A Brief History of Community ManagementThe First Decade

December 2014

By Erin Ledbetter

Vice President, Community Management

Ignite Social Media

@SocialSheek(C) Ignite Social Media

2005 – Year of the Forum Moderator

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers

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2008 – Year of The “Friend”

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers• Be personable and capable of making friends online

2009 – The “Face” of the Brand

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers• Be personable and capable of making friends online• Have a huge, pre-established online following

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2010 – Year of the “Humanized” Brand

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers• Be personable and capable of making friends online• Have a huge, pre-established online following• Convey empathy, personify the brand

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2011 – Year of The Social Media Expert

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers• Be personable and capable of making friends online• Have a huge, pre-established online following• Convey empathy, personify the brand• Understand (and be able to convince really smart

marketers and business people) how Community Management should play a role in traditional marketing efforts

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2012 – “Play time is over”

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers• Be personable and capable of making friends online• Have a huge, pre-established online following• Convey empathy, personify the brand• Understand (and be able to convince really smart

marketers and business people) how Community Management should play a role in traditional marketing efforts

• Optimize to improve results and prove the business value of Community Management work

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2013 – The Year of the Newsroom

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The job requirements: • Ask Questions, Give Answers• Be personable and capable of making friends online• Have a huge, pre-established online following• Convey empathy, personify the brand• Understand (and be able to convince really smart

marketers and business people) how Community Management should play a role in traditional marketing efforts

• Optimize to improve results and prove the business value of Community Management work

• Be highly creative and always on

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2014 – The Year of the “Expert” Generalist

9Source: Community Manager Salary Survey, The Community Roundtable

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2015 – The New Community Strategy

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It’s not all about Facebook, or any single community for that matter, anymore.

And, done properly, it certainly does not require buying every social impression.

It’s time to start engaging your audience with Right Time, Right Place Content, delivered

when and where they want to engage with it.

(C) Ignite Social Media

Thank you!

Erin Ledbetter

Vice President, Community Management

Ignite Social Media

@SocialSheek