In case you missed last week’s edition, check it out below.
It’s 2024 and people are still underestimating the potential (and value) of great community management.
I think it’s because this work goes unseen or it’s simply misunderstood by leadership across organizations.
A simple re-frame has helped when trying to explain:
Effective community Management = Exceptional Customer Service
Every company should value customer service (since customers are the lifeblood of the business).
Without them, there is no revenue, growth, or success.
So, every business should be investing (and valuing) Effective Community Management.
Let’s break it down.
Effective Community Management =
Reviewing notifications on a daily basis
Responding to questions about your company or product
Amplifying testimonials and brand advocates
Engaging and “liking” as many positive/neutral mentions as possible
Building relationships with creators, fans, and others in your niche
Staying on top of your DMs and replying as needed
But Effective Community Management also means:
Making your community feel seen, heard, and understood
Identifying trends within your community and sharing with leadership
Spotting recurring pain points that customers are feeling
Learning which product features your customers want most
Driving growth for the business via direct links, traffic, and discovery
Here’s just one example of how community management can drive the business forward.
> Someone comments under your Tweet with a question about your product
> You quickly reply with not only an answer, but also a link to a blog or video that answers the question in detail
> They excitedly respond (probably shocked that you even got back to them)
> You follow up with the person via DM and let them know you are available if they have any other questions
> They are grateful for the outreach
> They engage with more of your content moving forward since you left a good impression on them (and recommend your product to friends/family since you left a good impression on them)
> This also allows you to reach people in their network with your content
= More organic reach, more social growth, more sales
Now imagine hundreds of these instances on weekly basis.
Easy to see how community management keeps the business flourshing, right?
If you’re a Social/Community Manager, this can be daunting — since you’re so many notifications on a daily basis.
I've found the only way to stay sane is to spread out a handful of dedicated working blocks just for admin tasks throughout the day.
Admin Tasks:
→ Catching up on all social notifications
→ Quick 5 min or less to-do's
→ DMs, Slack, Email
My Currently Time Blocks:
→ Early AM
→ Noonish
→ Afternoon
→ 5 PM
→ And again once more before I go to sleep around 8-9 PM
I've also made it a habit to clear out all notifications after every meeting since there's usually a part of it that is fluff (or ends a few mins early).
When you run social for a brand that gets dozens or even hundreds of notifications an hour, it's impossible to keep up with community management if you just do it 1x a day.
Plus work messages, email, and meetings.
In previous roles, I found myself losing sleep, waking up in the middle of the night, or just stressed out in the AM –– knowing that I had 100+ notifications/email/slack to get to.
Time blocking is key.
If you’re finding value in this newsletter, I’d really appreciate a share on social!
It goes a long way for me.
Thank you!
Ish
What I loved this week:
Final note here.
We may not be saving lives with community management, but at least we’re making peoples’ days.
