How do We Manage an Online Community?

Community Management, what is it and why is it important for me as social media user to know about it?

So far, it is an area of social media that I am continuing to explore through identifying brand, grassroots and corporate organization use. I understand it to be a way for companies to respond to an online conversation about their brand (initiated by social media) in a organized and controlled fashion. So what do I think about it? Is it proactive? Reactive? Is it changing the way we use social media? Is it helping?

To be quite honest, it looks (to me) like some organizations took notice of the increased usage of social media and thought, “We better get involved before it is too late.” That being said, there are some great examples of good community managers that I was able to locate while searching online.

One example of effective community management is Plan Canada’s much talked about “Because I am a Girl” campaign. Before I explored this campaign further, I had heard about it in some of my PR classes, from colleagues and friends. Based on my personal interests and the buzz it was receiving, I decided to explore this campaign further.

“Because I am a Girl” is a grassroots organization designed to raise awareness, funds and involvement in supporting girls in education, safety and food security around the world. The campaign provides online users with an accessible website that greets users on its homepage with an emotional Youtube clip, used to inspire viewers and remind them why they are visiting this page. Viewers can get involved with the campaign by visiting the “What Can I do?” section of thewebsite and they can join the conversation via Twitter or Facebook.

This campaign has taken a proactive approach to community management by enabling a dialogue through social media with followers and supporters. After visiting this site, I feel as though I want to join the conversation, donate and educate others on the topic. Now if that isn’t effective community management, I don’t know what is.

http://becauseiamagirl.ca/page.aspx?pid=3767 

Another example of community management online that I wanted to examine is the Hyatt Hotel’s “Yatt it” program. This program enables concierges and Gold Passport members to provide and rate “insider tips” for travellers and Hyatt hotel patrons. Hyatt Hotels, who are not only based in Canada but around the globe, provide national users with real time travel information. This program basically allows gold passport members to have a conversation with a hotel concierge at any given moment.

Although it is very different from the “Because I am a Girl” Campaign, this corporate organization provides users with a prestigious feel and an opportunity to gain information at the click of a switch. Yatt’ it also enables a dialogue with users and appears to also have used a proactive approach.

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4035335.html 

Although both examples of community managers take very different approaches to dealing with their online publics, both appear to be successful in starting and maintaining a conversation with users. In both cases, users are made to feel as though they are a part of community, which in itself is reason enough continue the conversation.