Philip Wride – Social Media Marketer and Community Manager

Red Tape. The bane of most people’s existance when working in a corporate environment and in the case of CMs, more than likely if you are working with a branded community.  Having to get everything approved, signed off, budget allocated and then reporting back once the activity has been undertaken can be a lengthy process and one that doesn’t sit well in dynamic environments such as communities.

My advice? Cut through it. Sometimes we have to play a game of risk and do things and seek approval later. Communities are about engagement, growth, relationships, meaning and shared experiences. Having to get sign-off every time you want to do something new, or add something means your community has a greater chance of stagnating. Try things on a small scale with little visability and then demonstrate the benefits and success to the powers that be but don’t be fearful of trying in the first place.

Apathy from the rest of the business shouldn’t be an excuse to get stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity and never challenge your community or do something new. It should be an excuse to try new things and stick two fingers up. Times are changing, the way people interact is changing, time is more precious and people are more frugal with it. You want your users spending it with you and I’m sure the rest of the business would want that as well.  Take a few risks and it could pay major dividends.