What is the difference between social media management and community management?
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If you are interested in pursuing a career in social media, you might have come across the terms social media management and community management. But what do they mean and how are they different? In this article, we will explain the roles and responsibilities of each, and how they contribute to the success of a brand's online presence.
Social media management is the process of creating, publishing, and analyzing content for various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. A social media manager is responsible for planning and executing a social media strategy that aligns with the brand's goals, voice, and audience. They also monitor and measure the performance of their posts, campaigns, and ads, using tools and metrics to optimize their results. A social media manager needs to have a mix of creative, analytical, and communication skills, as well as a good understanding of the best practices and trends for each platform.
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Mohsin Ali Rana
Compliance & Corporate Affairs, Proficient in Communication and Administrative Assistance. Experienced in Successful Social Media and E-Commerce Management.
Social media management is the process of creating and managing content, engaging with followers, and measuring the results of social media campaigns. Social media managers are responsible for developing and executing a social media strategy that aligns with the overall marketing goals of the organization. Community management is the process of building and maintaining relationships with a community of people around a shared interest or goal. Community managers are responsible for creating a sense of community among members, fostering engagement, and resolving any conflicts that may arise. They also need to be able to listen to the needs of the community and provide them with valuable resources and information.
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Devapriyo Das
Corporate communications | Sustainability | The write stuff
Social media management is telling the stories about your company that matter to your audience. Community management is shaping how your audience perceives those stories.
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Community management is the process of building, engaging, and nurturing relationships with the followers, fans, customers, and advocates of a brand on social media and beyond. A community manager is responsible for creating a sense of belonging and loyalty among the members of the community, by responding to their comments, questions, feedback, and reviews, as well as initiating and facilitating conversations, events, and collaborations. A community manager needs to have a mix of interpersonal, empathetic, and problem-solving skills, as well as a good understanding of the brand's values, culture, and personality.
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Susan Diaz
🤖 Driving small business growth with AI 📕Author UNboring | AI Agency Founder | Podcast host 🎙The 4am Report + ABCDEI
Strong communities aren’t just brand-customer links; they're networks where members forge bonds with each other. A community manager catalyzes these connections, creating a robust, self-sustaining ecosystem. It's about nurturing a 360-degree engagement, where each interaction strengthens the whole.
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Faisal Pyepar, BscTEL, OOH
Pulse LinkedIn Influencer of 2023 | Marketing & Billboard Consultant | PR Executive Airtel UG | Copy Writer - Join me for the quirkiest branding, marketing, PR, and #OOH adventures
Community management goes beyond engagement, involving proactive community building, content creation, conflict resolution, and advocacy. Community managers plan and facilitate events, integrate a feedback loop for insights, track metrics for community health, and may initiate educational initiatives. Their role extends to fostering a sense of belonging and empowering community members to actively contribute to the brand's success.
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The main difference between social media management and community management is the focus and scope of their activities. Social media management is more focused on creating and distributing content that attracts and informs the audience, while community management is more focused on interacting and connecting with the audience that consumes the content. Social media management is more concerned with the quantity and quality of the content, while community management is more concerned with the sentiment and satisfaction of the community. Social media management is more broad and general, covering multiple platforms and audiences, while community management is more specific and targeted, catering to the needs and interests of each segment and platform.
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Ari B. Adler
Experienced editor, writer, and project manager
Social media is more of a tool and community management is more of an art. These two disciplines can be entwined but they are not the same thing. Social media management is more about the production and distribution of content. Community management is more about curating and maintaining relationships with your audience, whether that's clients, customers, or stakeholders, and can use social media but also many other methods. That's not to say both aren't important, but you need to understand that a person who is good at one may not be suited for the other. So they really should not generally be lumped into the same job as a way to streamline operations or shave a budget.
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Bryan Tritt
Sr. Director, Communications & PR | B2B and B2C Communications, Tech, Fintech, Crypto, Financial Services | Marketing, Leadership, Media, Corporate Communications and Content Marketing
You can’t properly manage your social media without engaging your social media community. If your social media manager isn’t engaged in community management, getting any “flip the funnel”- type benefits probably isn’t in the cards. Community management can also extend far beyond social media. It really depends on where your customer base wants to interact— be it online on social, in forums or offline at meetups or events.
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However, the difference between social media management and community management is not always clear-cut or exclusive. There is often a significant overlap between the two roles, as they both share the same goal of enhancing the brand's reputation and relationship with its online audience. Both roles require a deep knowledge of the brand's identity, objectives, and value proposition, as well as a keen awareness of the audience's preferences, behaviors, and expectations. Both roles also involve creating and curating content that is relevant, engaging, and valuable for the audience, as well as analyzing and reporting on the impact and outcomes of their efforts.
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Faisal Pyepar, BscTEL, OOH
Pulse LinkedIn Influencer of 2023 | Marketing & Billboard Consultant | PR Executive Airtel UG | Copy Writer - Join me for the quirkiest branding, marketing, PR, and #OOH adventures
The distinction between social media management and community management is frequently blurred, marked by a considerable overlap. Both roles share a common objective of elevating the brand's online presence and fostering a strong relationship with the audience. Deep brand knowledge, audience awareness, and content creation are pivotal in both roles. Additionally, the analysis and reporting of outcomes are shared responsibilities. The synergy between social media and community management lies in their joint efforts to enhance the brand's reputation and meet the evolving expectations of the online audience.
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Patricia Kahill
Coaching Business Owners and Digital Marketers on how to create engaging and interactive content items for their online platforms. Follow me for Content Creation and Marketing posts.
I agree with this. They both respond to questions, feedback, complaints and praise from those who follow the accounts they handle. They both foster a sense of community among the fans and advocates of the brand as they increase the brand's awareness, loyalty and trust.
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Therefore, the balance between social media management and community management depends on the size, nature, and objectives of the brand, as well as the resources, skills, and tools available. Some brands may have separate teams or individuals for each role, while others may have one person or team performing both functions. Some brands may prioritize content creation over community engagement, while others may do the opposite. The key is to find the optimal balance that suits the brand's needs and goals, and that delivers the best results and experience for the audience.
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Faisal Pyepar, BscTEL, OOH
Pulse LinkedIn Influencer of 2023 | Marketing & Billboard Consultant | PR Executive Airtel UG | Copy Writer - Join me for the quirkiest branding, marketing, PR, and #OOH adventures
The difference between social media management and community management lies in their roles: social media management focuses on content and promotion, while community management centers on interaction and engagement. Finding the right balance depends on factors like brand size, objectives, resources, audience expectations, and brand values. It's a dynamic process that can evolve over time, where both content creation and community engagement contribute to the brand's success and audience satisfaction.
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Émerson Biava
Marketing | Comunicação | Educação
Não é toda a marca que alcança o patamar de ter uma comunidade que esteja engajada com o seu produto ou serviço. O gerenciamento de mídias sociais qualquer um pode fazer, já, gerir uma comunidade, primeiramente a sua marca deve conquistar esse lugar.
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Regardless of the balance, both social media management and community management are essential and beneficial for any brand that wants to succeed in the digital world. By combining content and community, a brand can increase its visibility, reach, and influence, as well as its trust, loyalty, and advocacy. By creating and managing a vibrant and active online community, a brand can gain valuable insights, feedback, and testimonials from its audience, as well as generate word-of-mouth, referrals, and recommendations. By doing so, a brand can not only achieve its marketing and sales objectives, but also create a lasting and meaningful impact on its audience and society.
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Faisal Pyepar, BscTEL, OOH
Pulse LinkedIn Influencer of 2023 | Marketing & Billboard Consultant | PR Executive Airtel UG | Copy Writer - Join me for the quirkiest branding, marketing, PR, and #OOH adventures
Indeed, both social media management and community management offer a host of benefits for brands in the digital age: Enhanced Visibility: A well-managed social media presence and an engaged online community increase a brand's visibility and reach, ensuring it's on the radar of a wider audience. Trust and Loyalty Valuable Feedback: Community management facilitates real-time feedback. Brands can use this input to improve products, services, and customer experiences. Insights and Data Testimonials and Reviews: Satisfied community members often become a source of testimonials and positive reviews, which enhance the brand's reputation. Word-of-Mouth Content Ideas Sales and Conversions
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Dr. Ana Kekezi
Business professional | Lecturer | Consultant | Trainer | Speaker
There is that thing that makes both positions very much alike: Focus on People ( followers, consumers, customers , communities, partners, competiors etc) Its should be about them , not about your brand In both cases such mindset is key - you must hear and deeply understand them, otherwise one risking to lose their way
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Aamna S.
Social media management focuses on creating and scheduling content, analyzing metrics, and overall brand presence. Community management, on the other hand, centers on engaging with and nurturing an online community, addressing comments, resolving issues, and fostering relationships within a brand's social media followers.