Managing an online community may be one of the most important things you do for your business or brand. If you’ve never embarked on this path, it can be equal parts daunting and rewarding. It creates a hub of information and interaction between your organization, your fans, and customers.
Community management is a long-term project, not a short-term solution. You must be prepared to build and guide your community toward success and create an atmosphere that fosters engagement from your audience and goodwill towards your brand.
Properly done, community management is managed by businesses and organizations just like yours in order to:
- Build loyalty amongst fans and customers
- Provide customer service support
- Spark/Join a conversation
- Source valuable information about your target customer
- Address complaints & protect your brand from negativity
Community Management & Moderation
Community management and moderation is an essential component of social media management. It involves effectively and compliantly addressing clients’ questions and comments. There are a lot of variables that go into managing a social community and many factors to take into consideration. We created this step-by-step guide to support your efforts and give you the tools you need to be successful.
Monitor & Manage
Managing social media channels requires communicating 1:1 with users who are in different places within the buying journey (ex: prospective, purchase, customization, completion).
- Listen and Anticipate
Social media allows us to gauge sentiment more quickly than ever before.
- Create a Routine
Check pages 4x throughout the day in addition to monitoring notification pop ups. Can’t do this every day? Try to make a habit of reviewing your social account(s) activity the moment you turn on the computer and before you turn it off for the evening. This will ensure you’re responding to page engagements in a timely manner.
- Manage Your Notifications
Do you only need to know when there’s a comment, message, or review?
- Engage in Transparent, Frequent, & Genuine Communication
People have empathy for others and tend to minimize criticism when they recognize that there are real people working behind the brand.
- Be Responsive
Try to respond to any incoming messages within 24 hours. If someone takes the time to ask a question, compliment a photo, or write a positive review, write them back! Turn followers into brand advocates by engaging with them 1:1, even if just to acknowledge that they posted with a quick thank you.
Monitor & Manage Negativity
Take Negativity OFFLINE OR MAKE IT PRIVATE
- In the event of negative comments, respond in a way that demonstrates brand values and the “Count On Me!” philosophy: be responsive, be respectful, and deliver great experiences.
- If the issue requires accessing additional information from the client, ask them to message the page directly with more information to take the conversation private.
Community managers must do a lot of preparation and behind-the-scenes work to pull off both growth and connection. These practices will mitigate the risk of a negative post going viral and ensure the client feels heard. The key is to pay attention to what’s working and what’s not working and optimize strategies accordingly! Reach out to ed@mittcom.com to discuss your community management needs.