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Do Startup Companies Need Community Managers?
readwriteweb.com — You know what little startup companies need these days? They need to hire more people! It may be a frightening thought, but in an increasingly social world - being social is becoming an important full time job.
SirPopper- 159 diggs
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- fLUx1337, on 07/16/2008, -0/+3Maybe. It depends on the project....
Its obviously nice to have somebody who is dealing with the public full time. But I don't think its required to be successful. And in the early days, unless its a unpaid weekend project by a group of friends, I don't think its justified to hire somebody. - w3bjunkie, on 07/16/2008, -0/+5I believe small companies should continue to invest in community managers. A small company can be streamlined and make decisions quickly, and it is important for them to adapt to the current business trends. Businesses are incorporating social media tactics into their plans more and more, and small companies need to follow their lead. I think Seth Godin said it best when he said "Small is a weapon, not an excuse."
- dtelepathy, on 07/16/2008, -0/+5Keeping in close contact and making your community and customers feel appreciated is key to small businesses. It is a great investment of time and money for small businesses to hire a community manager.
- tdekashan, on 07/17/2008, -0/+0I hope so, otherwise I'm out of a job!!
- adayahead, on 07/18/2008, -0/+0I've been a community manager for Silicon Valley software companies. This is a good article that looks at the issue from a variety of viewpoints. There is a tension (in small companies) between the important idea that everyone should be listening to customers, and the likelihood that if community management is everyone's job, it will quickly become no one's job. In addition, cultivating a community is a discipline and set of practices of its own. Simply being a "good listener" is necessary, but not sufficient, for effectively managing a community.
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