community resources Archives

The Importance of Framing Community Value for Executive Buy-In

February 25, 2025 By Jim Storer

As community leaders, one of our biggest challenges is conveying the importance of our community ecosystems to executives, especially when it comes to securing funding for growth. Framing the community narrative in a way that ties community engagement and activity directly to business goals is essential for demonstrating value and converting skeptics into enthusiastic advocates.

A Growing Ability to Prove Value

This year, a promising 34% of respondents indicate they can effectively prove the value of their community, a significant increase from just 20% last year. Among the best-in-class segment, the percentage is even higher, showcasing a trend towards greater accountability. However, it’s concerning to note that 21% of this top-tier segment and 32% of all respondents are still unsure or unable to articulate their community’s value. This gap signifies the importance of making value accountability a priority as we move into 2025.

Framing Community Value for Executive Buy-In

The Challenges of Measuring ROI

Calculating the ROI of community programs remains a complex task, and in 2024, we saw a decline in confidence, with only 37% of respondents claiming they could measure it, down from 53% in 2023. Even the best-in-class teams are struggling compared to previous years, which may be attributed to reduced team sizes and changes in available resources. To support your members in finding the answers they need, we recommend utilizing tools like the Community ROI Calculator.

Who’s Responsible for Community Metrics?

A key insight from this year’s survey highlights who is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting on community metrics. The data shows that community managers are typically the primary individuals handling these tasks. However, in the best-in-class cohort, there’s a notable distinction: they are twice as likely to have team members dedicated to metrics or analysts from other departments. This specialized focus is crucial since analyzing community metrics requires a different skill set compared to typical community management tasks. Teams that designate specific roles for metric analysis and reporting are likely to be more successful in capturing the true impact of their communities. It’s a sound strategy for community leaders to carve out this time and responsibility for dedicated individuals within their teams.

As community professionals, we must prioritize demonstrating the value of our communities in ways that resonate with organizational objectives. By focusing on robust data collection and analysis, we can enhance our narrative and gain the executive support necessary to foster growth and engagement in our community ecosystems.

Recommendations

Invest in Analyst Resources. Prioritize acquiring dedicated analyst resources, either through hiring or by leveraging existing expertise within the organization.

Expand Reporting Scope. Distribute community reports to a wider range of stakeholders to increase organizational awareness and demonstrate the value of community initiatives. Tailor reports to specific audience’s needs to ensure relevance and impact.

Focus on Value. Develop a clear methodology for calculating community value, considering both quantitative metrics and qualitative insights. Align metrics with business goals and communicate value in a compelling and understandable way.

Explore more community trends in the 2024 State of Community Management report.

Building Connections Through Community: Esri’s Storytelling Initiative

January 21, 2025 By Jim Storer

In an era where digital connections are more important than ever, Esri stands out as a best-in-class example of innovative community engagement.

As the global leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, Esri has long been committed to harnessing the power of geographic science and technology to create a sustainable world. With a rich history dating back to 1969, Esri continues to demonstrate how geographic approaches can provide insightful solutions to complex problems. The Esri Community—a platform designed to facilitate knowledge-sharing and foster collaboration, amplifies success stories through their innovative storytelling program.

The Heart of the Esri Community

At the core of Esri’s community storytelling initiative are two multimedia series that showcase the tangible benefits of community participation.

Download the Case Study

1. Esri Community Member Spotlights: Launched in September 2022, this series spotlights customers and partners demonstrating the positive impact of the Esri Community. Featuring monthly stories tailored for both external and internal audiences, this initiative helps to cultivate recognition of the community’s value while fostering deeper connections among members. The stories are not just inspirational; they provide practical use-cases and model behaviors that resonate with a wide range of users.

2. Esri Community: Inside Success: This quarterly series kicked off in early 2023, focusing on Esri staff who successfully integrate the community into their daily work. By providing an internal perspective, these interviews aim to raise awareness among employees about the community’s benefits and encourage greater participation.

Goals of the Community Program

Esri’s primary goal with these series is to enhance education and awareness of the community’s value among current and prospective users. By leveraging real experiences from peers, they seek to create content that is not only engaging but also beneficial. These stories introduce various facets of the Esri experience, ensuring a broader audience can relate to and learn from them.

Positive Outcomes and Success Metrics

The impact of these storytelling initiatives has been significant. Since the launch of the Member Spotlights, there have been over 3,000 page views across nine published stories, reflecting a genuine interest in the community’s activities and insights. Notably, the inspirational narratives featuring teams like The National Interagency Fire Center have been adapted into major publications like ArcNews and ArcWatch, further expanding their reach. The Inside Success series was similarly well-received indicating a thriving internal dialogue around community engagement. The spotlighted members’ enthusiasm often translates into social media promotions, while Esri account managers utilize these stories as relationship-building tools during outreach efforts.

Creative Integration into the Broader Strategy

Esri has taken steps to creatively integrate these storytelling initiatives into its overall community strategy:

Year-End Wrap Up Report: Early in 2023, a multimedia report using ArcGIS StoryMaps celebrated the previous year’s accomplishments, including a dedicated section for Community Member Spotlights, which highlighted the metrics and stories that defined 2022.
Redesigned Quarterly Highlights Report: The Esri Community team has revamped its reporting structure to emphasize key information in a visually appealing format. This report includes dedicated sections for Member Spotlights and Inside Success features, thus reinforcing the metrics and engagement levels.
Forum Re-engagement Strategy: Recognizing the need for consistent activity levels in community forums, Esri initiated an audit process followed by a resource-packed outreach to Place Managers. This strategy emphasizes the benefits of community participation, showcasing successful integrations by Esri staff that foster meaningful customer feedback and collaboration.

Through its innovative storytelling initiatives, Esri not only showcases the incredible value of its community but also embodies its commitment to fostering connections that lead to shared success. By amplifying voices, celebrating achievements, and encouraging collaboration, Esri is laying the foundation for a vibrant and engaged community that truly harnesses the power of “The Science of Where.”

Get advice from the Esri community team in the 2024 State of Community Management Report.

TheCR Network FAQs, or Why Should I join TheCR Network?

October 23, 2017 By Hillary Boucher

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!