A community manager is responsible for building and developing the relationship between an organization (company, institution, association, school, etc.) and its audience, through a social media-oriented digital content strategy.
He's the voice of the organization. The one who masters the tone, and is responsible for moderating interactions between community members.
More and more community managers are studying at university. Employers are turning to the following degrees:
- Bac+2 BTS communication
- Bac+3 BUT information-communication
- Bac+4 and 5 Master's degree from a communications school, IEP, etc.
The community manager is an expert in the web, and social networks in particular. He must understand the marketing orientation of his clients, or the company that employs him. That's why they often have a degree from a communications school.
His university education guarantees that he has mastered the digital tools he is responsible for piloting on behalf of his customers. Digital technology holds no secrets for him.
However, you can also take a 100% online training course, which will give you a clear overview of the main tools you need to master.
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Excellent organization
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Analytical skills
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Creativity
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Deep curiosity
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Good management skills
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Empathy
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Politeness
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Diplomacy
That may sound like a lot, but it's important to understand that the missions of this web expert are numerous, and above all, multiple. Because your customers or employer often want you to be present on numerous social networks, good work organization is essential.
When working as part of a team, management skills are essential to lead a publishing team. He must be a leader, a creator, a manager. His communication skills are not confined to the community he brings together, but also include his interactions with his colleagues.
There are two types of community manager:
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The salaried community manager
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The freelance community manager
As a salaried employee, they earn around €2,000 gross per month at the start of their career. They often work in a digital marketing, communications or advertising agency. Some see the community manager as an enhanced version of the traditional webmaster.
Freelancers are largely dependent on the competition they face, as well as their level of experience. Often dependent on a specialized platform to host their service, the cost of their services ranges from 5 euros to 800 euros. This means they don't earn a salary, and are less concerned with any team management skills they may have.
Depending on whether you're a freelancer or an employee, your career development will be very different. An employee is part of a larger or smaller company, where his or her qualities are recognized. They may become project managers or department heads. An executive position is therefore within his or her grasp.
As a freelancer, his career development is based on two things:
- Its ability to exist outside the platform on which it publishes its service,
- Its degree of specialization.
The more specialized a freelancer is, the rarer their content creation will be, and the more they'll be able to monetize their skills.
Without a boss, he has to learn faster, and know his job inside out. His career development depends directly on the quality of the companies he represents.
In the digital world, the durability of your business depends entirely on your online reputation.
Written by our expert Cyril SCHWASTIAK
october 7, 2022
