This was published on mashable.com.
10 FRESH TIPS FOR COMMUNITY MANAGERS
By Jolie O’Dell
1. Get Zen
Community managers have to have the unflappable calm so often seen in the mothers of multiple young children. Let the juice spill, the finger paints fly, the toddler scream. All is well. Develop your sense of humor and realize that 1) very few things that happen online are ever a big deal and 2) everything on the Internet is eclipsed by something else within a few minutes. Be sure to explain these concepts to your supervisors and reports, as well.
2. Leave Users Alone
So often, we jump in too quickly when a conversation we’ve started might actually need to simmer for a few hours without our intervention. People need to go off topic, trolls need to be smacked down by power users, sidebar chats need to occur, often without direct comment from within the organization. No one likes the idea that they’re being monitored all the time. Besides, if you’re like most community managers, you could use a break from the 24/7 social media addiction you’ve been nursing for the past couple years.