The Community Roundtable

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

Faces of Community Management: Jamileh Delcambre

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By Shannon DiGregorio Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable. The last monday of the month always means a new Faces of Community Management profile – you can check out previous ones here and here. This month we’re excited to introduce you to Jamileh Delcambre. Jam is a community manger at  Thomson Reuters and has been an active member of TheCR Network since 2011. 

“Jam is one of those community members that makes TheCR Network so valuable. She inherently understands community and she’s generous with her (great) ideas and expertise. One of my favorite things about Jam is that she exudes authenticity. I’ve read some of her communications with her community members and she does an amazing job of balancing the professional tone of her company with her authentic and very real voice. I count myself lucky to work with her!” -Hillary, Community Manager at TheCR Network

FacesCM_Jam

Download Jam’s profile here: Faces of Community Management – Jam

—– 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.

Announcing The State of Community Management 2014

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SOCM 2014 SponsorsBy Rachel Happe, Co-Founder of The Community Roundtable.

The fifth annual State of Community Management report is here!

A lot has changed in the five years we have been publishing this research and the State of Community Management 2014 continues to push the boundary of what we collectively know about community management. As the discipline has matured we have been able to translate much more of it into quantitative data. This year’s report is chock full of data, segmented and delivered in ways that will help you plan and act.

The report includes:

  • Key Findings
  • Findings by Community Maturity Model competency
  • Guidance on using the research, by competency
  • Best practices from TheCR Network, by competency
  • Additional resources

What you’ll see in the data is that community management is standardizing – but still not mature or completely integrated into core business processes. Most community initiatives now have approved community strategies, which is fantastic – and quite a change from the early days of shiny object syndrome. However, all to often those strategies are not mirrored by approved and resourced roadmaps, pointing to one of the biggest challenges in the space today – funding the resources and programs that will translate aspirations to reality.

Also encouraging is that the vast majority of best-in-class (most mature) communities can measure value, indicating an important shift in the market from something that was considered innovative and unproven to something that is understood and measurable.

This research was the result of a community effort that included TheCR Network members who guided our exploration, experts who helped tease out best practices, TheCR team who all contributed in ways large and small and finally our sponsors – DNN, Enterprise Hive, Jive, Lithium, and Sitrion – who made it all possible.

The collaboration across our community allowed us to bring this rich data to you. We hope you find it interesting but more importantly, we hope this data helps you succeed. If it does, we would love to hear about how you used it to plan your roadmap, educate stakeholders or justify your budget.

Happy reading!

 

 

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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.

 

 

Interview with a Community Veteran – Michael Pace

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

Michael PaceOur last interview with a community veteran is with one of our earliest members and most vocal supporters – Michael Pace. Michael has worked tirelessly to advance the ideas and practice of community customer support and has been a great leader in and out of TheCR Network.

You can connect with Michael on twitter, or follow him on his blog: thepaceofservice.com.

1. How have you seen the community management space evolve over the past five years?

Interesting question.  Oddly, I feel I have seen two separate paths for community management over the last five years.  Path #1:  I call this the status quo path.  People who still preach and practice exactly the same way they did 3,4,5 years ago.  They seem to be adding very little to the conversation, and continually regurgitate the same old same old spiel.  Many of them do not believe you should or could quantify the value of your community, and believe in many of the original “isms” of yesteryear.  Path #2: I call this the edge of the box path.  This is the true evolution of community management.  They look at how to leverage the skills, competencies, and tools to push our thought on what can be done.  Folks interested in social business have moved down this path, because it is bigger and immensely more valuable than just social media networks.  They have operationalized social, their communities, and tools to distill the insights necessary to move forward.

2. What are some of the biggest differences from when you first started out in community management?

The biggest difference (for me) from when I first started is the incorporation of customer service into the social space.  In ’09 it was still all Marketing and PR, except for Frank Eliason at Comcast.  Finding others interested in social/community management for customer service was very scarce.  In a lot ways I appreciate that open range today, because I may have fallen lock step with the crowd if it wasn’t so scarce.  It pushed me to find ways to make social work for customer service.

3. What would you do differently in your first community management role knowing what you know now?

Executive champions, executive champions, executive champions! Did I mention executive champions?  Without executive championship, you are going to be Sisyphus pushing your rock up the hill each day.  I had relatively strong executive championship, but if I was to do it again, I would have made it bigger and more pronounced.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Five  years from now, I see myself with my own customer service shop/contact center.  But it wouldn’t be your father’s contact center.  It was be rich with efficient communication and collaboration.

5. Did you have any community management mentors along the way? Any specific advice they gave you that stood out to you?

Not just saying this for the purposes of this questionnaire, but Rachel and Jim were my primary local mentors.  I had a Facebook page to keep track of idiots I didn’t like in high school, and a LinkedIn page to source job opportunities.  Beyond that no social training what so ever.  They helped me ramp up so quickly that I was speaking about social customer service in front of audiences within a few months.  Best advice came from Rachel. She told me my Twitter stream was boring.  “Who wants to only hear about email marketing all day.  Show your personality.  If I am interested in you, I’ll be interested in what you share.”  Three months later, I was making Movember shower videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glPko3I-EHc&list=UUZLGMCmn9LcpxOaRwm8vIow

6. What would you tell someone who has made the career leap and is in the early stages of their career in community or social business?

If someone was making the career leap over to social and community management, I would tell them regardless of what you believe this role will entail, you should continue to focus on core business competencies, as well as social networking skills.  Core business competencies should include (but might not be limited to) communication, influencing others, analyzing data, teamwork, customer focus, results focus (getting things done efficiently), and people development and management.  Odds are is your community management role will be cross functional, and you will need to (continue to) learn how to develop these competencies in order to effectively advocate for funding/people, deliver on cross functional goals, communication activity and vision, and gain insight.

7. If you could go back and give yourself advice five years ago what would you say?

“Hey this Facebook and Twitter thing may actually take off, go get yourself involved.”

 

 

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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 Two

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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.

 

 

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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.

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Friday Roundup: Five Year Anniversary Edition

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

The First TheCR Live - Five Years Ago

The First TheCR Live – Five Years Ago

Yesterday we shared this picture via twitter in honor of #tbt (throwback thursday) of Rachel and Jim at our very first TheCRLive, at the Barking Crab in Boston, MA. It’s hard to believe that was five years ago. This month we’ve been looking back at those five years though interviews with veteran community practitioners (so far we’ve chatted with Heather and Nigel), a podcast series with our founders and a fun infographic of our favorite milestones.

You can catch up on any content you missed in our links, find new community jobs, and more!

We’ll be back next week to share one more week of anniversary content before we release the 5th annual State of Community Management 2014 report on April 22! Stay tuned for the final two parts in the founders podcast series, another interview with a community manager and a podcast with a very special guest!  Have a great weekend!

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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.

Infographic: The Community Roundtable’s 5th Anniversary

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

A BUTCHY SKYWRITING 25

When we started thinking about how to celebrate our five year anniversary we threw around a lot of ideas. Sky writing! Singing telegrams! Surprise visits with flowers and candy for every member of TheCR Network!

Ok, maybe grand gestures like that weren’t in the cards. But, we did want to find a way to share our excitement and highlight some of the coolest moments in our first five years. If you’ve been reading along you’ve seen our interviews with early community practitioners and our podcast series with Rachel and Jim about the history of the Community Roundtable. We’re even hosting a party on 4/15/14 in Boston that we’d love to see you at.

The truth is, you know we love a good infographic, and that seemed like a natural way to share some of our favorite moments. Without further ado, please enjoy our retrospective infographic – celebrating our most memorable milestones from 2008 until now.

anniversary infographic

Do you have a favorite moment that we missed? Add it in the comments! Who knows, maybe it will make our 10-year infographic!

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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. 

Podcast: Community Retrospective – Part One

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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.

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. 

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Friday Roundup – Spring is Here Edition

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

Spring

Photo credit: 3rd House Pary

Spring has finally sprung in Boston! Today there are crocuses blooming, marathoners training in shorts and the Red Sox open their season at Fenway Park – so many things to celebrate! I hope you’re enjoying spring whereever you are – even if it’s been warm for longer than three days!

This week we celebrated April 1st and kicked our month-long anniversary celebration, leading up to the release of our 5th annual State of Community Management report on 4/22/14. We are so excited to share a look back at the last five years in the community management space, and doubly excited to share the results of our 2014 research. In the meantime, you’ll have to wait it out with this week’s links. We’ve got a few new community jobs, an interview with long-time TheCR Network member Heather Strout, a recap of our March Community Manager spotlight webinar, an interesting look at community-driven game development and more!

Thanks for reading! We’ll be back on Monday with the first in a three-part community retrospective with Rachel Happe and Jim Storer. Have a great weekend.

 

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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.

 

Recap: Community Manager Spotlight Webinar with Heather Ausmus

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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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS

Interview with a Community Veteran – Heather Strout

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

Heather Strout

To celebrate our 5th anniversary this month I sat down with a few of our long-time members to chat about their community experience over the last five years. Today I’m happy to share my conversation with Heather Strout, Director of Product Marketing at Lithium. I’m actually lucky enough to know Heather in real life – we worked together many moons ago, and can personally vouch for her awesomeness.

In addition to her day job at Lithium, Heather is part of the team that hosts a monthly community manager breakfast in Austin, TX. If you’re in the Austin area tomorrow (4/3/14) you should join them!

1. How have you seen the community management space evolve over the past five years?

Community Management for business is no longer uncharted territory. We can rely on the documented experiences of others to shape a successful community today. Five years ago, we were still relying on other industries and precursors to community to chart community strategy.

Organizations like The Community Roundtable have allowed Community Managers to evolve their community, and thus the industry as a whole, so quickly. It’s still a nascent business strategy but is considered a core strategy to so many companies now. Five years ago, it still seemed as if many companies were in the experimental stage.

2. What are some of the biggest differences from when you first started out in community management?

Now, businesses take the role of community manager, and the value of community, seriously. It’s no longer a secret weapon for those who have figured out the value. In some industries, having a customer community is not an option; it’s a necessity to stay competitive.

3. What would you do differently in your first community management role knowing what you know now?

I would have been more insistent on making sure the business knew how to make a successful community and what it took to get there. Specifically, getting senior management buy-in to not just why a community can be valuable but the effort needed to make it a success.

Thanks, Heather! We are so lucky to have long-time members like you advocating for community management! If you want to connect with Heather you can find her on twitter.

 

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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.