Social Media Roundup: Finding Room for the Community Manager

Where your association’s community manager fits within your organizational structure. Plus: Use your Twitter account to its full potential.

It’s more a matter of custom fit than one size fits all when it comes to which department your community manager should be in. But, then again, as one engagement expert asks, does it really matter?

More in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Department Decision

Everything I ever believed to be true about communities was utterly debunked after I read this. http://t.co/WkaxdimS9p  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Ben Martin, CAE (@bkmcae) February 3, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Where do they fit in? The many hats of community managers can often make it tricky to place the position within one department—they could really fit anywhere, from information technology to marketing or membership—even within the communications department. There’s benefits to each, says Online Community Results’ Ben Martin  (opens in a new tab), though his firm has seen the best results when the community manager is under membership (due to service focus) or communications (due to content). But that’s not to say that the other two departments don’t have advantages. If you’d like your community manager to generate sales, marketing might be a better. But in the end, Martin says not to get too distracted by the department—the enthusiasm and passion your manager brings to the position often can prove equally as, if not more, important. (ht @bkmcae  (opens in a new tab))

Tweet Tips

How assocs. can use Twitter for more than just promotion, because no one likes pushy pals http://t.co/U77NbT3vfO  (opens in a new tab) by @SmoothThePath #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— MediaEdge (@MediaEdgeTOR) February 3, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Tag—you’re it: Your Twitter platform is an effective medium to push and promote content. But the benefits don’t—and shouldn’t—stop there. Throw yourself in the industry conversation by posing relevant questions or attending chats to help build Twitter relationships, suggests SocialFish contributor Amanda Kaiser  (opens in a new tab). Among her tips: Follow industry hashtags, note trends, and keep your eye on the competitor. “Highlight ideas from outside the industry and show how they apply,” she explains. “Demonstrate why the industry matters and why the work members are doing matters,” she writes. The goal: Become your industry’s authority by promoting quality content that sheds light on the things that matter to your association. (ht @AssocContent  (opens in a new tab))

Any tips for curating an effective Twitter feed? Offer them up in the comments below.

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