Over the last few weeks, I‘ve been writing extensively about community management, what it is, and why it’s essential.
If, after reading my posts and doing your own research, you still need to figure out if it’s worth investing in, perhaps a quick pros and cons list will help you come to a decision.
Let’s dive into the pros and cons of community management.
The Pros of Community Management
1. Customer Loyalty
When you create a community around your brand, you‘re fostering a space where your audience feels seen and heard.
Furthermore, you’re creating a space where they can speak candidly to your brand (or representatives), give feedback, get support, and share ideas with other like-minded consumers.
All this deepens the trust between you and your consumers, and 81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying. So, essentially:
Community builds trust, and trust builds customer loyalty.
2. Reliable Feedback Loop
As I said earlier, by creating a community around your brand, you are also creating a space for consumers to give feedback in real time.
“You’ll get a bird’s eye view of what’s working and what’s not, what people love and what they’d like to change, and you can use that insight to improve your product or service,” says Erica Finley, HubSpot’s Principal Marketing Manager of Community. “Creating a feedback loop ensures that your fans and detractors feel heard and empowered to effect change.”
3. Increased Brand Visibility
There are so many types of marketing strategies, but word-of-mouth marketing is still a tried-and-true method that becomes more effective when paired with community management.
“Word of mouth has never been more powerful, and seeing real-life use cases, being able to ask questions, and hearing earnest reactions to products and services are no longer just ‘nice-to-haves,’” Finley says.
Placing a part of your brand‘s visibility in the hands of consumers in your community by letting them lead discussions can seem intimidating. Still, Finley says it’s inevitable, so why not join in?
“You’re yielding some of your power,” she says, “but these conversations are happening anyway, so you may as well carve out dedicated spaces that folks can lean into for inspiration, advice, entertainment, and more.”
More people will speak positively about your brand and recommend it to others if it provides added value or makes them feel respected and heard. So, naturally, community management will lead to more brand visibility.
The Cons of Community Management
1. Requires a Unique Set of Skills
Community management is a very dynamic initiative that requires many different skills, which can be challenging for managers or for brands looking to hire someone for a community management role.
“Community managers need to be good at many different things,” Finley explains. “They are often mediators for community conflicts and may be required to draft crisis comms.”
Finley says they must also be curious and adept at conducting research online and via people-centric methods such as focus groups. And that’s not all.
“Community managers are content creators who may be called to create entire calendars based on a specific persona or theme,” she says. “They are public speakers who often serve as emcees and facilitators for community events. The list goes on!”
2. Likely Won’t See Results Overnight
There‘s no magic wand you can wave to create a thriving, dedicated community of loyal consumers in just one day. Community building takes time and dedication, so you’ll need to be patient regarding results.
Focus on building your brand and creating rapport with your consumers, then consider your community management goals long-term.
3. Heavy Commitment
Community building is tough, and it only gets more difficult as the community grows.
“More often than not, community teams are small, and sometimes, they’re a team of one,” Finley says. “As your community grows, it becomes more and more difficult to respond to each message, nurture your members, think proactively about your roadmap, and report back on your success.”
So, both brands and community managers must be prepared to invest time, effort, and resources into growing their communities, listening to community members, and staying up to date on conversations surrounding the brand.
“Look for helpers in the community who can be your eyes and ears when you’re not around, and consider automating tasks that don’t require a human touch,” she says.
So, with its pros and cons, is community management worth investing in? In my opinion, absolutely. Communities bring trust, visibility, and loyalty to your brand, and the only real drawbacks are that they require patience and commitment.
However, with a clear long-term goal and proper delegation, the pros will absolutely outweigh the cons.
