Philip Wride – Social Media Marketer and Community Manager

Last week I received a random tweet from a small group of users from one of the communities I used to manage (the EA FIFA one). Seems they had been talking about how things had changed since my departure and how the new CM for the community focused on different things. I sent a quick reply saying that every CM has a different style when it comes to managing a community and this started to get me thinking. Is that really true and if so is it possible to define different styles?

Below I’ve included a bit of a tongue-in-cheek image for what I think some of the different styles are (read elements that make up a CM). Disclaimer: Images remain the property of their respective owners.

This definitely isn’t an exhaustive list but more to get you thinking, what’s your style? How do you spend your time and what do you focus on? What are your strengths? More importantly, how does your community perceive you and the activities you undertake? Chances are you will be a combination of several styles and there’s nothing wrong with that. Make sure you quiz your users though, they are a great source of feedback and if they feel neglected in a certain area then it gives you something to target and improve for them whilst giving you kudos for listening and responding.