Social Media and Online Community Posts From Around The Web

Every Friday I post links to a few of the blog posts that I read during the week that I found interesting and insightful.

Included in this week’s round-up is a discussion about the future of online community; how to spot a bad community manager; why agencies are having trouble using social media to generate new business; and why a company’s social media guidelines should inspire engagement instead of restrict it.

Perspectives on the Future of Community: Vanessa DiMauro’s View

In my view, the specialized online community’s day has come!  The last 2-3 years have been awash with social network launches and the race for dominance.  For most, even the phrase ‘online community’ currently evokes mass professional networking tools, as those tend to be most professionals’ first exposure to online community.  And while Twitter, LinkedIn and Quora, for example, are not going away anytime soon, there is an increase in the demand for specialized private online communities which has emerged in part from the success of the broader social networks.

Can You Spot a Bad Community Manager?

Bad community management isn’t what the community manager did wrong, but what the community manager didn’t do at all. In the long term bad community management will do far more harm.

Social Media Comes Up Short For Agency Perspecting

One reason potential clients might be less inclined to communicate with agencies via social media is the perceived one-sidedness of such communication, highlighted by the fact that 79% of prospects said agencies most often talk about themselves when trying to initiate conversation.

Social  Media Guidelines Should Inspire Engagement, Not Restrict It

While no organization that engages with audiences on social networks should be without a social media policy, that doesn’t mean slapping one together and forcing it on employees is the correct course. A social media policy should flow naturally from a company’s culture and incorporate employee feedback in its development.

Think there’s something missing from this list? Leave a link in a comment, or tweet me @BenLaMothe!

Author and journalist Susan Orlean (left) has written two nonfiction pieces that have been turned into films. She’ll discuss her new book, Rin Tin Tin, in Mediabistro’s first online Literary Festival & Workshops starting July 16. Other speakers include Rebecca Skloot, Jason Boog, and Jason Allen Ashlock. Register now.