A new study conducted by Angela Connor, author of the book "18 Rules of Community Engagement" provides an in-depth look at the common struggles experienced by online community managers. The Community Manager Survey provides unique insights from 50 practicing community managers including intricate details on what it takes to succeed in a role that is growing in importance but commonly misunderstood.These front-line company advocates and ambassadors provide information that can transform how the role is perceived by hiring managers and crucial insights for those interested in pursing the craft.
"I know firsthand how isolated community management can be and it was important to me to let others know they are not alone," says Angela Connor, author of the report. "Community management is mentally tough and I believe that ultimately, only the strong survive."
The Community Manager Survey participants are deeply in the trenches of community management and answer three crucial questions about organizational support:
* Does your organization support and understand your work?
* What issues are you struggling with as a community manager?
* Is your staff large enough to support your mission?
Key insights from this report include:
* Only 1/3 of those surveyed reported having a clear job description with well-defined goals and objectives. 40% indicated that they are “making it up as they go along.”
* More than half are seeking other community manager positions outside of their current employer.
* Most find increasing participation levels in the community difficult at best.
The goal of the study was to characterize the current state of community management from the perspective of active practitioners during a time when the position was gaining immense popularity and beginning to emerge as a key position in the social media space.
With an increasing level of confusion surrounding the community manager role and extreme variation of responsibilities across industries we sought to find common ground, identify areas of concern and shed light on what should be expected in the near future.
The report can be purchased at http://CommunityManagerSurvey.com for $39.99.
