Hi Kirsten, the role of community manager is certainly often underestimated, even though no company of any size within the next five years even without a community manager can. It is not for nothing that one of the main jobs for the coming years mentioned.

What many companies also do not realize is that a community manager does not need to enter full FTE. So I ordered StepFree example for a customer a customer service employee who was interested in social retrained for an x number of hours per week as comm.man to get started. Works like a charm!

Hi Kirsten, You give many links in your article, but no clear answer to the question 'What is a community manager? ". For reasons that you explained. When viewing your first link, the "good efforts" I read the response from Bill Chamberlin on June 10, 2009. He gives a description of the function is so clear to me that I'm only completely display. Can you find this description?

A community manager is the one person Responsible for launching, growing, and sustaining the community. Simply put, They lead the membership in the pursuit of knowledge Relating to the domain HAS formed around the community.

Above all the community leader HAS to have passion for Their role. If there is no passion, the leader fail to compromise. Also of critical Importance is the community leader must Realize That They Are in Place to serve the membership needs. If the community experience is not directed at fulfilling membership needs, Will Not Participate members.

Some of the Key Activities Performed by the community leaders are ...
- Promotes community across Organization (s) and Other communities
- Encourages participation and discussion (grows the number of community champions)
- Connects members with eachother
- Produces deliverables community
- Reports community metrics
- Monitors & Responding to questions / feedback
- Communicates news
- Organizes consistent and regular events
- Surveys for needs
- Member lawyer - HAS member's needs always in mind.
- Community Evangelist
- Creates editorial content
- Harvest Market insights from the community knowledgebase
- Balances the needs of the community with Organizational Objectives

Here are some of the skills required to be a good community manager:
- Strong online communication skills
- Able Approach and conversational
- Has the ability to Relate to members online and offline
- Master of Web 2.0 and social media tools
- Writing skills

Finally, the community manager needs to be resilient. By that i mean They need to stand firm When questioned about the value of the community and how much time it takes to be a community manager. Often upper management to compromise not understand why it takes so much energy and time to be a community manager. Most managers think Should communities end up "running Themselves 'or becoming' self-service communities. Those of us who are longtime community leaders understand thats the community leader is critical to a vibrant community.

Hi Irene,

The reason I have many links in the post placed to demonstrate that we are really still in a 'pioneer' phase. There is by different people, from different countries, written extensively about the profession of Community Manager and Community Management. The list of Bill Chamberlin is a good example.
Between these descriptions is a lot of overlap but also major differences. Precisely because there are differences, there is no universal definition that everyone in the industry can stand behind.
I also believe that even between countries can be different.

Hi Stef,
There arises the industry growing consensus that the position of Community Manager is truly a senior position.
Interesting then to read that retraining of a customer service representative at Community Manager at your customer's also good result. Perhaps, however other than that I work for example daily output?
One Community Manager is ultimately not the other.

I do not understand why a Community Manager a senior position should be. It's not about how much experience someone has, but about passion, networking, contacts, interest in social media .. The experience comes with trying and there will be very few people who have successfully managed an online community.

Hi Patty,

With a senior position, I do not necessarily experience with community management (is an advantage but I understand that there are few with direct experience in this area) but considerable work experience in eg PR, Communication and Project Management.
Want a good community can assist you should, I believe, more at home than just a passion and good networking. Although enthusiasm is essential.

Also referred to a senior position I am not someone who is experienced in community management. I like to hear why it is absolutely necessary for someone who is 'proper' experience in PR, communications, community manager to do so (I believe this project is entirely independent of all). What is the advantage over a digital native junior with fresh ideas?

You can probably both right. Within the "professional" community manager "will, as with many other functions, just" junior community managers and senior community managers have. A digital native would IMHO junior a junior, while Kirsten example itself clearly a senior community manager. Experience in CM can take you from junior to senior, but I can imagine that with a decent experience eg PR / Communications / Project you are already at a senior level may be involved in community management. Community Management you would indeed be seen as a collection of many other specialties.

Someone in our company as such entering digital native, I see as someone who has great passion and affinity with social networks (and everything around it hangs). Such a person is in my opinion really a junior and not like other people for several years effectively manage a community. But one does not immediately junior to be a moderator ... and within the group we CMNL I think "scared" to this must be compared. Correct me if I'm wrong

I think Robin is right that many Community Managers regularly with "moderator" while it addressed only one of the many tasks you perform as CM. In addition, I agree with what Robin says about jobs at various levels. In the future there will be more likely to 'junior' and 'senior' functions are working.

What I often see happening (and read) is that many companies currently do not see the necessity of attributing a proper person for the community. As a result they often take an intern or enthusiast in service. Of course you can not generalize but I think it does not benefit the development of the role of Community Manager.

Patty, you ask: "What is the advantage (from an experienced CM / worker) compared to a digital native junior with fresh ideas?"
Passion and ideas, as indicated earlier, very important but also you as CM (in some cases) the process of involving all organizations in the community. This meant achieving goals of the organization can translate well to the community, develop strategies for embedding of the community (and shared content) in the organization, educate / inspire / inform staff, provide monthly statistical reports.

In addition You will act as CM often as liaison between organization and community and there is a large piece of diplomacy involved. It saves a lot if you do already have gained experience (in other funcies) because some errors can greatly affect the "success" of the community.

I think Robin is right that many Community Managers regularly with "moderator" while it addressed only one of the many tasks you perform as CM. In addition, I agree with what Robin says about jobs at various levels. In the future there will be more likely to 'junior' and 'senior' functions are working.

What I often see happening (and read) is that many companies currently do not see the necessity of attributing a proper person for the community. As a result they take an intern or enthusiast in service. Of course you can not generalize but I think this is often not conducive to the development of the role of Community Manager.

Patty, you ask: "What is the advantage (from an experienced CM / worker) compared to a digital native junior with fresh ideas?"
Passion and ideas, as indicated earlier, very important but also you as CM (in some cases) the process of involving all organizations in the community. This meant achieving goals of the organization can translate well to the community, develop strategies for embedding of the community (and shared content) in the organization, educate / inspire / inform staff, provide monthly statistical reports.

In addition You will act as CM often as liaison between organization and community and there is a large piece of diplomacy involved. It saves a lot if you do already have gained experience (in other funcies) because some errors can greatly affect the "success" of the community.

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