Jim Storer and Rachel Happe Co-Founders of Community Roundtable are amongst a few that I’ve closely followed over the last year, as I’ve grown in my position with Social Media Club. Jim and Rachel have dedicated the last few years to exploring the role of Community Managers and how the position of Community Managers has evolved from a job title, to a discipline.
The missions of Community Roundtable align closely to Social Media Club values so we wanted to share their newest report with you, just released today, 2011 State of Community Management.
The 2011 State of Community Management Report was built on the 2010 report and arrived at some interesting findings this year. Here are a few of the most notable, from my perspective.
No longer just a job title
- Community management is evolving to include more variations and has become both an explicit role and a discipline of general management.
As companies organize their communities, they’re finding it necessary to not have a single role that supports the function of a community manager but it’s also becoming necessary for these to be learned skills that every manager must have.
Education and Culture
- Education and cultural change are critical to success in social business.
Education. Thank you. Companies may be slow to change because overall lack of awareness, however there are many free and paid resources available to companies who may want to begin exploring how they can become a more “social business.”
Progressive
- Organizations with community managers have cultures that are less resistant to information sharing and more likely to have enterprise-wide governance structures.
When I hear the word “Community,” I think collaboration, joint possession, and coming together for greater good. Naturally, organizations who are effectively leading their communities are more open, and what I would consider a more progressive attitude.
Making it personal
- Storytelling is becoming a key enterprise skill, because it is the most effective way to influence with content.
Storytelling is vital to any brand, to establish a human element of your business, as well as thought leadership. Effective brands share what makes them different and unique through blogging and participating. Brands involvement in conversation, helps to foster their current community and activate new community members.
Please view and download the 2011 State of Community Management Report, there’s a lot of valuable information applicable to any size business. Enjoy!