Community Managers vs. Social Media Managers
Community managers and social media managers are both important, but very different roles. So, it’s important to understand how the two differ.
Social Media Managers
One of the most obvious ways to identify a social media manager is that they are almost always posting using the brand’s owned accounts. The social media manager is uses the brand’s voice according to a social media style guide and communication’s plan. Their focus is primarily producing content and secondarily, listening and engaging with users, as the brand.
Community Managers
By contrast, a community manager will almost always be posting as themselves, with their own profile. They function more as brand ambassadors rather than the brand itself. Their primary responsibility is to engage with the digital community, find new members, and answer questions.
What Makes a Good Community Manager?
Here are some of the most important qualities a good community manager needs to posses.
- Know Your Audience
You can’t manage a community if you don’t know who they are. That’s why it’s important for community managers to listen to their communities and get to know them well. This requires empathy to understand what their pain points are and how the community can help.
2. Be Positively Unflappable
Community managers will be resolving disputes, redirecting conversations, and setting an example for the community. So, having a positive outlook and being unflappable are very important.
3. Be Strategic
While the community manager is likely working within a broader communications plan and strategy, it’s still important to be strategic in their own work. The “rule of thirds” from NTEN is a good way to do this.
They recommend you split your time equally between:
- Promotion: You are seeking increased awareness and traffic to the site and possibly an appeal to new donors.
- Sharing: This is the content that you’re sharing from others. It includes any content that’s relevant to your group.
- Engaging: This includes listening, commenting, liking, and otherwise engaging with your group members.
4. Be On Top of Things
In an active community, a lot will be happening and things can get out of hand quickly. So hustle, pay attention to what’s going on, and be present for your group members.
Worth It
Managing a community is a lot of work. But seeing your community grow and watching other people find their tribe makes it worth it.
Sources
Chen, J. (2022, August 30). Social Media manager vs. community manager: What’s the difference? Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-vs-community-manager/
Pundir, P. (2020, February 21). 9 skills every community manager should have. Medium. https://medium.com/community-folks/9-skills-every-community-manager-should-have-82c9d93e33e3
Top 5 skills of a great nonprofit community manager. NTEN. (2018, July 18). https://www.nten.org/blog/top-5-skills-of-a-great-nonprofit-community-manager