior change. TheCR’s annual research (SOCM2015) has shown that more and more community managers are focusing their resources on strategic planning. This means that rather than chit-chatting in forums, community managers throw their resources into creating initiatives that help achieve the high-level business goals of their organization. Ask your community manager how their network can help increase your bottom line, and I guarantee they will have a few ideas you hadn’t thought of.

Facebook is a Community

Same goes for Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and (insert your favorite social site here).

Social media channels are not communities, they are networks can enable community conversations, maybe. They are tools that allow an organization to get their message out to a broad group of people – which is not a bad thing. However, this disqualifies them as pure communities because they only constitute one-sided conversations, from the organization to the user. Social media fails to allow for a shared value between the organization and the users themselves. By comparison, a community platform is a space where the organization and user can contribute to a common goal. When setting up a space to communicate with your users, ask yourself what they get from participation. If your answer is “notifications about new products”, you don’t have a community.

Community Manager is the Top Position Available

When I started my journey into community work, I looked at the community manager job title as a light on a hill. I quickly realized there is much more space to grow beyond that. There are countless opportunities to graduate into Community Strategist or even Director of Community positions. (not to mention, the average salaries of these positions are nothing to turn your nose up at. Take a look at our Community Careers and Compensation research for more on that). There are community management consultants, folks working in internal communities, external communities – anything you can think of, there is a community manager doing it and getting paid to be there. You can easily make a career path (and a mortgage payment) out of community.

Did you have initial impressions of community that were disproven over time? Share them! I’d love to hear how the idea of community management has grown for you!

A Thank You for You, and a Thank You for You – #thankitforward

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By Jillian Bejtlich, The Community Roundtablethankitforward

When I was a very little kid, my dad had to constantly remind me to say “thank you” and frankly – I just didn’t get it. It was up there with saying “please”, “excuse me”, and all the other things I just assumed people knew. Obviously I was thankful for things and would be pleased if things went my way, but my little kid brain just didn’t understand why I had to verbalize these things.

Nowadays as a full-fledged adult/overgrown child I have fully grasped why we say thanks (and please). It isn’t for us. It’s for others. It shows we value their input, feedback, collaboration, and all that fun stuff my 5-year old brain couldn’t quite grasp. So today, I’d like to share my #thankitforward picks, and say thanks.

To the people I am surrounded by, thank you for both being here and for sticking around. My five year old self always felt like the weirdo, but it turns out I was just meant to be a community professional. I have never felt more at home in my life surrounded by people who can wear all the hats, have a sense of humor, tell it how it is, and still be their authentically quirky selves. Do I dare say I feel I feel normal around all you lovely people?

To the opportunities I have and the people trusting me with them, thank you for challenging me and making me learn. A wise co-worker once told me to never say “no” or “I don’t know how to do that”. Instead he told me to always say “I don’t know right now, but I will find out”. This mindset has pushed me in so many directions and my knowledge and skills feel like they double every single year. If I have one goal in life, I want to make sure that I challenge others to continue learning. Never stop.

And finally, to my parents who encouraged me to be a quirky and inquisitive child. They never allowed me to box myself into an ideal or stereotype, and instead allowed me to grow up to be an adaptable grown up. For all those who work in community, you know all too well that our world changes all the time thanks to new members, new platforms, and new ideas – so adaption is key.

Happy holidays everyone!

 

 

CCC Fun Fact #5: The demise of the lone wolf community manager?

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By Ted McEnroe, Head of Research, The Community Roundtable

It’s one of the unfortunate clichés of the history of community management – the image of an overworked, isolated, solo practitioner, a lone wolf community manager, working to keep the community moving forward while the rest of the organization spins unknowingly around him (or her).

But there are signs that times are changing.

Just 1-in-7 of those community professionals who completed the Community Careers and Compensation 2015 survey identified themselves as “lone wolves,” the only resource in their community program. And more than half of the respondents said there were 2 or more full-time community managers on staff in their organization.

It’s a remarkable statistic, and it deserves a couple of small asterisks. First, there is likely some self-selection here, as busy “lone wolves” might not have taken the time to complete the survey. Second, it should be pointed out that even if lone wolves are becoming less common in organizations, the idea of one community manager per community is still prevalent. The State of Community Management report, which looked at individual communities, as opposed to community programs, found that 7-in-10 communities had one full- or part-time community manager in charge.

 

Lone Wolf Community Manager

What should you make of this? That more and more organizations are seeing the opportunity in having the community team in place to ensure communities can take an important role in the organization. There’s still work to be done – but it’s a promising sign. And for now it looks like maybe the lone wolf community manager is going extinct.

See the community staffing data now by visiting communityroundtable.com/ccc2015 to download the Executive Summary, or contribute your data to the ongoing research and get the full report for free. Visit the.cr/ccc2015survey now!

What community metrics are most important to track?

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By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

One of the most daunting tasks for many community managers is dealing with community metrics. A member recently approached us with the following question: “I’m getting started with tracking metrics for my community and looking for guidance – where do I begin? What metrics are most important to track?”

Like so many community issues there is no one-size fits all solution (probably not the response you wanted to hear!) We can tell you that through the State of Community Management 2014 report we found that 85% of best-in-class communities can measure the value of their community, so clearly measurement worthy goal. We’ve put together three best practices for getting a metrics and measurement program off the ground:

1. Ensure you have a clear and measurable strategy.

​Almost 80% of best-in-class communities have a measurable community strategy. Why? That – more than anything else – will give you clear guidance on what to track by articulating the business goals and behavior change you hope to see.

2. Identify a consistent reporting timeframe.

​About 60% of survey respondents prepare reports monthly. Reporting more often is likely a waste of time because behavior change takes time, but reporting monthly is often enough to get the feedback everyone needs to make adjustments to tactics.

3. Determine reporting audiences.

Think about who will be viewing your progress and goals. What story are you trying to tell them? Choose metrics that support the goals of your community and can be easily understood.

We also recommend both preparing monthly reports to track activity and sharing results with stakeholders and aligning your reporting with your community’s objectives to best engage your community stakeholders.

Do you consistently report on community metrics to your team? How did you decide what to report on, and how do you present this data in a meaningful way to your stakeholders?

Want more insights like these? Download the free State of Community Management 2014 report, and keep an eye out for the State of Community Management 2015, due out this spring!

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Want to access a global network of community professionals? Learn how membership in TheCR Network can provide 24/7 365 networking, training, professional development, and education.

3 Best Practices for Creating Community Rules of Engagement

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By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

Whether you’re starting from scratch with a brand new community, or working with a mature community that doesn’t have well defined programs and processes defining and managing community rules of engagement can be a struggle. We often get asked for a cheat sheet when creating these community rules.

While it’s hard to prescribe a single set of rules for engagement that make sense for different organizations, we put together three best practices for creating rules for engagement that make sense for any type of organization:

1. Define what success looks like.

Make an exhaustive list of everything you don’t want to see in the community – and everything you do want to see, including who participates and how. Be as specific as possible and include stakeholders in this brainstorming. Don’t be afraid to share this guide with your members!

2. Involve community members.

Communities with playbooks and mature policies are more likely to include members in strategic, tactical and policy related decisions. While the relationship between the two things is cyclical – getting members involved early can help drive policy maturity.

3. Develop enabling policies that encourage desired behavior.

Of the communities surveyed that can measure value, 67% have enabling policies. Think of these kinds of policies as a “to-do” list vs. just a list of restricted behaviors. Research shows that it doesn’t take years to develop mature policies and guidelines. 44% of communities that are only a year old have policies that promote positive behavior – and developing these policies early helps you shape and define your community culture before unwanted behaviors take hold.

Do you have a formal set of rules for engagement in your community? How did you go about defining these rules, and how do you actively share and manage these rules inside your community?

Want more insights like these? Download the free State of Community Management 2014 report, and learn more about how community managers approached this issue in The Community Manager Handbook: 20 Lessons from Community Superheroes.

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Want to access a global network of community professionals? Learn how membership in TheCR Network can provide 24/7 365 networking, training, professional development, and education.

CMSS Stats You Can Use: How Do I Find a Community Manager Job?

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By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable. 

As we close in on CMAD this Monday, we hope there will be a lot of focus on community managers and their careers. Our Community Manager Salary Survey 2014 found signs of an emerging career path for community professionals – but it’s not a path driven by the help wanted ads.

Community management is a profession of relationships – use your network to discover your next role. Most community jobs are not currently found through traditional job listings.

We found in our Community Manager Salary Survey 2014 research that only 27% of community managers found their current role through a job listing. Instead, build your professional community and network to identify new opportunities. Have a brand you are passionate about? Join their community as a member – showing interest and commitment to something you love is a great way to get noticed by a potential employer.

And get yourself more noticed in the places you want to succeed. In a digital industry, reputation matters. Share what you know and seek to connect with others in the industry. Whether you’re active on Twitter or LinkedIn, contribute to a professional development network or association, serve as a mentor, or speak at events, taking the time to help others learn what you know will demonstrate your expertise and commitment. Having a strong professional network increases your likelihood of having the inside scoop on new community manager jobs.

​Propose your own promotion

And sometimes, the best next step on your career path is as close as your current desk. If you’ve been in your role for a few years, evaluate your current responsibilities and goals for your community and seek out an opportunity to promote yourself. Think about what you do and need to keep up with the day-to-day tasks in the community AND stay on top of strategic planning – and write a new job description detailing how a new higher level role would better capture the work you do, benefit the community and make the case for hiring someone to help out with your previous responsibilities. Smart employers know the critical importance of retaining top talent, and your approach can help you articulate both your value and the value of your community in important ways.

 

community manager job

 

Community Managers Matter

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By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

If 2014 had a theme at TheCR it might have been “Community Managers are important.” I know – it seems obvious, and if you are reading here then chances are you too think that community managers are important, but time and time again this year we’ve uncovered research, or heard a case study that once again proves the value of community management and good community managers.

​Despite progress in understanding the discipline of community management over the years, far too many communities are still without any dedicated community management resources. However, the truth is, community managers matter – they impact the engagement, ability to measure value and the maturity of the community. For anyone hoping to get business value from a community, appropriately resourcing community management staff should be a priority.

SOCM FACT #09 - Measuring Community Value

Do you work in a community that prioritizes the importance of dedicated community management? Have you found that dedicated community managers make it easier to measure the value of your organization’s community? We’d love to hear from you!

You can review more findings related to community management in the State of Community Management 2014. This post is part of a series highlighting some of the most thought-provoking data from the SOCM 2014 – brought to you via a fun poster – perfect for sharing on Twitter, hanging at your desk, or printing out and waving around your next community strategy meeting.

Want even more community facts? Check out the full SOCM 2014 here:

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Looking to take your career in community management to the next level? 92% of members agree that TheCR Network supports and advances their personal and professional goals. Learn how our research, access to peers and experts, targeted content and exclusive concierge service can help you achieve your goals.

Join TheCR Team: Community Management Fellow Wanted

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Do you want to join TheCR team and become a skilled community manager? We are thrilled to announce that we are hiring a Community Management Fellow for 2015.

Why a Fellow? 

The Community Roundtable has hired a number of fellows over the years because it is a unique opportunity for both an individual, TheCR and TheCR’s ecosystem to benefit.  Our fellowships are intended to last 6-12 months and give individuals a strong background and network with which to find a permanent community manager position – you can read more about this program here.

What you will learn:

  • What strong community management looks like by shadowing our community manager, Hillary Boucher (who was also our first fellow in 2011!)
  • How to prioritize and execute on the many responsibilities of community managers
  • Techniques to drive engagement and collaboration that creates value
  • How to work with a fast-paced, transparent and collaborative team that has a bias for action and as little overhead as possible
  • How a community management approach to business transforms work into a series of fluid, meaningful collaborations with a network of individuals that build value

You might be our next community management fellow if you:

  • Love people and have experience with social technologies and online communities
  • Care about your work and the people with whom you work
  • Bring your best effort to every project but can leave your ego at the door
  • Have strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Enjoy project management and are very organized
  • Love content creation (maybe you love PowerPoint, maybe the idea of writing case studies gets you excited, or perhaps podcasts are your thing)
  • Are self-organized, self-driven and have strong project management skills
  • Think analytically: you are comfortable with and interested in data and analysis
  • Enjoy the flexibility – and responsibility – of working from home
  • Want to learn more about community management – you will work closely with our Community Manager and must love the internet, people and building community

Responsibilities:

  • Help TheCR team and our ecosystem to demonstrate the value of community and community management
  • Ensure that TheCR Network generates more value for members than they contribute
  • Managing member relationships and being responsive to member needs
  • Program planning & management
  • Content curation & creation
  • Documentation of processes
  • Special projects which, depending on the person’s skill set and interests, could be research, content, business development, marketing, or events projects.

You might be the ideal candidate if: 

You are interested in starting a career in community management but already know how to rock a project from start to finish, loves to tell stories with data and has a penchant for creating compelling content.

Do you have what it takes? Are you excited by what we could do together? Please tell us more about you! While not a requirement for the right candidate, preference will be given to people within commuting distance from Boston.

Community Manager Spotlight Recap: AMA with Becky Scott, iTalent

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By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

Last week we hosted our third community manager AMA to great success! In case you missed it we’ve archived the entire Community Manager Spotlight AMA webinar here – and it’s definitely a don’t miss listen for community professionals. Becky Scott, Senior Community Engagement Manager at iTalent.

This content has moved inside The Network.

About Becky:

Becky could be called a social media addict since she lives and breathes social media and community.In reality she’s quite passionate about bringing brands and their customers together —whether it’s on sites like Facebook and Twitter or company-owned properties like blogs or forums. Becky has a varied background that includes technical project management, marketing, editing, and writing. She also fancies herself a photographer at times, busily filling her hard drive with photos. She doesn’t really like piña coladas or getting caught in the rain, but does sing a mean karaoke song.

Becky has managed online communities for 15 years and social properties since Live Journal was a “thing” and Facebook required university emails. She honed her writing and editing skills on sites like AOL’s Aisle Dash, Ask Patty, Tree.com, and ucsd.edu. Two of her previous brand communities have won awards from Forrester, ComBlu, and Lithium Technologies.

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Want to access a global network of community professionals? Learn how membership in TheCR Network can provide 24/7 365 networking, training, professional development, and education.

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New Research: The Emerging Career Path for Community Professionals

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By Rachel Happe, Principal and Co-Founder, The Community Roundtable.

Community Management Skills Framework

It’s a great time to be a community manager. Companies big and small are starting to recognize that is a critical skill to help transform their organizations for a digitally connected world.

Our mission at The Community Roundtable is to advance the business of community and research has always played an integral part of that – helping people understand the dynamics and management approaches that build successful communities. We’ve made great strides at the macro level with our State of Community Management report and our Community Maturity Model framework – so much so that we can now benchmark the maturity of an organization’s community management approach.

It is time to take the same research approach to the role of the individual community professional and we are excited to announce the publication of our first Community Manager Salary Survey, made possible with support from Jive Software.

This research is becoming increasingly urgent due to a variety of trends we see:

  • Lack of recognition of how critical the community management discipline is to digital transformation and the future of work. We believe community management is the future of management and a critical component to enabling the future of work.
  • Community professionals are increasingly frustrated because of poorly defined roles and lack of advancement opportunities.
  • There is very little data about community management roles, making it challenging for hiring managers to define well constructed job opportunities.

So what did we find?

  • While there is still a lot of variability in skills and compensation levels in community management roles, there are distinct roles starting to emerge – specialist, manager, strategist and director. 36% of community professionals have been promoted within their role; an encouraging sign that organizations value the role and want to enable a career path.
  • At the executive level – community management is strategic – responsible for strategy, governance, program management and ensuring communities meet business objectives.
  • Performance measurements for community managers are still evolving – there is no one dominant measure being used to evaluate the performance of community professionals.
  • Organizations are still largely not supporting formal professional development resources for community managers like membership in professional development networks, training and coaching.

Along with this research, we also published the Community Management Skills Framework, designed to:

  • Provide a common framework for understanding the skills required for community management.
  • Give community managers a tool to evaluate and develop their own skills.
  • Support hiring managers and HR teams as they define formal community management roles within their organization.
  • Look at and compare the skills of community teams so gaps can be addressed and existing skills can be leveraged.

The full report contains specific data for internal (employee-facing) and external (customer and market-facing) community professionals – including average salaries, percent who get bonuses, profiles of skills and responsibilities by role, performance criteria and professional development resources.

Download the Report Now >>

We would love to hear from you about what surprised you, what you think is missing and how you will use this data to further your own development.