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30+ Years of Community Resources

August 21, 2017 By Jim Storer

A couple days ago I paused to reflect on all of the people and resources that have helped me (and The Community Roundtable, our members, and partners) since we launched in 2009. It’s not a short list. I put the question to TheCR team and we started to collaborate on a list of resources going back as far as we can remember. The attached infographic attempts to capture our list, but it would have been a mile long if we included them all. I’ll use this post to share a handful of people and stories that may help bring the infographic to life.

I first started thinking about communities in the mid 90’s, using online bulletin boards to network with thought leaders to help build conferences around specific technology topics. We used a couple of pool computers to access the boards and were frequently in line waiting to use the dial-up modems to access the boards. During these early years, I was fortunate to meet Vanessa DiMauro. She was (and continues to be) on the forefront of community and was generous with her time for a newbie. Check out her “Back to the Future of Online Community” for an exhaustive look back.

Several years later I first read The Cluetrain Manifesto and was energized by the promise of community. I jumped at the chance to interview David Weinberger at the first Community 2.0 Conference in 2007. Unfortunately, the audio from that podcast is missing in action. Suffice it to say that David shared his knowledge and experiences openly for all that were willing to listen.

Throughout the 2000’s, Jim Cashel and Bill Johnston at Forum One were instrumental in bringing together community practitioners at their annual unconference in Sonoma, CA. More retreat than conference, it was always a fascinating group of people who came together to help one another uncover the secrets of community building. Bill was also responsible for publishing the first community manager salary report, which we sought to update eight years later.

Rich Millington aka Feverbee shares what he learns about community building through his blog and frequently engages in thoughtful discussion on Twitter. He’s a deep thinker in the community space, seeking to find scientific backing for the strategies and tactics we use in the space.

Since launching The Community Roundtable in 2009, we’ve been fortunate to have a long list of amazing community practitioners stop by to share what they’ve learned with our members. I’ll highlight a few below (in no particular order).

John Hagel joined us to talk about his book Net Gain: Expanding Markets Through Virtual Communities

Burr Settles shared what he learned growing and supporting fellow musicians on FAWM.org

Harold Jarche stopped by to talk about how communities can facilitate culture change.

Rachel Makool explored work/life balance and community managers. Side note: I met Rachel at the first Community 2.0 Conference when she was at eBay, running one of the largest/most active communities in existence at the time. We recorded an incredible podcast with her, alas it’s also lost to the ether. 

Nancy White joined us to talk about using storytelling in community building. Side note: Nancy’s been studying (and sharing) online facilitation for decades. Her Online Community Toolkit is a great resource for all community managers. 

Jeremiah Owyang shared his views on the evolving role of community managers several times with our members. He also wrote an introduction to our State of Community Management research and founded Community Manager Appreciation Day (CMAD), which is still celebrated today.

Liz Strauss shared the secrets she’d gleaned in writing one of the oldest (and most successful) blogs on the internet.

Erika Kuhl, one of the true pioneers of online community, shared member engagement tips she’d learned managing the Salesforce.com community.

Sean O’Driscoll shared tips on building a successful advocacy program, which he learned managing Microsoft’s MVP Program.

I could do this all day. We’ve been very fortunate to know and learn from an incredible array of really smart people. At The Community Roundtable, we’ve tried to be a good community citizen by sharing much of what we learn through our research, models, and frameworks and will continue to do so going forward. This is a collaborative, inclusive group of people that have been sharing and learning from one another for over thirty years. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

Explore this list of resources and more (and send us your contributions) at History of Community Management Resources

TheCR on the Road – The J.Boye Web & Intranet Conference

May 7, 2014 By Jim Storer

By Shannon DiGregorio Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable. jetblue

After an exciting April in Boston we’re hitting the road in May – visiting three cities in three weeks to connect with members and clients around the country. This week Rachel will attend the J. Boye Philadelphia 14 Web & Intranet Conference in Philadelphia, next week Rachel and Shannon will visit Orlando for Collective 2014 and the week after Jim, Hillary and Jillian will trek to the West Coast and visit San Francisco for Lithium’s LiNC.

Will you be attending any of these events? Let us know – we’d love to catch up in person! Each of these events is exciting in its own way and we wanted to give you an insider perspective on what we’re looking forward to most. I spoke with Rachel about the J.Boye event this week, which they describe as being:

“…born out of the desire to let people share and learn in an open environment; stimulating and inspiring events with presentations, demos, intense discussions and ample opportunity to expand your network in a social, informal campus-style atmosphere.”

From Rachel:

“My friend Claire (Flanagan) told me several years ago that the J. Boye conference was a don’t miss event and it’s definitely not your typical conference. The team at J.Boye are very intentional about creating participant collisions and orchestrating the attendee experience so each participant walks away energized and inspired. Everything from the sessions to the networking to use of the physical space the event takes place in is thoughtful and intentional. 

I’m also looking forward to seeing a number of our members speak – it is probably the largest concentration of TheCR Network members speaking in one place. Jeff Ross from Humana is presenting a session titled  “Building a 30,000-User Enterprise Social Network” which will be an inside look at building and maintaining a successful enterprise social network.

Another exciting member session will be a case study from Chris Catania at Walgreens on “Using community management strategies to drive social intranet adoption, collaboration and employee engagement.” Chris will share how his team is using community management strategies to roll out their new social intranet/employee community, The Wall.

I’m also looking forward to James LaCorte’s presentation on “Selling Social Media to the C-Suite”  – he’ll share  his tips and tricks to leading the executive horse to the water – and making it drink! Between these member-led sessions and great networking opportunities I know this is going to be a special week in Philadelphia.”

Rachel failed to mention that she’ll be presenting a session on collaboration and social enterprise – “A vision for the networked organization.” We can’t wait to her about her trip – if you’re going to be in Philadelphia for the J.Boye event please find Rachel and say hello!

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Did you know that TheCR Network members work with all kinds of communities? In fact, about 25% work in either internal or external communities and 50% work with both! No matter what kind of community you work with membership in TheCR Network will save you time and improve the quality of your work by connecting you with peers, experts and curated information. Learn how joining TheCR Network can improve the work you do.

 

 

Podcast: Community Retrospective – Part Three

April 21, 2014 By Jim Storer

By Shannon DiGregorio Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

Jim and Rachel Anniversary Podcast

The first few weeks of April have flown by and we’ve been so excited to share a trip down memory lane with you.

In case you missed the first two parts of this community retrospective with Rachel Happe and Jim Storer you can find them here: Part One and Part Two.

In this final installment hear Rachel and Jim discuss what draws them to community management, some of the most profound moments for them over the last five years, final reflections on building a company and why exactly we’re obsessed with lists of three things at TheCR.

Thank you so much for joining us on this month-long dive into the history of The Community Roundtable, we’ve loved chatting with experts and early community practitioners and hoped you’ve learned something along the way.

https://www.communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TheCRFoundersPodcastRetrospectivePartThree.mp3

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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. 


https://media.blubrry.com/608862/communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TheCRFoundersPodcastRetrospectivePartThree.mp3

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Podcast: Community Retrospective – Part Two

April 14, 2014 By Jim Storer

By Shannon DiGregorio Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

Jim and Rachel at Hugh O'NeilsTo celebrate our 5th anniversary I spent an afternoon with our founders, Jim Storer and Rachel Happe discussing the history of The Community Roundtable, how community management has evolved in the last five years and what is in-store for the future.

In the second part of our discussion Rachel and Jim dig into how the community management space has changed in the last five years, the evangelization that continues to take place  and the idea of community management as both a role and discipline.

Missed part one? Check it out here.

 

https://www.communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TheCRFoundersRetrospective_part2.mp3

 

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Did you know that 95% of TheCR Network members agree that the content and peer input improves the quality of their work? It’s true! Membership in TheCR Network saves community and social business leaders time and improves the quality of their work by connecting them quickly with peers, experts and curated information. Learn how joining TheCR Network can improve the work you do.

https://media.blubrry.com/608862/communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TheCRFoundersRetrospective_part2.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast: Community Retrospective – Part One

April 7, 2014 By Jim Storer

By Shannon DiGregorio Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

The Community Roundtable RetrospectiveTo celebrate our 5th anniversary I spent an afternoon with our founders, Jim Storer and Rachel Happe at their first office – a corner table at the pub Hugh O’Neills in Malden, MA. Over a few pints of Guinness we discussed the history of The Community Roundtable, how community management has evolved in the last five years and what is in-store for the future.

In the first part of our conversation, you’ll hear Jim and Rachel reminisce about how they met, their original ideas for The Community Roundtable and the ah-ha moments they’ve experienced over the last five years in a changing industry and more.

https://www.communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TheCRFoundersRetrospetive_Part1.mp3

This is the first part in a three part series, we’ll published parts two and three on the blog next week. Have a question you’d love to ask Rachel or Jim about the history of The Community Roundtable? Tweet us @TheCR or leave the question in the comments. We’d love to hear your take on the last five years in the community management space, or where you think the industry is headed! Please share!

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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. 

https://media.blubrry.com/608862/communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TheCRFoundersRetrospetive_Part1.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS

Recap: Community Manager Spotlight Webinar with Heather Ausmus

April 3, 2014 By Jim Storer

By Shannon DiGregorio Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

In March, Jim chatted with Heather Ausmus as part of our ongoing Community Manager Spotlight webinar series. Heather has used the Community Maturity Model in her community work and shared how she has developed a plan through FY18 using the model as a framework.

 Heather Ausmus is the Online Community Manager at Johnson Controls Building Efficiency where she manages the Connected Community, an external community for customers, partners and prospective customers. She recently also started managing Johnson Controls Building Efficiency social media programs. Prior to Johnson Controls Building Efficiency, she helped consumer brands develop and implement social media programs and was the Marketing Manager for a global consumer brand.

Watch the video below to learn more about Heather and her team’s use of the Community Maturity Model in their work, and hear her answers to great questions, including:

  • How she has proven the worth of the community internally
  • How she was able to scale her effort with such a small team
  • What tools she uses to run reports, capture the data and methods of distribution
  • How her community team engages with product management teams

Have a question for Heather? You can connect with her on Twitter or leave them in the comments below.

This content has moved inside The Network.

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Did you know that 95% of The Network members agree that the content and peer input improves the quality of their work? It’s true! Membership in The Network saves community and social business leaders time and improves the quality of their work by connecting them quickly with peers, experts and curated information. Learn how joining The Network can improve the work you do.


https://media.blubrry.com/608862/communityroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/heatherausmus_webinar.webm

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Meet TheCR Team | Jim Storer

February 18, 2014 By Jim Storer

  • Team building.
  • March = SXSW
    And lest we forget SXSW!
  • Ozzie Storer, captain of #teamdog

Co-Founder and Principal

At-a-Glance:

Member Since | 2009
Superpower | Unsolicited editing
#teamcat or #teamdog | #teamdog

You can ask Jim about:

1. Craft beer
2. Waterfalls, rope swings and swimming holes in New England
3. The secret of community engagement

Email Jim or connect with him on Twitter or Linkedin.

More About Jim:

Jim has always been interested in bringing people together and connecting them to one another, whether it’s for events, online communities or a food/craft beer tasting.

Helping people develop new appreciations while building deeper connections has always been part of his business and personal life. His deep understanding of content and program strategies, grounded in his years as a community manager, helps him connect with community managers whether they’re just getting started or a seasoned professional.

Over the last 15 years he’s built and managed communities and consulted with both start-ups and large enterprises on how to effectively build lasting value with community and social business solutions. As a social business/community strategist he’s advised a wide range of clients including Cisco/WebEx, Deloitte, EDR, iRise, Aetna, GSA, BASF, CSC and Black Hills Corporation.

Jim’s writing:

  • TheCR blog posts
  • Conversations With Community Managers
  • We Are Smarter Than Me: Crowdsourcing New Business

Jim’s speaking:

  • 2012 SXSWi
  • 2011 SXSWi
  • 2012 ASAE Technology Conference
  • 2011 WOMMA Summit
  • 2011 Social Media and Community Strategies Conference
  • 2008 Community 2.0 Conference

Have Jim speak at your event

Lisa Beatty on Brand-Focused Communities

June 3, 2010 By Jim Storer

The Community Roundtable has partnered with Voce Communications to produce a new podcast series, “Conversations with Community Managers.” In this series, TheCR’s Jim Storer joins forces with Voce’s Doug Haslam to speak with people from a variety of industries about their efforts with community and social media management.
 

Episode #10 features Lisa Beatty, “Chief Jane Advocate” for Jane Nation, one of the first online communities for women to share their opinions and ideas about brands, and information among themselves and with brands about the uniqueness of their community.

Podcast highlights include:

  • Running a community that is a hybrid of centrally-produced and controlled content, and more self-moderated forums
  • The relationship between a community about brands and the brands themselves, including the need to comply with disclosure guidelines, and how to include the brands as part of the community (with examples from the Mayo Clinic and General Motors)
  • Approaching community monetization without ads, with approaches such as sponsored content and access to community members for private conversations
  • The challenges of managing a community including people at different stages of their lives (age, careers, parenthood, etc)
  • Reconciling running a brand-focused community with a career as an advertising executive, as Beatty does

MUSIC CREDIT: “Bleuacide” by graphiqsgroove.

About Conversations with Community Managers*
To better reflect the diverse conversations our podcast covers we’ve changed the name of our long-running series to Community Conversations.
Community Conversations highlights short conversations with some of the smartest minds in the online community and social business space, exploring what they’re working on, why they do what they do, and what advice they have for you.
These episodes are a great way to begin to understand the nuances of community strategy and management.
Each episode is short (usually less than 30 minutes) and focuses on one community management professional.

https://media.blubrry.com/608862/thecr-podcasts.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/CwCM_lisabeatty.mp3

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