In an era in which social networks are a fundamental part of our daily lives, the role of community managers has become a key element for companies seeking to connect with their online audiences.
Therefore, it is not surprising that every day there are more and more people wondering how to become a community manager and what it takes to excel in this field.
In this post, we’ll delve into the essentials of community manager education, including the importance of earning a university degree, and walk you through the steps and strategies needed to embark on a rewarding journey as a community manager.
But let’s start at the beginning…
What is a community manager?
Before answering the question about how to become a community manager, we would like to clarify what exactly this profession entails and what are its main functions.
A community manager is, in essence, the bridge between a brand and its community.
That is to say, the community manager is the person who is in charge of managing and dynamizing the presence of a company or entity in social networks.
Its main objective is to create and maintain a solid relationship with followers and customers, becoming the voice of the brand in the digital world.
But what does this entail on a day-to-day basis? Let’s take a look at some key aspects of their work.
Responsibilities of a community manager
The community manager is responsible for managing a brand’s social media platforms, which includes:
- Strategy Definition
The community manager is, together with the marketing and communication director, the main responsible for the digital strategy of a brand. To this end, he must ensure that actions carried out on social networks are aligned with the general marketing and communication objectives.
- Content Creation
Another essential task of a community manager is to plan, create, and publish content that is attractive to the audience. This content should reflect the identity and values of the brand while capturing the interest of the community.
- Monitoring and Analysis
Simply publishing content is not enough; a good community manager must also pay attention to interactions, comments, and mentions to better understand their audience and adjust strategies when necessary. Data analysis and metrics are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of communication campaigns and strategies.
- Interaction and Community Building
Responding to comments, participating in conversations, and fostering a positive dialogue environment are some daily tasks of a community manager. All these actions help create an active and committed community around the brand.
- Crisis Management
On the internet, any situation can escalate quickly. Therefore, a community manager must be prepared to handle potential reputation crises, responding appropriately and timely to avoid a negative impact on the company’s image.
- Adaptation and Constant Learning
The digital environment changes rapidly, so being a good community manager requires staying updated with the latest trends, algorithms, and social media management tools.
As you can see, being a community manager is much more than just posting on social media and requires specific skills and knowledge.
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10 skills of a successful community manager
The community manager plays a crucial role in building and maintaining a brand’s image. Therefore, to succeed in this profession, it’s necessary to develop a series of skills:
1 – Effective Communication
The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and attractively is fundamental to become a community manager. A good community manager must be able to convey a brand message while listening and understanding the audience.
2 – Creativity
Creative and original content is what captures attention on social media. A community manager must be innovative and always looking for new ways to engage the audience.
3 – Empathy and Social Skills
A successful community manager knows how to put themselves in others’ shoes to connect with the community and build lasting relationships around a brand.
4 – Analytical Capacity
To become a community manager, you must be able to interpret metrics to draw conclusions about content performance. This skill allows for adjusting strategies to achieve better results.
5 – Knowledge of Digital Marketing
Understanding the basic principles of digital marketing, including SEO, social media advertising, and copywriting, is essential to integrate community management activities into a company’s overall communication strategy.
6 – Composure
Knowing how to act in difficult situations or in a reputation crisis is a vital skill for a community manager. To do this, they must learn to remain calm in stressful situations and respond to messages strategically and professionally.
7 – Adaptability
Social media and digital trends are constantly changing. So, to become a community manager, you must be willing to learn and adapt to new scenarios and tools.
8 – Organization and Time Management
Having to deal with multiple tasks at once, such as content creation, community interactions, or monitoring results, implies knowing how to manage time effectively. Otherwise, there is a risk of losing focus and neglecting aspects of the overall strategy.
9 – Technical Skills
Knowledge of management tools, basic graphic design, and video editing can be very useful for a community manager. Not only because it allows them to create more attractive and professional content, but also because it facilitates organization or time and resource optimization.
10 – Teamwork Capacity
A community manager often has to collaborate with other departments such as marketing, sales, and customer service. So, being able to work in a team is essential to ensure coherent and effective communication.
And now, let’s see how to become a community manager…
Path career of a community manager
Becoming a renowned community manager is no easy task. It requires a combination of skills, knowledge, and education in specific areas.
So, if you’re wondering how to become a renowned community manager, here are some clues:
- Community Manager Education
Studying a communication degree can be the beginning of a brilliant career in the field of community management.
This education will provide you with the tools you need to know how to interact with your audience, how to position your brand in the marketplace and how to analyze data to improve your strategies.
- Research your Audience
To create content that resonates with your audience, you must know them deeply. Community managers must research and understand the interests, needs, and behaviors of their target audience.
This involves analyzing demographic data, preferences, and behavior patterns that can replicate in their publications to generate more engagement.
- Observe what other professionals do
Analyzing what other community managers do is an excellent way to get new ideas and evaluate different strategies.
Observe how they interact with their audience, what type of content they generate, and how they handle complicated situations. This will give you a broader view of what works and what doesn’t in the digital realm.
- Stay up to date with the latest trends and management tools
The use of platforms such as Hootsuite or Buffer can help in programming and monitoring content, while keeping up with the latest trends and functionalities of social networks will allow you to make the most of these platforms.
- Use your social networks to gain visibility
If you want to become a community manager, your social networks will be your best ally to showcase your creative skills, your ability to create content and your way of interacting with the community.
Working your own social networks will not only increase your visibility to potential employers or clients, but will also serve as a practical laboratory where you can experiment with new ideas and strategies.
Would you like to take the first step towards a successful career as a community manager?
At CIS University, we help you develop the skills you need to excel in this exciting profession. Check out our marketing and communication programs.
