Community Managers, Social Media Hosts and Community Builders
Albert BarraAugust 13, 2018 · 3 min read
Within hotel companies, we tend to think of the Community Manager as someone who should energise a Community and create a sense of enjoyment through content generation, in the purest style of a Tourism Entertainer.
The Community Manager may be someone who acts under their own name and feels, and indeed is, strongly identified with the company they represent. In fact, it is vital for that person to fully identify with the company they represent in order to convey its values.
If this is not the case, I believe it is far better to act in the company’s name through a genuinely corporate Profile, even if it is managed by professionals rather than amateurs, rather than by people known merely for using the tools.
To distinguish the Community Manager from the Entertainer, it is enough to look at the profiles of the latter, which abound in our sector and generally feature little content or content of little value, few Twitter followers and few Blog subscribers (although, of course, figures can be manipulated); ultimately, little Relevance and even less capacity for Influence.
That said, defining a Community Manager and their functions is not easy, so the following may help:
- The true Community Manager is not an entertainer, nor an engagement catalyst, and cannot be just anyone accustomed to using Social Media and other tools.
- The true Community Manager is someone who understands the organisation’s needs and strategic approach well. They know its objectives and act accordingly to achieve them.
- They are the company’s own Personality on the Internet, and therefore reflect its values, concerns and needs.
- They are the person who keeps an eye on conversations already taking place and responds to those that may affect the company they represent, either positively or negatively.
- They are the person who must interact with existing conversations and initiate new conversations aimed at obtaining useful information based on the original objectives.
- They must be able to analyse that information and generate useful knowledge in the form of data to inform the rest of the organisation.
- They are the person who will ensure that their product evolves in line with society’s demands, as they are the company’s public face before society.
- They know how to remain in the background when matters concern neither them nor the company they represent.
- They are the person who never seeks to stand out above the company they represent.
- Naturally, they must develop strategies for motivation, loyalty and empathy-building.
- They must Communicate, and know how to build relationships with evangelists (the genuine kind) in order to generate viral reach.
- They must stay informed about developments and new tools available.
- They must work in networks, build relationships with others and continue learning.
- They must be a full-time professional dedicated to this task
This article ends here. The archive does not.
Lead Hospitality brings together 1200 English articles published since 2018: years of experiences, decisions and lessons you can keep exploring.
CONTINUE FROM HERE
What would you like to explore next?
Choose a direction and keep reading around what you want to solve, learn or challenge.
01MAKE MOREProfitability, revenue and decisions that reach the bottom line.
02LEAD BETTERTeams, culture, talent and the conversations that matter.
03SELL BETTERPositioning, marketing, distribution and customers.
04CREATE EXPERIENCESService, loyalty and details guests remember.
05UNDERSTAND WHAT'S NEXTInnovation, AI and new ways of thinking about Hospitality.
✦SURPRISE MEShow me something worth five minutes of my time.