Why does good community management matter now more than ever?đĄ
đ¸ Image by Daria Szotek of Ramin, Ophelia, Lucy and Kerry!
We've come a long way from the aesthetic, curated social media feeds of the early 2010s.
Nowadays, users want to connect with the authentic personality of the organisations, charities, and brands they choose to follow. People value brands that care for their supporters, show respect for their employees, and actively nurture online communities.
37% of consumers say engaging directly with their audience makes a brand memorable on social. (Source: Sprout Social Index⢠2023.)
Being present online is about more than creating perfect content, choosing the right visual, or even figuring out the best time to share it. The real community-building work happens once your content is published for the world to see.
This is where community management comes in - taking the time to be âsocialâ and embrace two-way communication.
Community management is a really effective way to create a more authentic exchange with your community, which humanises the organisation and gives building long-lasting relationships a chance.
So, what is community management? đ
Community has become a buzzword in the last few years, so let's break down what having a community actually is and what community management activities consist of.
An online community is a group of people united by common interests and experiences.
Community management is the process of regularly engaging with your audiences to turn those passive followers into a thriving community and attract new like-minded people. Youâll create a community that engages with you as a brand and advocates for you. Some may even become staunch brand ambassadors. But, most importantly, they engage with each other. Itâs not about you, itâs about them. Youâre just the facilitator. That is what a real community is about.
đ¸ Thatâs me, creating and scheduling content before the real community-building work happens.
You canât overstate the role of community management in social media. Itâs its own discipline, separate from content creation or strategy. It becomes a powerful tool for boosting your organisationâs reputation when done well.
For starters, itâs essential to recognise that your community is not synonymous with your target audience. For example:
Your target audience represents the people you create your content for, your tone of voice, and key messaging around.
Your community, on the other hand, is made up of people youâve already won overâwhether thatâs as a follower, customer or full-on ambassador.
Long story short, having followers doesnât mean you have a community. No matter how great your content is, your audiences will find it hard to connect with you if they donât feel like thereâs a human on the other side of the screen.
But what types of community management are there? đ¤
We think of community management in two ways; proactive and reactive. When you commit to both, you can really start to reach new audiences while keeping your current tribe consistently engaged.
Letâs start with Proactive Community Management; in a nutshell, youâre engaging in conversations youâre not yet part of. These can be found through hashtags/ trending posts/ scrolling through your feed, and engaging with relevant content.
Reactive Community Management is responding to comments/ tags you are a part of. This is the easier bit as your notifications keep you up to date.
One reinforces the strength of the community, and the other grows it in size. Kapeesh?
đ¸ Image by Daria Szotek of Lucy, Ophelia and I.
Why does good community management matter now more than ever?
In the fast-paced world of social media, where attention spans are shorter than ever, where algorithms undergo frequent changes and social media channels are bought and rebranded, a well-managed community becomes indispensable.
By investing in community management, you not only expand your reach, but also nurture existing followers, donors, subscribers, or customers, transforming them into dedicated advocates.
So, suppose a social media platform changes ownership (Cough cough, weâll never forget you Twitter) and your follower count starts dwindling. In that case, you can redirect your community to subscribe to your newsletter instead.
âBrands and creators that practise positivity and use a playful tone are the ones we remember most.â - Planoly
What are the benefits of communities for charities?
1ď¸âŁ Gather support around your WHY
Having an active group of people with a shared interest or experience that relates to your mission, creates a space for you to promote any related research, quote relevant sources, find community gatekeepers, and share interesting facts and stats.
It's an opportunity to reach out and join relevant conversations that are already happening that relate to your mission without churning out the same content over and over again, trying to reach new audiences.
Utilise hashtags to identify key conversations that align with your WHY, engage with their content, show support and give them a follow. And voila! People who fall within your target audience will likely follow you back. Win-win, right?
đ¸ Ramin reviewing our own Instagram grid.
2ď¸âŁ Grow engagement
Community management will increase engagement on the content you're putting out. Let's use an analogy for this one. Youâre at a networking event.đ
Your presence = your content
Conversations = engagement
Simply being present at the event isn't sufficient, right?
If you were to stand there, not going up to people and initiating conversations, the potential is limited. You may have a few people start conversations with you. However, if you were being proactive and initiating conversations with others, you could have spoken to 40+ people by the end of the event.
The same goes for social media.
When you engage with others, they engage with you back. Over time, your engaging presence will naturally attract more engagement from other users.
Amongst the complexities of social media, sometimes you need to simplify your approach and focus on genuine interaction to enhance engagement. And when you do that, you will start to see engagements on your content improve.
3ď¸âŁ Increase visibility
Algorithms are aloof, what works today may not work tomorrow.
Having an active community is the best way to grow your reach when the algorithm works in your favour and maintain it when it doesn't.
Taking part in conversations on social media pushes your organisation past the boundaries of your profile, introducing it to a new potential audience.
Great community management in action
A great example of good community management is from the charity, Mind.
In the world of mental health, where conversations often tread on delicate ground, introducing humour can feel like walking a tightrope. However, Mind embraces the power of fun, recognising that laughter can break down barriers and create a connection.
Beyond the laughter lies the beating heart of Mind Charity's social media presence: support. Amidst the humour, their community managers stand ready to offer a listening ear or practical advice to those in need.
đ¸ Screenshot examples of Mind's community management.
The takeaway?
When you join the right conversations, express empathy, and show there's a human on the other side of the screen, the more people will trust and believe in your mission.
So! If community management has piqued your interest and you think it's something you want to implement into your organisation but need a bit more support, email us at hello@socialforgood.co.uk đ
Or, you can head to our website for more information on the services we offer and how we can support your organisation to achieve your social media goals this year and beyond.
