Are you an extrovert? Do you like initiating conversations or talking to people and have the ability to empathize? Do you think you can connect with people on an emotional & practical level? Do you have an understanding of how various social media channels & community platforms operate?
If you’ve answered YES for all the above questions, you might just be cut out for a career in community management.
In this context, a community is a group of the target audience or a group of people having something in common which an organization can count upon to sell its products or services. Let’s look at some examples;
When a company like Apple Inc talks about their community, they are referring to a customer segment that consists of well-off individuals willing to pay more for services that offer an advanced design, technology products, functions and capabilities. On the other hand, a social platform like TikTok would be referring to an audience between the ages of 15-30 who are willing to make interactive videos by acting, singing and dancing.
After defining the correct target community, the company usually strategizes on formulating activities that would attract this community to its platform. This is where the actual role of a community manager begins.
What Does a Community Manager Actually Do?
While a company and its employees will be focusing on serving and delivering to their customers, they need someone who has exceptional communication skills to be a human voice looking after their social interactions and community building exercises with its existing and potential future customers. A community manager will pose as themselves, not the brand, and work on developing the community by participating in discussions, finding new customers and listening to the current ones.
The community manager often works on new ways to engage the digital community and is often seen as an advocate of the brand. You can picture them as the faces of the brand, making it seem much more approachable than just a general company account. The community manager may also create a separate social account with the brand name in the username. This helps link them to the brand while creating a more individual voice that can engage as a member of the community.
How to Become a Community Manager?
Community managers may come from diverse backgrounds – anything from recruiting to journalism to engineering. To be successful in the role, one has to rely more on a set of skills, especially soft skills – than a degree.
You need to be knowledgeable about and across the business – Depending on the company, industry and type of business a community manager is a part of – they need to have an in-depth knowledge of that vertical. This is imperative as it is the foundation for your role. Having a deep understanding of your business will help you connect with the stakeholders effectively and build a strong community.
For a community manager, skills like being able to interact with people online and understand how customer trust works are crucial. They’re tasked with growing a community and nurturing it, rather than focused on pushing for sales growth. Being able to present themselves authentically online is a core component of a successful community manager.
Other desirable skills would include:
Should be on top of trends and hot topics: Community Managers should be well equipped with the latest industry developments in order to connect with relevant audiences and provide them with the most updated resources and best practices.
Adaptability: Since Community Manager as a job position is still developing in countries like India, one is often required to carve out their own job descriptions. Being flexible is one of the most important skill sets that you can have at your disposal.
Likes People!: Great community managers understand that their job role is a customer service-based role, and therefore actively listen to customers, addressing their concerns, demonstrating an authentic social presence, and maintaining productive partnerships with consumers is of utmost importance.
Qualifications: 66% of the community managers have at least a Bachelor’s Degree. But usually, companies don’t look at your academics if you are genuinely interested in this profession and if you are a quick learner. Still, if you want to stand out among the competition, a bachelor’s degree in Marketing would be ideal.
Do you feel like you have all the hallmarks of an incredible community manager and want to get your foot through the door? There are several companies, like Linkeo Ltd that are always on the lookout for talent. Why not get in touch and ask for an opportunity? We wish you all the best in your endeavors.
