Defining the role of community managers has been a hurdle for many brands. Are they part of the PR department? Marketing? Customer service? What skills do they need?
These are great questions. One answer, coming from The Community Roundtable, is that community managers are a lot like executives. Let’s compare:
1. Both maintain critical relationships with people and companies that are essential for growth.
2. Both need to know about, or know who to talk to, about any aspect of their company.
3. Both have overflowing email inboxes, always.
4. Both need to be diplomatic, understanding and helpful.
The two roles can learn a lot from each other. No matter what department your community manager resides, their role requires executive skill. Who knows? We may see the C-Suite filled with former community managers in the coming years.
Read more about executive and community managers at The Community Roundtable
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Jim Storer, Principal and Founder of The Community Roundtable, will speak about WOMMA’s upcoming Community Management Certificate Program at Summit 2011, Nov. 16-18.
Image credit: Nestle
Keith Trivitt 3:02 pm on October 5, 2011 Permalink
Certainly an interesting thought, that community managers could someday become the next CEO of a company, or indeed, be positioned within the C-suite themselves. As society becomes more digitized, and brands seek more ways to develop solid engagement with their customers and other stakeholders, they will need strategic thinkers who are managing those relationships. The business of the future, and likely, the business of today in the digital age, is one in which relationships matter - a lot. For many businesses, the community of relationships they establish become the foundation for the success and WOM engagement of their brand.
The issue for community managers, I think, will be whether they move beyond the “management” function and into the senior executive level. To get there will require - like anything else in marketing - demonstrating the ROI of community management. I think there is a clear business benefit to most businesses employing some type of community management function. How that evolves and at what level will likely depend on the company’s needs and whether they view the online relationships with their customers as being a strategic component of their business’ success.
The smart companies will see it that way and position their community managers at the forefront of their branding and marketing strategy.
Pat McCarthy 6:40 am on October 6, 2011 Permalink
Demonstrating ROI will certainly be key to validating community management efforts. Once that is established, I think upper management will see how the skills needed to manage a community translate well into more prominent positions in companies.
Kristen Sussman 8:14 am on October 12, 2011 Permalink
Community management is a large part of what we do at our social media marketing agency, Social Distillery. We have the capability to demonstrate ROI but this is not often top priority for the companies. We are often the ones to bring this option to the table. In my opinion, there’s a larger paradigm shift still needed for upper management to recognize the value of digital communications, understand the new approach and allot the necessary resources.
Kristen Sussman, President
Social Distillery
socialdistillery.com
Pat McCarthy 11:36 am on October 12, 2011 Permalink
Hi Kristen - That’s really interesting! I would have thought demonstrating ROI would be top of mind for most of your clients.
You’ve piqued my curiosity. What is their top priority usually?