Social Media and Community Management
When it comes to marketing efforts, a lot of businesses will talk about having social media managers as well as community managers. Considering social media is all about building community, and being part of a community requires a lot of socializing, it makes sense that social media managers and community managers would be handling a lot of the same tasks, right?
You would think so! But that’s not always the case. In the traditional sense, there’s a subtle difference between a social media manager and a community manager. But there’s a lot of overlap and the two jobs require collaboration. So in an ideal world, a social media manager is also going to be able to serve as a community manager for your small business.
Managing Social Media Vs. Community
It’s important to understand what roles each of these two job positions traditionally encompass. Of course, it will vary from company to company. But in general, here’s what you should expect each to handle:
A social media manager is the person who is in charge of a company’s social media presence — and yes, it’s specifically the social media accounts that represent the business itself. It’s not anyone’s personal account, even on their own behalf as a marketing specialist.
In their job, a social media manager creates content for all platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. The social media manager might write blog posts, draft up photo captions, design infographics, and plan out a schedule for when all of this content goes live. The social media manager will then have to field any questions that come in via direct message and respond to the comments that people make on each post.
In short, this person is in charge of strengthening the pre-existing relationships people have with the business. It’s safe to assume that if somebody is following a brand on social media, they have at least a passing familiarity with that brand (if they aren’t already a dedicated follower).
On the other hand, a community manager is in charge of spreading the word about the brand, often to people who have never heard about it before (or who have heard about it but haven’t paid close attention to it yet). This role requires this manager to build a community and engage with the individuals within their network who might be an ideal fit as a loyal customer.
Unlike the social media manager, who runs everything from the brand’s social media pages, a community manager will often use personal accounts and do everything on their own behalf.
Building a Community
To be a successful community manager, an individual has to have a strong network of their own — or they’re not afraid of building one. They have to go out there to various social circles, either in person or online, to build up an awareness of the brand.
They might do this by participating in live chats, exploring specific hashtags, venturing into groups or forums, or attending mixers. This individual is always strategizing ways to connect with people.
A community manager has to be an excellent marketer as well. They need to have a strong understanding of the brand, what niche it fills, and who the ideal customer is. This will help the community manager identify the right people within their community to target.
Combining the Two Roles
The thing is, there’s a lot of overlap between the community manager and the social media manager. They both have to be digitally savvy and comfortable cultivating a presence online. They also must be able to communicate what is so great about the brand — including its features, benefits, and the pain points it addresses for customers.
Compelling content on social media is always good for helping a business stand out, but community engagement is what really lets people know you are the real deal. Customers and potential customers will be more receptive to learning about a brand from somebody who does it in a human, personable way.
Speaking of customers, both the community manager and social media manager need to be in tune with the audience they’re reaching. They must pay close attention to their friends and followers to observe what parts of the brand resonate with them and what parts of the brand might need to change. They’ll also be paying attention to problems their followers have that your business isn’t currently meeting but has the potential to meet.
This important feedback isn’t always going to be surrendered easily. Even if you ask your followers, “What can we do better?” they won’t always tell you. They might not even be aware except on a subconscious level. Instead, a community manager needs to get to know them and understand their needs and expectations through genuine conversation.
Don’t Underestimate Community
If you’re looking to expand your customer base, your immediate community is the first place you should go. If your community manager has a strong relationship with these individuals — and they know, like, and trust your community manager, then it is easier to convince them what your business offers is the answer to their problems. Count on your community manager to communicate with them in a human way, and word of mouth will spread from there.