Here's the best job description we've come across so far, courtesy of our friend Ben Martin at Online Community Results.
Open Community
As public social networks such as LinkedIn and Twitter continue to grow, additional small affinity-based social networks will also keep emerging.
"The new rules of engagement are both an opportunity and a threat—a threat to the traditional association model, and an opportunity to engage members in a successful future."
"Organizations want to play the role of dictator because they are afraid of what could happen if they don’t. They have a long list of catastrophes that are certain to ensue: brand experience will suffer, brand image will suffer, brand message will et diluted, etc. Unfortunately, their strangle-hold of control is also strangling the very life out of the community they so desperately need."
I've been thinking about community management a lot lately. In our role as consultants for SocialFish, Maddie and I have talked to hundreds of community managers about what they do, how they do it, and the why behind it all. Our latest consulting package for community managers drills down into what we've learned and how to apply it. Here are five quick lessons we've picked up along the way.
Associations rely on active, energized members to stay vibrant and relevant. One important way that members stay engaged is by expressing their opinions through the power of the ballot. Whether it is a leadership election or a referendum on a new policy, voting gives members an unparalleled opportunity to shape the associations to which they belong.
