6 Ways to Become an Effective Facebook Community Manager

Community managers are hired by companies to enhance their market image both online and offline. They design social strategies, build communities, tell stories and do marketing on various social forums for the company’s products. Most importantly, they are involved with projects that expand the user base of the company. Their main job is to increase the number of fans and customers through targeted schemes.

On Facebook, these managers can take the following steps for cultivating their Facebook community.

1. Singular voice

If you happen to handle the social media marketing on Facebook alone then you can keep up with the feel and message of your company throughout. But if there are more people responsible for keeping the page updated, then, in order to sustain harmony in your voices, keep them synchronized with the company’s tone.

For example, if your brand uses a funky tone for marketing; if its overall image is exciting and targets the youth; then a sober approach will not work as effectively as bold and vibrant image. Bonobos presents a perfect example for this.

2. Advocate for the Users

Understanding your brand and its products are important. It helps you plan your strategies accordingly. But, while loving the company or product you represent, you should also be aware of the customers’ complains and issues. Their ideas and feedback is just as crucial.

Mario Sundar, senior Social Media Manager at LinkedIn said that community managers should be empathetic, that will help them be better at responding to complaints. He gave an example of Zappos for having an exemplary customer support who sympathizes with the customers. He said, “A community manager’s role is no different.”

3. Fine-tune your Communication

Communication is the key element in any promotional strategy. Therefore, a communication manager has the ability to engage people effectively on his page. Constructive dialogue and interesting images really bring life to a social community. Both help people connect to the brand and with each other.

Communications background and writing experience is needed to be an effective communicator. To do this, a background in either marketing or journalism helps. Visual as well as written discourse should be in accordance with the company’s profile.

4. Use the Industry Lingo

Effective communication also demands knowledge of industry and its technical jargons which tell your readers that their brand knows what it does. Using the industry lingo should be a crucial part of your strategy.

Appropriate terminology includes the use of common acronyms, abbreviations, and concepts that reflect the true nature of your industry. If you can’t use them properly, that will be a poor representation of your company and even if you provide loads of content, it will add to the feeling of disconnection between the client and your brand. Whether you own the page or manage it for someone else, industry knowledge is simply a must.

5. Stay Updated on the Facebook Policies

As a Facebook community manager, you are expected to know and understand the Facebook policies. You need to keep track of its various official changes at any given moment by following the newsroom and Facebook marketing page.

But most importantly, you need to remember what is and is not allowed by the social network to brand page owners and brand communities. Many pages shut down without warning for violation the terms and policies of the network. Once closed, it’s really difficult to get that page restored and you don’t want all your hard work to go down the drain due to negligence. Since the changes are frequent, make sure you check the updates regularly.

6. Timely Responses

Prompt responses to customers are the biggest indicators of good community management on social media. Always respond quickly to create a bond with your page fans. Even if you don’t instantly know what to answer, let them know that you will get back to them ASAP or educate them through another source. Sometimes, sharing information from other authentic source validates your own credibility in the public’s eye.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a question, thought, or opinion; even negative feedback needs to be replied to immediately. This is part and parcel of good community management practices.

What strategies do you practice to become an effective community manager? Let us know in the comments below.