A practical guide to

brought to you by

COMMUNITY BUILDING

@kathmography

What it takes to be a community manager: // What is community management and what do these people do?

// What are the key strategies for community managers?

// Everyone’s talking about ambassadors, but how does that work?

// What can CMs do to make people come back to their service?

@kathmography

@kathmography

What’s the difference between community management and PR? // PR managers inform journalists and bloggers about the latest product development updates and news.

@kathmography

Community managers engage people. They facilitate active participation and contribution. // CMs create a participatory circle; not a waterfall of information.

@kathmography

What are the key strategies for community managers? // Five ground rules to excel as a community manager and encourage growth of organic referrals.

Talk about benefits, not features. // People are busy. Your role is to explain to them how your service helps them personally; not what your service can do.

01

@kathmography

Don’t pitch. Be reactive to what people say. // Everyone wants to be heard. React to people’s needs. Try to help them.

02

@kathmography

When your service isn’t the answer, point them in the right direction. // Build connections by helping people find what they’re looking for.

03

@kathmography

Connect people with common goals and interests. // People are wonderful & everyone’s looking for other people, the next possibility, their next step. Help them!

04

@kathmography

Be human, it’s your job. // Show the humanity of your team. Acknowledge mistakes. Communicate eye to eye.

05

@kathmography

@kathmography

Everyone’s talking about community ambassadors, but how does that work? // How to engage your inner circle, because you cannot do everything and you shouldn’t try.

Talk about the people who you want to see talk about you. // Don’t ask people for a favour. Help them on their way up. They’ll return the favour and you won’t even have to ask.

@kathmography

01

Focus on the people who identify with your message the most. // Do anything for them to multiply their excitement. Some of them might become your best friends, but that’s another story.

@kathmography

02

Be welcoming and open. Make your achievements a shared effort. // Ask people for help, give them the possibility to contribute to the success of your business.

@kathmography

03

Don’t just say thank you. Show your gratitude. // Include your ambassadors; enable access to things, people and events.

@kathmography

04

Establishing relationships takes time. Don’t expect wonders over night. // Keep in touch with your ambassadors regularly. Show that you care.

@kathmography

05

@kathmography

What can CMs do to make sure people come back to their service? // Five things there are to say about retention and organic growth.

Don’t be scared to experiment with different forms of communication. // Try something new regularly. Track your successes. Stop when you don’t receive promising results.

@kathmography

01

Work closely with the product team to make sure people find your product useful. // Your communication skills can be extraordinary, but remember, in the end it’s your product that people see. Get feedback, get better.

@kathmography

02

In advertising, people must see a commercial several times to remember it. // CMs aim at making you hear their message through several people. Don’t rely on one technique.

@kathmography

03

The smaller your community is geographically, the more people feel part of it. // Try to establish circles, not lose ends.

@kathmography

04

Scream as loud as you want, it won’t be as well received as when your community shares your message. // Help and engage people to spread your cause. Give them the right tools. Talk to your product team (!)

@kathmography

05

@kathmography monika@somewhere.comLET’S DISCUSS.

Images in this presentation feature Somewhere’s community members and strangers. We love all of them!