Dirk Songür is technical project manager at Neue Digitale / Razorfish in Frankfurt. His affinity for online media is high - what a cruel Fate is there a "ü" to have the last name. On Twitter, there are therefore as it @ DirkSonguer and his weblog, in which he regularly writes about communities and community management, listen to dirk.songuer.de . Of particular interest is its publication "Profile Manager" - in a kind of professional self-finding trip, he writes about what community management is out of his sight. And in the end he finds out: "Hey, I'm strategic community manager" enough reason for me to him in a net cafe in Darmstadt (in an ok , lied to take) and to lead a good discussion. And is Part 1 of this interview is now available to read along:
Matt: thank Dirk, that you are prepared to do me a few questions to answer. In your publication "Profile Manager" you have made a separation between operational and strategic elements in the community management. bound Do you think that the distribution of these elements, in particular the size of the company?
Dirk: Yes, definitely. However, I think the strategic community manager for a "Phantom". I do not think it exists in fact - but I know that there is someone gives this role. And called the project or product manager. The title of "strategic community manager" is not needed anymore.
Matthias: And the operative community manager?
Dirk: I think this mostly from the Board Chair a little "growing out" - about the time he assumes more responsibility for the community platform. He is a kind of "super moderator".
Matthias: What is the relationship between operational and strategic community manager? You should certainly work closely together.
Dirk: Yes, definitely. The job of the operational community manager, it is also to identify trends in the community and to be recorded. He must know how to use the user interactivity of the community platform. And not just from the numbers in the analysis, but also from the feeling. Example, there are certain dynamics and trends within the community. He needs the community platform to assess both quantitatively and qualitatively. The information he provides the strategic community manager available - and on this basis, decisions can be made.
Matthias: So a super-moderator and a project manager who work together?
Dirk: Exactly. The community manager is operating close to the user and communicates directly with him. The strategic community manager is a role in which he is not even close to the user. And ideally, these two manager types work hand in hand.
Matthias: This results but also other requirements for the qualifications of a strategic community manager?
Dirk: Yes . The strategic community manager must be versed in project management, even in team management. He has the responsibility that the product plan is implemented properly, the desired quality.
Matthias: And he shall ensure that the operational community manager does his job properly?
Dirk: Exactly. But in small and some medium-sized companies, it is usually only provide a community manager. Then this must be both strategic and operational. It could come from the marketing or PR department.
Matthias: Has for a public relations department at all the necessary "skills" for the community management?
Dirk: Yes, I think so. Community management is a form of public relations - and the area is the responsibility of public relations. Nowhere is that PR is the only this should make a public relations department. But community management can be just as good at marketing or CRM be suspended. This is ultimately not so important - what matters is that a community manager is available so that the platform is actually successful.
Matthias: Is there community management in operating the basic rules that must be considered?
Dirk: Yes, the rules of the platform. The communication rules, the etiquette of the platform. The community management must keep to its own rules, it has previously set up hopefully. In addition, it is said often: "Be honest and then it'll work."
Matthias: Do you think that's true? Or is it more the fear of what might happen when one is dishonest, and it flies open?
Dirk: Exactly. The saying should read more "is not dishonest." You tell it's not everything. But certainly you should not tell a falsehood that could then fall back to the company - especially not if you can prove the company that it knew the moment that it is untrue. Is this the "worst case" would be.
Matthias: And if you are honest, but still results in a negative mood?
Dirk: If someone in Sound assaults and violates the platform guidelines, then you can rebuke that person, of course. If, however, said factual "that's a bad product" - then that's perfectly ok. Not every product is something for everyone. One should therefore keep the conversation to a sober level.
Matthias: So one should de-escalate by honesty?
Dirk: It depends. In truly defective products that could, for example, draw a recall being taken, the company is under pressure. Since then starts the computation of. But as a company one should always think of his reputation.
Matthias: Can we improve its reputation for "social media"?
Dirk: You certainly can not suddenly sell social media as a bad product good product. Quite the contrary. If the product is not good and the company was not behind it, then the dialogue with a community will not help. Sure, you can deduct the usual marketing or PR talk.
Matthias: But that makes the user more than even angrier.
Dirk: Exactly. This is not at all effective.
Matthias: Do you think communities a kind of "transparency pressure" on companies ? Exercise
Dirk: I would not call it transparency dialogue but pressure. Through discussions in communities, a company can be forced to communicate in dialogue in order to justify, for example. As it is transparent but it really needs to occur is another question.
Matthias: So there are situations in which a company should avoid more communities?
Dirk: particular, if the offer is true, one should avoid the dialogue earlier.
Matthias: Speaking of good and bad products - how can you measure the success of a community platform?
Dirk: It's easy. The company intends to enter into dialogue, making a business plan and in this business plan objectives are defined. The measure is what you need, whether those objectives have been met - yes or no.
Matthias: But what about the monetary measurability, the ROI?
Dirk: The question is, what the company wants to achieve with the dialogue. Basically, a company interested only return. This means in the case, it sold more. That is measurable. Or it loses fewer customers. It is measurable. The problem is - how can you attribute this success to the community platform and probably simultaneously held other marketing or PR activities.
Matthias: And how do I solve this problem?
Dirk: One can perhaps not be solved definitively, but with high probability. It is important that you clean in the analysis works and tries to selectivity to other areas related to that could have acted in the same period to the ROI.
Matthias: But this is a problem that I'm equally in marketing or public relations.
Dirk: clear. I'm booking a TV ad, powder lot of money in - and then? Digital marketing is better analyzed - success can be demonstrated in most cases. This also applies to Communities. It has user numbers, clicks, and various other performance indicators.
Matthias: This works well for example in the support area. The hotline has fewer calls to help each other since the users in the forum. The company could save costs - and figure out exactly how much. Similar works in market research, if the information is transferred from the user and must not be obtained separately. In the area of cost savings appears to be a very good measurability monetary variables to be given.
Dirk: Yes . Also, online reviews play a role there. How quickly people buy a product? Previously, it was - you wait until someone from the circle and appeared to be the first magazine to test the product. This process speeds up dramatically due to online reviews.
Matthias: Changing the subject: Central Community platforms - do you think in the age of Facebook and this make any sense?
Dirk: The company should at least question more, if it really needs its own community platform. That does not mean that they can be completely replaced. Particularly in the premium area, for example, I would not offer any Facebook page. Anyone who buys an expensive car, is not satisfied with a Facebook Page. He needs something special and exclusive, so it feels good hands - suitable for the product he has purchased.
Matthias: But exclusivity is so much more the exception, or not?
Dirk: One should always ask whether the expense is justified is the community-platform is set up - or whether it is enough to integrate with an existing community platform. I think that threshold continues going down. In other words, the exclusivity that a community must achieve in order to justify the effort increases, more and more.
Matthias: exist all the more their own community platforms, the more difficult It gets them to place well.
Dirk: Right. But they will never die - especially in the B2B sector. Or if you need a high level of privacy in a community.
Matthias: The corporate communications is changing by the "Social Web", a classic pure marketing or public relations are no longer the only means to connect with the target groups in contact. Direct contact is even almost a unique feature of the online corporate communications. Also in view of the ailing newspaper and magazine market - what do you think how the profession will develop community management in the future? Win it continues to relevance?
Dirk: , journalism is a question of trust. People say that when three friends say what to whom you trust, then this is as good as if it's in the paper XY. This is a nice idea, but it does not work. There is a reason why people have a purely psychological, role models. A doctor in a white coat is more trustworthy than one who is wearing no.
Matthias: does that mean?
Dirk: This means that the prestige of great publications remains significantly higher than the opinions of friends or communities. In the best case there is a combination of both - the trusted journalist writes something, the community agrees. The point is that newspapers and their online versions simply have a tremendously high level of credibility. A lot of people believe that what is in the FIG.
Matthias: fall But the reaches of the magazine market. Communities are not necessarily by taking a more important role in opinion formation process?
Dirk: It is balanced, sure. But that brings me to another point: What is a journalist? A blogger with a high number of readers, even if it is not recognized as a "journalist" is, ultimately, especially in the "special interest" segment, someone on the mailing list of a PR agency heard. This also applies to someone who is a Twitter profile with 10,000 "followers" have. I think the circle of those who are dubbed as a "journalist" - who will prosper.
Matthias: And then there is again community management ...
Dirk: thought should talk a community manager with these people, there are great multipliers. Once you integrate into your community, such user, of course, get their "followers" with almost automatic. Since there is again a question of credibility - if the person I regard as credible, tells me, that's good - well, then I look it to me at least at times.
Matthias: I ask now consciously provocative: If you approach in communities because of the pure mass of opinion is not much more objectivity than it can provide a journalist? The journalist writes "The device is quiet" - in communities, the decibel numbers are measured.
Dirk: Yes - but is for information seekers it a question of effort. He has to find the right community, sign up there, must find out whether they can trust ...
Matthias: The requires much time.
Dirk: And the take is often not in a purchase decision. Unless you buy a car and employs over several months with the topic. But if you need something quickly and directly, then they rely on the credibility of journalism.
Matthias: clear. But there is a strong statement to say, the higher the value of the product, the higher the probability that one looks in communities for opinions.
Dirk: Yes, but at a higher value is allowed more time. And accordingly collect more opinions.
Matthias: Dirk, we come to a new subject: What in your view, the most important aspects in building a community platform?
Dirk: If it is a platform for a company, then the most important premise that it meets the business objectives of the company. It is not about "hip" or "trendy" to be or "super integrated Web 2.0" to offer. The point is that the company will realize what it takes to sell a product and believe you to. This requires knowledge about its products and its target group.
Matthias: So you have to bring the needs of businesses and target group as well together?
Dirk: You should consider how the target group will reach you, a good experience can offer - based on the needs of the business, it poses to the community platform.
Matthias: What do you think of basic tips for community-building "start small" like or that you give the community over time has the possibility to manage up to a certain degree of self?
Dirk: That depends on the company. A company like Microsoft can not start a small community that is always immediately great.
Matthias: This is of course correct. But "start small" can be, for example on the number of features or communication channels . Belong You try to create a basis on which the community can then be developed together with users on.
Dirk: This is a very good approach. analyze pilot Printen, optimize. But sometimes that just is not working well. Generic advice is certainly not wrong, but ultimately the solution must always be tailored to the company.
Matthias: Do you have other basic tips that one should take into account possible in the design?
Dirk: If there exists something that meets your requirements already, then build something new. Not everyone desperately needs his own thing, even though it may be the first impulse. You should also pay attention to where the target moves in the network.
Matthias: What do you think of it that people in communities, for example, are users in an off-topic area, the possibility "next" to "socialize" the real issue?
Dirk: It should be ways to get to know each other or closer. But it does not necessarily happen on the platform itself. For example, one could in a very exclusive platform can offer XING-profile exchange. But there's not a must. It is also on the objectives, the company with the community pursued.
Matthias: Do you think it is important for the community manager is to be privately accessible, to be accepted by the community so "as a man"?
Dirk. This can have a positive impact on the credibility, so credibility is an important factor for successful community management. And social acceptance may help in difficult situations, such as the de-escalation.
Matthias: Culture 2.0 "- what do you think about this concept?
Dirk: This is especially important on external community platforms such as Facebook. When embarking on an existing platform, you have to get involved also * really * that. As a representative of an exclusive brand I can not expect that all users on Twitter as "fine gentlemen" behave. Since it is also abused again. I can not wait nor to insist that this platform will change just because they themselves take part. One must always consider the culture and tone of the audience and the platform.
Matthias: Are there any general "culture 2.0" features?
Dirk: are many people who claim that Web 2.0 gives users were more open and agile - things like that. I do not believe. The Web is a Representation of our population. And depending on where I move, whether on the web or in real life, I must adapt myself in my communication. The Web 2.0 is people. And there are no "human culture".
That was part 1 of the interview with Dirk. Part 2 goes online on Tuesday! I hope you like it. :)
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