Comments on: 8 Ingredients That Make a Community Manager

By: @tek

@tek — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:04:36 +0000

here is what I think the modern Community Manager with an entrepreneurial spirit should work toward: http://somatek.posterous.com/how-to-community-manager-20

By: Rafael Montilla

Rafael Montilla — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:00:44 +0000

Great information Lisa!! I will translate it into spanish, I’ll let you know where I will post it.

By: Steve LeBlanc

Steve LeBlanc — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:44:04 +0000

Lisa,

Lovely list of things to keep in mind when building an online community. Puts a premium on just being actively helpful and available.

Although I was hoping for something more. I wanted some mention of how this post applies to non-brand, or non-comercial communities. Most of it applies directly, and I can figure out the rest as I write this comment. But a paragraph or two would have enriched this post. I know that even a self-help group or local team has a brand of sorts, and you might talk about the marketing of that brand. But another approach for #3. Passion About the Brand: might be “Passion about the Brand or Mission of The Organization” It is vital to community to keep some single idea central, whether it be the brand or the mission.

Thanks for making me work for it.

By: Sydney

Sydney — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:45:01 +0000

What you’re describing, more than anything, is a marketing manager who handles a company’s brand message online. I’ve met a multitude of community managers through my career who are nothing like you’ve described here, but have done fantastic jobs keeping communication open, transparent and in motion. Many of them are introverts and not very “social” on the physical plane – but virtually, they know how to make the necessary connections that create vibrant online communities. Online community managers are not of one ilk – they are of all sizes, shapes, personalities and intent, yet marketers like to think people who work on the Internet – especially when it comes to a company’s outward face – all need to fit into those little boxes that corporate types seem to like to push people into. As a community manager, myself, I am a bit insulted by this post.

By: rey

rey — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:40:28 +0000

Number six should be number one

By: Josiah Dimbo

Josiah Dimbo — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:22:30 +0000

I was impressed by the outspoken.
l would like you to help me set up a website.

By: Tim McDonald

Tim McDonald — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:23:13 +0000

Lisa,
I think you did a fantastic job defining the make up a a great community manager. I would refine number 5 as Must Have a Balanced Ego. Certainly the brand must come first, but the individual must have the confidence in themselves to interact with the audience.
I also believe community managers have been around for years. They didn’t have the channels of communications available today and they certainly weren’t called community managers. They may have been in customer service, sales, operations, but they were always the ones that had the “special” report with the customers. The person that both external and internal people went to for just about anything, regardless of their job title.
Layering that with the knowledge of how to interact on all the channels available today, makes it a whole new position.

By: Amber Naslund

Amber Naslund — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:29:05 +0000

Lisa -

Thanks a million for the shoutout, lady. And while I think community manager as a “job” has great purpose right now, community management as a *skill* is something that needs to be cultivated throughout an organization. I think we’ll get there, with those holding those job titles helping teach and steward those skills in others.

Thanks for the thoughtful post. Some great folks out there doing really good work.

Best,
Amber

By: Jenn@ t1 service

Jenn@ t1 service — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:12:32 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me how many jobs are available these days that just didn’t exist when I was in college–like “Community Manager.” What a cool job that would be! I guess I have fallen into doing a little bit of that myself for various clients without intending to, and I do find more and more people asking me if I will help them manage their social media, but I don’t market myself as a “Community Manager.” I have no idea how one would prepare to do that in advance. I wonder if it’s just a matter of time before college courses in social media will be available?

By: Erin Bury

Erin Bury — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:34:52 +0000

Aw thanks Melle! I am actually a robot. Don’t tell anyone :)