Even though the community manager is a common role in many companies, there is still a lot of confusion about what this professional actually does. Some people aren’t sure what this role is or what it involves, and they often confuse its duties with those of other online marketing professionals.
And although I don’t consider myself a community manager as such, my experience building the visibility of my personal brand and working on other brands’ content online has given me a very clear perspective.
That’s why, in this article, I’ll talk in depth about the community manager based on my experience and, specifically, we’ll answer the following questions:
- What a community manager is and what qualities they have.
- What their main duties are.
- What their role is in an email marketing strategy.
I’ve given the last point special emphasis for Mailrelay, since I’ve found myself more than once carrying out typical community manager tasks not only on social media, but also in email marketing.
These two channels are the foundation of all online communication between brands and users, so they must go hand in hand. Cases like the one I described not long ago on this very blog already showed how important it is to combine them to avoid a crisis.
· What is a Community Manager?
Let’s start by talking about what a community manager is and, above all, how to tell their role apart from the other profiles that make up a marketing team or department.
Important
“The Community Manager is the person in charge of managing the brand image across the different online communication channels. They do this as the brand’s spokesperson, acting on its behalf with the online community.”
In other words, they don’t just share content on online channels; they go much further, managing the brand image through conversations with users, problem solving, monitoring the community, and so on.
This role is often confused with others, especially with that of the social media manager. This often happens because teams don’t usually have both roles (even though it’s very important for them to work together).
Important
“The main difference between the Community Manager and the Social Media Manager is that the former plays a tactical role, while the latter’s role is mainly strategic.”
In other words, the social media manager is the one who plans and organizes the strategy (the type of content, how often to post, etc.), while the role we’re looking at today is the one who carries out each action and stays in close, constant contact with the online community.
► What qualities make a good Community Manager?
To better understand what a community manager is and why their work matters, it can be very helpful to take a closer look at the qualities that define this role.
So, to help you identify the people who are truly professional in this field, here’s a list that broadly defines the community manager:
● They have a communicative profile and can convey and write messages effectively on behalf of the brand through social media and other channels.
● Building on the previous quality, keep in mind that the community manager is in constant contact with the online community, so they must be empathetic and a good listener.
● They have to manage different content on several channels at once and keep track of every reaction from the community, so being highly organized is one of their keys to success.
● Social media never sleeps, so a community manager has to be highly proactive and not just wait to see what happens after a particular action and/or marketing trend.
● Trends and developments in the marketing industry make it necessary to keep reinventing yourself, be creative and apply different trial-and-error techniques.
● Although the social media manager is in charge of measuring and analyzing results, the community manager must be analytical and spot changes so they can report them to the team.
Beyond these general qualities, it goes without saying that community managers are usually very committed professionals who are passionate about what they do every day.
Keep in mind that a good community manager must know both the technology landscape and the brand’s world, and be willing to evolve constantly and learn from the new developments that appear online.
“In short, a professional Community Manager stands out for their versatility, since they have many qualities, but that doesn’t make them responsible for a company’s 360 marketing strategy.”
· What tasks does a Community Manager perform?
The work a community manager does is often undervalued, which is why people tend to think that anyone can do this job.
However, a quick look at their qualities and duties is enough to realize that only true professionals can deliver results.
Still, to make this idea clear, I invite you to take a detailed look at some of their main tasks:
► Active listening
Every day, before even publishing posts on behalf of the brand, the community manager must have listened to users so that, once aware of their preferences (questions, complaints, needs…), they can adapt the message.
The Internet has made two-way conversations between companies and customers easier through social media, and this is one of the things users value most. That’s why active listening is essential when it comes to building a community.
► Spreading the brand voice
In their day-to-day work, the community manager must always keep in mind that they speak as the companies’ spokesperson, not in their own words. In other words, they must always make sure to convey the brand’s messages in the right tone.
This is one of the tasks I’m especially fond of, because those of us who create content for companies also know very well how important it is to be able to put ourselves in their “shoes”.
► Content management
Another task that I lead with my team every day, and which is typical of the community manager, is content management. Not only creating content, but also distributing it and analyzing its impact online.
The community manager, for their part, has to manage the distribution of that content on social media and any other online communication channels the companies or businesses use, such as email marketing (which we’ll look at later).
► Following up on the strategy
As I mentioned earlier, the social media manager is the one who should handle the strategic definition, while the community manager is the one who puts their plan into action and has to report on its progress over time.
So, at a strategic level, they are the one who manages the relationship between the different departments involved in a digital marketing strategy.
► Building relationships
When I talk about managing the community, I don’t just mean attending to the people who approach the brand, but also identifying the different players connected to it, such as influencers, competitors and many more.
Only by defining the players with whom you should build a close relationship is it possible to create “win-win” connections.
► Reporting
Based on the KPIs defined in the overall strategy, the community manager will be responsible for producing regular reports that the social media manager can then use to track progress and make decisions for the future.
· What role does the CM play in Email Marketing?
The community manager’s work is often associated only with social media. In reality, considering all their duties, it’s easy to see that their work goes much further, don’t you think?
Keep in mind that, in addition to handling requests on social media, these professionals act as moderators and spot potential crises, which may involve using other channels such as email or the website itself.
That’s why, as you might expect, I don’t want to wrap up this topic without mentioning the supporting role the community manager also has to play within an email marketing strategy.
In this regard, I can say from first-hand experience that a community manager can end up playing the role of:
► Manager
Thanks to the organizational skills we saw earlier, this profile is able to manage different databases, segment them and send campaigns aimed at each audience and goal.
In the case of email marketing, they can also track how the sending statistics evolve and report them to other team members such as the social media manager or the marketing director.
► Technician
It’s the most boring role of all, but it’s the foundation for every other action. In other words, this is the role that carries out the mechanical and technical tasks needed for the email marketing strategy as a whole to work.
By this I mean adding subscribers to the platform, cleaning lists, running A/B tests, etc. All those tasks that are less creative but just as necessary.
► Communicator
The community manager knows how the brand communicates through online channels and what its relationship with the community is like, so they’re the right professional to keep these online conversations going by email too.
This supporting function can become very important, since poor management of communication or of the replies given to subscribers can lead to a crisis that spills over onto social media.
► Trend spotter
Precisely because they are the one handling the relationship with the online community day to day, they know better than anyone what users like and what needs they have.
This way, they can suggest topics for newsletter content, point out what the community needs at any given time and steer the conversation to provide solutions to what subscribers need.
► Analyst
They are also the right profile to make their own interpretations of the reports on opens, reads and other user reactions.
As the profile specialized in following up on the strategy, they are the one who should report it to the more senior members of the team.
· Conclusions
The role of the community manager is often underestimated, in the belief that it’s a professional profile that doesn’t require any specific training.
The reality is very different, since this is none other than the person in charge of giving brands a voice on online channels, which is why they need special qualities and must know how to work in line with the overall marketing strategy.
The community manager plays a fundamental role in this regard, and practically any online communication channel where action is taken falls within their remit.
As a content marketing specialist with some experience performing tasks similar to those of a community manager, I can assure you that their duties are no child’s play and should by no means be left in just anyone’s hands.
What is a Community Manager from your perspective? Do you think their role within a company is more valued now than it was a few years ago?
To prioritize their time well, a good Community Manager should always keep the brand’s buyer persona in mind.
