There is really only one rule for social media: there are no rules. Social networking isn’t new, but the landscape in which we are using these tools is changing. In order to stay relevant, we must not just merely understand the ways in which we manage our community; we must be at the cutting-edge.
Here are five insights into community management:
1. If people aren’t connecting with you, you’ll become irrelevant
Many people think that showing up or being everywhere is what it takes to be noticed. Maybe when MySpace or Facebook was just beginning that was true, but from now on, the amount of “noise” in the social media arena means your message gets lost. The people paying attention are the ones that you have taken the time to connect with and who feel dedicated to who you are.
2. You must be a real person
If your company is too popular to be personable, then you need to hire more employees. There are too many brands out there willing to manage their community effectively; you’ll fade into their shadow. This seems like common sense, but do you have any idea how many automated direct messages I get from companies or people I’ve taken the time to follow on Twitter? That automated response immediately turns me off.
3. Be authentic
As a community manager, I find out if the people I am connecting with have blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Not only do I regularly check in with what they are doing, but also I genuinely take time to be involved in who they are and what they are interested in. I not only make them a part of the community I’m trying to build, but I become a part of theirs. You should have a strong desire to build relationships with many people if you are going to be an effective community manager.
4. Say something people haven’t heard
You’re going to have a hard time actually having a unique product in this overpopulated social media landscape. The best the majority of us can do is say what’s already been said, differently. While working as a Community Leader for Brazen Careerist, I use out-of-the-box methods to approach new members. I invite them to talk with me on Gtalk or ask them if they want help with blog posts. Merely having them sign up for the site is not enough; I have to figure out ways to engage them.
5. Find people in innovative ways
A couple weeks ago, I was tweeting back and forth with Jon Bishop. He mentioned something about how he used Lijit’s search engine on his site. Within minutes (not hours or days), MINUTES, I had a direct message from Lijit’s customer service rep, Grace Boyle. She found me and convinced me to use Lijit, which I think is an amazing product. On top of that, we now keep up with each other’s blogs. That stood out to me as a way to effectively represent a company. You need to find people and give them a reason to come into your community; otherwise people stay in their comfort zones. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be using the a standard search engine and not promoting a startup I now believe in.
(originally posted at intersected)