A week ago, I was writing a blog about my role as a Community Manager and got inspired to write this. I wondered how many new community managers wonder if they’re doing it right, and I know I question myself from time to time. The journey of being a Community Manager is unique and can be difficult at times. After thinking about this, I realized I know some amazing community managers, and I’ve learned a few things I want to share. So I reached out to them and was able to get the best insights and suggestions that helped us along the way. After talking to Magdalena Madrigal and Supriya Mazumdar, it was clear there was gold in all of our experiences. Our goal in offering our thoughts is to empower you to feel more comfortable and confident in your role as a community manager.
We want everyone to have the same opportunity to have equity in the conversation and to be a part of the community and the work everyone’s doing as a collective.
“The best way to be more inclusive is to stop using jargon and stop assuming everyone has the same knowledge.” Supriya hit the nail right on the head with this statement. Each community is like a fingerprint; it’s one of a kind. Each and every community member makes up a swirl of this fingerprint, joining you from a different part of the world, level of education, or work experience. Having members with diverse backgrounds builds differing views, which opens the door for dialogue and learning a new perspective.
Our goal is to inhibit moments of gatekeeping. Examples of gatekeeping can be using jargon, demeaning others due to unrealistic standards, or creating a space where others feel unsafe to express their opinion. If we as community managers ignore or devalue moments like this we are encouraging unacceptable behavior. There will be moments, in your community, when thoughts are dismissed by other community members. That’s where we step in to empower all members to have a voice. The last thing we want to do is create roadblocks to building connections and making the community not welcoming for all.
We want to build a space or opportunity for expression. One of the ways to do that is by making sure you have a Code of Conduct (CoC). You can update it to be informative and inclusive. I recently updated Atomic Red Team’s Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct and found some great examples of other CoCs that helped me with the verbiage and structure. A few of the sites that really helped were Tech Ladies, Uplift, Internet Society, and Geek Feminism. We need to be advocates or allies for those experiencing gatekeeping and empower all members to be a part of the conversation.
Community managers want to see community members interacting with us, whether digitally (social or chat channels) or physically (at meet-ups or conferences). We want to see engagement. Magdalena couldn’t have said it better: “Engagement is one of the most important things to keep a community alive. I am constantly engaging with my community like a huge firehose. It’s like I am an engagement firefighter.”
Engagement isn’t only about having conversations but making sure everyone is contributing to the cause or project. Writing informative content, sending out monthly newsletters, and making exciting events are also ways to get your community members excited about the work you all are doing. We are not here to monitor the conversation; we are a part of it and should provide resources for everyone to use. This helps us learn how people are collaborating, how we can make their experience better, and how to continue the momentum of your project. You can follow up with this by using tools like Sprout or Hootsuite, which provide you with sharing insights about what your community is talking about.
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.” – Sherlock Holmes
Data is vital for many professionals, regardless of their role. We all have to measure our success—it’s what shows our growth. Determining what type of information to collect varies. For some, it’s purely quantitative numbers. For others it’s mainly qualitative; for community managers, it’s a balance between both. We tend to focus on growing (quantitative) and nurturing (qualitative) our communities. Most community managers want to be mindful of not only managing our goals but also monitoring the health of our communities. For us, ensuring our community members feel valued and heard is a top priority (most times we care more about this than hitting numbers).
Like Supriya said, “I am focused on making sure all people (from all sorts of backgrounds) feel welcomed.” To do that we need to listen to our community by performing surveys, reaching out to community members, and analyzing previous data. Previous data can be tracking subscribers on your newsletters, chat communities (for my tech peeps via Slack, Stack Overflow, or Reddit), or social platforms. There are times when previous data isn’t available to you and that’s okay.
If you are dealing with a dearth of data: Try to find communities (preferably more than one) that are similar to yours. Now some of you may be thinking, “well my project is like no other.” I feel you on that. I have experience with completely different and innovative projects. But the trick is even though projects can differ, there’s always a connection. You find what bridges you to other communities. For example, Atomic Red Team is a fun, unique, and inventive project but we have a link to other communities: cybersecurity or information security. This gave me the opportunity to meet (and learn from) Supriya, and ask them questions. Now here’s the secret gem and sometimes a scary thing to do. Reach out to the community managers of those communities for help. I am not sure if it’s because of what we do, but most if not all community managers I have met are helpful and willing to share their insights. Learning the tools or social platforms they use will help to possibly create things similar so you can start collecting data. And see how they interact with their community. Do they ask community members to fill out surveys or leave comments on certain content?
Once we start gathering all the information we need we can begin creating goals and key performance indicators for ourselves and the community. This will help us to learn if we are on track, learn how our community is impacted by holidays, or how to move toward the next quarter. If you’re like me, analyzing data and crunching numbers is not your strong suit. Even when doing simple addition, I feel like I look like the scene from The Hangover when Zach Galifianakis is in the casino figuring out all the math in his head. And that’s fine, we are not all meant to be math whizzes, but we all can improve our skills with analyzing. If you can relate, I recommend this professional certificate from Google on Data Analytics from Coursera. It’s a lifesaver, helping me to learn how to level up analyzing data.
How many of us fall into the trap of should I be here? How can I give this community all it needs? Am I qualified for this? And the answer is yes, you are. Like Magda said, “Community is the backbone of so many things. It’s a tough job that doesn’t get enough credit but is needed everywhere.”
Our role is so important not only for the help and care we give to our community but also for the company we work for. That can feel like a lot of weight but also your company, your hiring manager, the others that interviewed you wouldn’t have given you this opportunity if they didn’t see a light in you. It takes courage and patience to thrive in this role. Over time you will learn so much about your community and how you fit into everything. You just have to keep your ear to the ground and continue on the journey.
Whether you’re a new community manager or have been in this for a while I hope this blog helps you to feel at ease and know we’re all in the same boat. We are all still learning each and every day no matter our experience levels. Another reminder is that we all bring so much to the table and to our community. We share our light and empower others so much. By sharing your light, being you, and being patient, you will see how your growth may start slow but will become exponential. Remember: data is important but personal experiences in the community are just as valuable. Continue to shine and make your mark.
