Note: This post has been updated & the 2.0 version is here.

This goes along with the Community Manager job description. But these are more task oriented. This may provide a good check off list in orientating a new community manager. It could also start as a talking point for deciding on priorities.

I’m not sure if I should admit to this or not, but I compiled these in the summer of 2007 before I became a community manager. I was still an evangelist with ACDSee & had decided that I wanted to work as a Community Manager! I’m sharing that information because I know that there are many of you that passionately want to work in this space. So take a few minutes & outline the areas where you can provide service. You’ll have it ready then!

Responsibilities & Goals

1.  Ensure that Company continues to remain strategically opportunistic by continually evaluating & revising Company’s online marketing and outreach strategies, including both tools presently being used to emerging technologies.

2. Take primary responsibility for executing Company’s outreach strategy to create, build & maintain brand:

  1. Dive in and create profiles and making posts
  2. Increase awareness of the use of web 2.0 tools across the Company.
  3. Foster a sense of community that encourages customers to purchase as well as feel comfortable in requesting support.

3.  Monitor key online conversations and events to make sure Company is participating effectively & is being represented.

4.  Develop strategies to:

  1. Engage and motivate Company’s most active online advocates & ensure that their efforts are recognized.
  2. Maximize customer communication at all touch points – web strategy
  3. Encourage internal communication & embracement of customer principles
  4. Provide a business plan for 2008 online community plan including a budget

5.  Coordinate the efforts of evangelists, forum moderators, & advocates so that affected Company projects are executed efficiently & in a timely manner.

  1. Provide leadership to motivate & maximize the impact of online community’s efforts
  2. Encourage WOM: teach them how to start the conversation & sustain it
  3. Establish the goals, identify objectives & timeline
  4. Break down the goal into tasks, deadlines & manage the projects to meet the goal.
  5. Ensure that projects are completed & those involved are compensated & recognized.

6.  Develop and teach guidelines to ensure that Company’s online outreach is both effective and consistent with the organization’s image and overall communications strategy.

7.  Track, report on and evaluate Company’s success at being visible and influential online.

8.  Responsible for the administration of the Company’s product forum

  1. Ensure that a positive environment is maintained that reflects Company’s commitment to excellent customer service.
  2. Work closely with Company’s IT manager to ensure that the goals of the forum are met.
  3. Monitor online forums, identify potential problems & issues & promptly communicate them to the IT Manager as appropriate
  4. Practice excellent judgement in communicating with customers about potentially controversial topics.
  5. Advocate for the customer’s needs but balance that with the needs of the company & diplomatically communicate that to both customers & Company

9.  Manage, maintain, and ensure the success of the Company blog

  1. Ensure that it becomes a viable tool for communicating to Company’s customers
  2. Encourage, recruit and provide Company & outside “experts” with the resources to blog
  3. Increase awareness of the blog’s potential both within Company and externally and promote the blog

10.  Identify & offer solutions for breaking down barriers between customers & corporate. This includes identifying needs that aren’t being met from the customer’s perspective & being involved in the discussion as to whether the needs are valid, can be met and if they will benefit the organization as a whole.

11.  Be available to staff across the Company to assist them in identifying & using online tools if it can help them achieve their goals related to their position. Teach, guide, encourage them & provide support if they are new to Web 2.0 tools and culture.

12.  Stay up to date on new tools, best practices and how other organizations and companies are using them, so that the company can continue to be an early adopter of these technologies.

13.  Participate in professional networking by following the prominent bloggers and online writers & attending events.

What would you add or remove? Have the needs changed in a year’s time?

I also have information on salary, ROI, advocates, & some of my favorite topics to write on are branding & networking. My categories on the top right offer a variety of community related topics.  And please subscribe to my blog.

This post has been updated & the 2.0 version is here.