Cerebra

“Why do Content and Community Managers have their own appreciation day? All they ever do is write status updates and tweets and respond to queries.”

Well, you see, that’s where you are wrong already. Community managers need a repertoire of skills beyond an impressive vocabulary. Let’s take a quick look at the clubs a Community Manager needs to have in the bag, if they are going to successfully finish level par or better.

Linguists:
It’s not just about the words you use; it’s how you use them. Little tricks work wonders in getting the reaction you want from a community. I often refer back to the talk by on how effective leaders communicate as a perfect example of the importance of linguistics in getting the response you want from a community.

Psychologists:
Not only do we have to predict and understand human behaviour, every minute of every day, but we also have to create another persona (for the brand) completely. What kind of person is ? How do they speak? What motivates them? Why do they wake up every morning?

Analysts:
Deriving valuable insight from big data is not a common skill. Some say it’s the next big thing. Metrics Are Easy; Insight Is Hard. Digital analytics are the proverbial rabbit hole.

Editors:
Developing content strategies, content schedules, content plans, taking and making creative requests seems to take up a lot of our time. This is what goes into those “status updates and tweets” you think we do all day.

Researcher:
We’ve constantly got our ear to the ground for new platforms, new tools, new trends and new data. Through updates and reporting we’re able to mine valuable insight from our communities with regards to habits and opinions.

Creative Writers:
One product, fifty updates. Nothing sums it up better for me than this quote by Dr. Seuss: “We think left, think right, and think low and think high. Oh the things we can think up if only we try.”

Zen Masters:
It’s not easy being sworn at every single day by disgruntled customers. Sure, we’re the face of the brand online, but I do take offence to people’s insults every now and then. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the Serenity Poem tattooed on a few community managers.

We often see the dark side of people online, yet we remain cool, calm and collected. Impressive skill.

Show some love to community managers out there. Not just today, but every day. If you’re keen to chat to some of Cerebra’s rockstars in this department… You can follow them on Twitter right here.

Lloyd Wybrow -
Olivia Waterkeyn -
Zahira Kharsany -
Deshnie Govender -
Ayanda Chirwa -
Dolly Matsubukanya -
Reece Jacobsen -
Peace!