On 2024-08-29T04:00:00Z, we hosted the Community Manager Mindset office hours with the Discourse Customer Success team, where we discussed:
- Developing your mindset as a Community Manager.
- Approaching the Community Manager role.
- The truth behind benchmarks and KPIs.
Plus, we answered your submitted questions!
Replay
Introductions
These office hours were hosted by @jenny, @bas, and @danielle from the Discourse Customer Success team. The information shared is based on our in-depth experience with a variety of communities and not necessarily a top-down dissemination of strategies from Discourse as a whole.
Community Manager Basics
What is a Community Manager?
“Community management is the act of growing and sustaining a community in which customers, employees, partners, and others help each other achieve their goals.”
FeverBee - The Beginner’s Guide To Community Management
“A community manager is a marketing professional responsible for the management and development of a company’s online community. They are responsible for building, growing and managing the company’s community online and engaging with customers.”
Indeed - Career Guide
“The one essential role for every community is the ‘in the trenches’ community manager. This is the person who spends nearly all their time directly engaging with members…. {Without a community manager} members won’t get the quality and quantity of responses they deserve. There won’t be someone they can trust and build a good relationship with.”
The ‘In The Trenches’ Community Manager by FeverBee
Community Managers are the driving forces behind thriving communities!
Definitions Don’t Matter
- Community Managers need to be managed upward.
- Everyone needs to understand what your community is actually doing, and this recognition must happen by the decision makers, such as your CEO.
- You need to define the why and ROI behind your community.
Without clear objectives and alignment with your organization’s needs, the impact of your work may go unnoticed. Community Managers must continuously advocate for their community while also making the business case for its value.
-@Bas
Towing the Line: Speaking About Community
There’s a duality in how Community Managers communicate, balancing the need to connect with both community members and corporate decision-makers.
Community Members:
- Connection
- Engagement
- Trust
Corporate/Decision Makers
- Demonstrating ROI
- Metrics
- Strategic Value
That’s why clear goals, being proactive, and receiving feedback are crucial.
Goals, Benchmarks, & KPIs
What goals should I set for my community?
At Discourse, we’re often asked, ‘What goals should I set for my community?’ The truth is, the answer depends on your community’s specific purpose and objectives. Each community is unique, so the goals you set should align with the core mission of your community and the needs of its members.
- Support Community: Goals might include improving response times, increasing issue resolution rates, and enhancing member satisfaction.
- Product or Service Community: Goals could focus on tracking member interaction with your product or service, gathering valuable feedback, boosting overall engagement, and even driving sales or upgrades.
- Employee or Team Member Community: Goals might revolve around better connections among team members, increasing their self-sufficiency, and raising awareness of organizational updates and initiatives.
Start at the Origin
- Revisit the reason your community was created.
- Ask yourself: Why was this community started? What problem were you looking to solve?
- Understand the original purpose to help identify key areas to measure.
Connect to Business Goals
- Reflect on how your community ties back to the main business or organizational goals.
- Consider how the community can support these objectives, whether it’s improving customer satisfaction, increasing brand loyalty, or enhancing employee collaboration.
- This will give you a clear framework for identifying relevant metrics.
Something critical to note:
It doesn’t matter if your community is active—what truly matters is how well your community’s goals align with your organization’s business objectives. You can have thousands of active users and millions of posts, but if your community’s impact isn’t tied to the business’s goals, it risks being shut down.
Community Managers must connect their efforts to tangible business outcomes to ensure long-term success. Always start by asking, 'Why do we have this community, and how does it drive our business forward?
-@Bas
Derive KPIs
- Once you have a clear understanding of your community’s purpose and how it supports broader goals, you can derive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with these objectives.
- KPIs might include specific targets for growth, engagement, or impact, tailored to your community’s unique needs.
As a Community Manager, your priority isn’t just to engage with the community but to ensure your efforts align with the broader business objectives. It’s not enough to say, ‘I want to increase engagement.’ You need to set specific, measurable goals—like increasing engagement by 10% over the next six months—that directly contribute to the business’s success.
Always monitor, adjust, and align your community strategy with the organization’s changing goals to drive real value.
Models & Resources
- Discourse Discover
- Discourse Resources
- FeverBee: Free Community Management Course
- FeverBee: ROI Guide
- CMX Hub: SPACES Modes: The Framework for Defining Your Community’s Business Value
Q&A
View Answers
What is the first thing someone should consider when joining an existing community as their new community manager?
- Understand Business Goals: In your first week, focus on understanding the community’s purpose and how it aligns with the company’s broader objectives.
- Learn from the Past: If there was a previous Community Manager, find out what worked well and where challenges occurred.
- Observe Before Acting: Take time to observe the community dynamics before implementing any new strategies. This helps build credibility and ensures your changes are well-received.
- Engage Across the Organization: Talk to colleagues at different levels to gather diverse perspectives. This can uncover important insights that may not be immediately obvious.
There are a ton of analytics, which is great, but which ones should a new community focus on the most?
- It Depends on Your Community: Each community is unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The key is to track what truly demonstrates the value you provide.
- Focus on Value-Driven Metrics: Track metrics that directly show the value your community brings to the organization. These often aren’t found in the community platform itself but in tools like Salesforce or your marketing analytics.
- Tie Metrics Back to Business Goals: The most important metrics are those that can be tied back to your business objectives. For example, how does community engagement influence sales, customer retention, or brand awareness?
- Make Your CEO Care: Always think about why these metrics matter to your leadership. If you can show how your community impacts key business outcomes, you’ll demonstrate its true value.
What ways are online communities shifting, and how can we as community community managers adapt to those changes?
- ROI Is Crucial: Communities often start as a “nice-to-have” feature, but once costs become apparent—like hiring a community manager and moderators—decision-makers will scrutinize the ROI. They might spend minimal time assessing the community, so always focus on proving its value.
- AI Integration: AI is increasingly being integrated into communities. With Discourse AI, for example, there are ongoing developments in modules that enhance automation, moderation, and content creation.
- Moderation: Tools like AI-powered moderation can help manage communities.
- Automations:Automation is becoming more popular, making it easier to maintain and engage the community.
- Articulating Value: Even if a community shows strong ROI, it’s essential to clearly communicate this value to decision-makers. Many successful communities fail simply because their value isn’t well articulated to those who make final decisions.
What are the key mindset shifts successful community managers have made that have significantly impacted their growth and engagement, and how can I apply these own shifts to my own strategy?
- Focus on Dual Value: Ensure your community provides value to both members and the business. A win-win scenario is crucial for success.
- Communicate Impact: Regularly showcase the community’s value to decision-makers. Use internal presentations or office hours to highlight its impact and gather new ideas.
- Drive Engagement: Keep the community active by hosting events, discussions, or polls. Revive past successes and continuously innovate.
- Stay Informed: Continuously gather insights to align community activities with business goals. Adaptability is key to staying relevant.
- Seek Satisfaction: If your efforts aren’t appreciated, consider finding an environment where communities are more valued.
Upcoming Office Hours
- AMA with Discourse Design Team, October 2024
- Yearly Recap & Latest Releases, December 2024
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