Fostering Community with Social Advocates: A #CMWorld Chat with Megan Ingram

Before there was Facebook, there were Usenet, Internet Relay Chat, and bulletin boards. Yep, I was an early adopter. (But I’m not Usenet-early. I’m not that old.)

I’ve always been drawn to social media because of the relationships it nurtured. These platforms play a critical role in establishing of connections that might never have formed. Social media has always been a venue for interaction.

That’s what drew me to Megan Ingram. We began talking about the importance of community and wanted to get others involved in the conversation. Who better to include in the discussion than the CMWorld community! We pulled some of the best tweets from our hour with Megan and included them here. If you’d like to see all of the tweets using the #CMWorld hashtag from that day, click here.

Want to learn more about Megan? Scroll down to watch her interview with CMI VP of Marketing Cathy McPhillips on Beyond the Chat.

How has the term “community” changed over the years? For better or for worse?

A1: Community can mean a lot of different things and what it means in marketing has most definitely changed in the last year let alone the last 5 years.

To me – it’s connecting and engaging with a group of people with some common ingredient #CMWorld

— Megan Ingram┃#YourBrandYourStory (@thedataoutlier) February 2, 2021

A1B: In the past year, it’s changed us for the better by finding new ways to create connections virtually in the absence of physical space.

People misuse the term community & its intention to create connection by bonding over a topic, location, or interest. #CMWorld

— Megan Ingram┃#YourBrandYourStory (@thedataoutlier) February 2, 2021

A1 I think it’s come full-circle. Social communities were so strong.. and then they weren’t. And now.. stronger than ever. My people are here, online. #CMWorld https://t.co/D69AXhbdss

— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) February 2, 2021

A1. I grew up in a small community, so my idea of that is a group of people who share each other’s values & who look after one another. The online version of that is similar-it just has a different source. #CMWorld

— Dana Lemaster (@DanaLemaster) February 2, 2021

A1: The term community used to be a catch all for everything — your company culture, your customer, your social fans.

I think community has transitioned more into a public family — and that can sometimes mess with brands, bc they now answer to more than just execs. #CMWorld

— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) February 2, 2021

While community managers add a human element to your brand, should they identify themselves? Why or why not?

You can show personalization in many ways without putting a face to your community manager.

-emojis
-GIFs
-polls
-content that is unique to their question/post/feedback#CMWorld

— Megan Ingram┃#YourBrandYourStory (@thedataoutlier) February 2, 2021

A4. A face and a name does help with the humanizing! Although a lot of Community Managers also use the brand accounts but sign off with their names which I also find to be a good touch #CMWorld

— Charu Misra (@charumisra) February 2, 2021

A4: Sometimes. Not always. The community belongs to the brand and the community. The manager may only be a temporary employee, so you need to consider their privacy. #cmworld https://t.co/0LKixfLtCc

— Buddy Scalera (@BuddyScalera) February 2, 2021

A4 I’d prefer a face to a logo any time of the year! #CMWorld

— SocialAnimal (@SocialAnimal_io) February 2, 2021

A4: There are pros and cons to this. The pro is that it people have deeper relationships with people (more than faceless companies). The con is that the person becomes the face of the co and could leave or do something bad. #CMWorld

— Jim MacLeod (@JimMacLeod) February 2, 2021

Implicit bias and favoritism can hurt communities. What responsibility do brands have to make sure all members feel welcomed and valued?

A5: Inclusion is very important when building a community. Ask questions and let other people’s voices shine through, especially the introverts who may be scared to speak up. #CMWorld

— Megan Ingram┃#YourBrandYourStory (@thedataoutlier) February 2, 2021

A5. 1️⃣Divide your time in listening to all members. Even encourage d non-active/shy members to join the conversation.
2️⃣ Talk to everyone using the same tone. Try and manage all comments. If there’s one person u find yourself talking to a lot, you’re doing smth wrong. #CMWorld

— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) February 2, 2021

A5: All communities need to have community rules that reinforce expectations around behavior and communication amongst and towards community members. The rules also need to address trolling, because eventually, every community has one. #CMworld https://t.co/GMuXo2hbaH

— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Expert (@SFerika) February 2, 2021

How do you build and manage your community? I’d love to hear about your efforts in the comments below.

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