Community Management Means a Shift in Company Culture

Adi Gaskell has a great post on getting more internal people involved with the community around your company, but I think there is a greater message in his words:

Community Management works best when it becomes central to the culture of an organisation, when it becomes a way of operating rather than just another channel to push content out on. In such an environment the community manager is crucial, but they’re crucial because they co-ordinate the social activities of a wide range of people both inside and outside of the organisation.

For me the best way to achieve that is to have a community manager as a key part of your staff. I’ve always believed that things should only be outsourced that do not play a key part in differentiating you from the competition. In our social world, the belief that engaging your community of customers, employees and other stakeholders does not set you apart from your rivals is not a smart one.

I think that a lot of companies only see “Community” as a marketing channel that happens only on social media sites. This is a narrow view, that could hurt more than help. Instead they should see it as a way to build connections and enhance commuication between everyone involved. Typically this will take a shift in the culture, that allows the community manager greater access to everyone to futher communication and collaboration.

via Adi Gaskell How many community managers do you need?.

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