Happy Community Manager Appreciation Day! For some, today is one of the rare days where we can openly celebrate our social media addictions without shame. For others, it’s an opportunity to get a bear hug, a Tweet-a-Coffee, or a high-five from their co-workers. However, as Community Managers, we all know that the job is 24/7, even on a holiday (yes, it’s a holiday. We didn’t make it up, people!). So, to celebrate #CMAD, we decided to ask experienced Community Managers about their 3 best tips of advice for other CMs. Read them for yourself or pass it on to your company’s #CMGR!
“What are your 3 top tips for other Community Managers?”
Matt Navarra - Social Media Director & Community Manager at The Next Web
1. “Be visible and accessible as a CM in the community you serve. Don’t let your brand be faceless.”
2. “Give your community plenty of opportunities to engage with you and keep them entertained by making the opportunities varied. Be creative!”
3. “Looking for ideas on how to super charge your community? Speak to fellow CM’s, e.g. Check out tweets with the hashtag(s) #cmgr / #cmgrchat on Twitter (don’t be afraid to ask for help!).”
Matthew Knell - VP of Social & Community at About.com
#1) “Remember, that most people generally are trying to do the best they can.”
2. “”You can’t teach heart.” – This is my favorite quote to use when describing the mindset of great CMs. Some people are just built for it, and some people aren’t. And that’s ok.”
3. “”Worry about the person first, then worry about the click after.” If you’re doing your job as a SM/CM, building a relationship should result in more loyalty and thus more clicks to your content. Sacrificing one click for many is something most marketers would do without question.”
Megan Berry - Head of Consumer at RebelMouse, Previously led Community at Klout
1. “Showcase amazing community members! The member gets to be in the spotlight & you get a great example of a happy customer who’s sharing their tips for how to best use your product.”
2. “Use photos! Whatever you’re trying to say, I promise it will be way more engaging with the right photo attached. When you attach a photo on Twitter it shows in the stream so it’s easy to see what’s going on at a glance and, of course, we all know great photos make any Facebook content and blog post more engaging.”
3. “Say thank you. Simply taking the time to say thank you or send a (virtual) high five to a community member who shared something awesome about you can go a really long way to building a relationship with them.”
Jen Joyce - Community Manager at UBER
1. “Be yourself and have fun! People will engage with you a lot more if your content is genuine. You were hired as a CM for your brand for a reason. One thing I love about Uber is that we hire CMs that really ARE the city they live in. We work hard and play hard in our cities and I think it’s been a great contributor to the success of our company.”
2. “Embody your brand but don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside the box! For example: http://blog.uber.com/ICanHasUberKITTENS. I was so excited to be able to deliver adorable kitten snuggles by a tap of the Uber app. It was amazing to see how “cat-nip crazy” people got over it and it’s now one of our most talked about on-demand promotions.”
3. “Being a Community Manager is a blast. You are what connects your brand to the world. You are how the world knows about your brand. Pretty cool to think about, AMIRITE!? ”
Jacob Curtis - Digital Strategist & Community Manager at Bonfire Marketing
1. “Establish a crisis plan. Basically, accidents happens and when it does, your social channels will be the the first place people turn to vent their frustration. I recommend establishing a crises plan that consists of dedicated internal communication channels that can provide your CM an official statement from the owner, department head, or PR director.”
2. “Always be converting. Conversions come from the conversations you have with your community and can encompass everything from directing to a product page, soliciting a positive review, or cross promoting another platform. For example, in a conversation I had with Simply Measured’s CM, I had told her about my positive experience with their reporting. Jade then thanked me for my feedback and then politely asked (soft close) if I could leave the same recommendation on their companies’ LinkedIn page. Now my recommendation is a permanent feature on their page. Nice job!”
3. “Pro-actively connect with customers. Let me toot Simply Measured’s horn once again and highlight their recent #SimplyCoffee Holiday Campaign in which they sent mugs, chocolates and Tweet-a-Coffees to a handful of their loyal fans all around the world. Not only were the hand-written notes appreciated, those who received the gifts shared the news amongst their own networks which in turn increased SM’s visibility. Win-win right?”
Steve Cassady - Community Manager & Social Media Consultant
1. “You have to constantly learn & adopt. The environment is fluid. If something does not work, trying something different. Learn from the experience., Don’t fear failing, learn from it.”
2. “Always take one step back & think like a community member. Am I adding value? Building a community takes longer than most expect. You have to cultivate it like a garden.”
3. “To build a community, you must not be afraid to get off the computer, go out and talk to people offline & develop genuine relationships. Lots of value can be generated from Skype’s, Phone Calls, Conferences, & Networking meetings.”
Josh Olin - Community Development & Esports at Turtle Rock Studios
1. “Establish a strong, consistent Tone and Voice for your brand that resonates well with your community on social media. It doesn’t have to be humor. Don’t try so hard to write funny posts you think will “go viral” such that your voice becomes erratic.”
2. “Don’t be on a social media platform for the sake of it. Have a clear purpose and tailor your message for each platform’s nuanced audience. Identify what works particularly well on each platform, and make more of that content.”
3. “Constantly be adapting to the changing times. Social platforms change often, which in turn can and should change your approach.”
Brandie McCallum - Director of Community for Readz
1. “Be flexible, realize people aren’t going to always react or act in a way you expect.”
2. “Don’t fear the conversation, jump in and join ( this works offline, too).”
3. “Share (this is my favorite), share your passion, share your friends, share your knowledge. All this sharing will lead to many things and on some wild rides!”
Do you have any other pieces of Community Manager wisdom to share? Leave a comment with your own pearl of wisdom!