Community Manager Appreciation Day 2020 Contest

[JamilaR]

Community Manager Appreciation Day (CMAD) is right around the corner on January 27th. This month, we'll be publishing content in Atlas to celebrate CMAD and educate others on the vital role Community Managers play in the customer's journey. We're thrilled to start things off with an exciting contest!

The CMAD 2020 Contest is in honor of Community Manager Appreciation Day and is open to Atlas members. The two winners of the CMAD 2020 Contest will each receive one ticket to Khoros Engage 2020, held in Austin, TX on October 12 - 14, 2020. 

Contestants must reply to this blog and answer the question, “What advice would you give to a new Community Manager?” in 500 words or less or a 1-2 minute video. This contest is open to Atlas members of all roles and backgrounds, not just Community Managers. 

We encourage you to be creative and original in your submission. Feel free to use props, tell jokes, or share tell a heartfelt story of a lesson you would like to pass on to Community Managers. 

Best of luck to everyone and happy Community Manager Appreciation Day! 

Eligibility:

• Open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) and the United States (excluding Rhode Island and Arizona) who are members of the Atlas community irrespective of role (you don’t have to be a community manager!); entrants must be 21 years of age and older as of January 21, 2020.

How to submit to the contest:

• Reply to this blog and answer the question, “What advice would you give to a new Community Manager?” 
• Submissions can be in the form of a 1-2 minute video or a written submission of 500 words or less. 
• The submission deadline is on January 31, 2020, at 5:00 pm PT.
• Contestants are allowed to edit their submission as much as needed up until the submission deadline.
• If you have any issues please contact communityhelp@khoros.com.

How the winners are determined: 

• The 2 winners will be chosen by a panel of Khoros industry experts. 
• Submissions will be judged on creativity, originality, and quality of advice. 
• The 2 winners will be announced on Atlas by February 17, 2020. 

Terms and Conditions:

• See the attached PDF for the official rules. 
• Only English language submissions will be accepted.
• The contest is only open to registered Atlas members. 
• Submissions must be posted in Atlas by replying to this blog.
• Contestants can only post one submission for the contest. If a contestant posts multiple submissions, only the first submission will be considered for the contest. 
• The contest will run from Monday, January 21, 2020, at 6:00 am PT to Friday, January 31, 2020, at 5:00 pm PT.
• The winners will be announced on Atlas in the Atlas Insights Blog by February 17, 2020.
• Winners will be contacted via the email used in their Atlas profile. 
• Submitting to this contest gives Khoros the permission and approval to leverage your username, avatar, and submission, for Marketing and Public Relations purposes in presentations, on social media and the Khoros website. 
• Khoros reserves the right to change the rules and terms at any time. Khoros makes no representations or warranties regarding the contest or its rules and disclaims all implied warranties. Khoros undertakes no obligations of its performance or processing of submissions other than as specifically stated herein and contestants must comply with all the stated conditions.
• Your participation in this 2020 CMAD Contest shall be deemed as consent to use your username, avatar, and submission as described above, notwithstanding any related terms in any agreements that you have with Khoros.

[katwhite1588]

My advice to a new community manager is to connect and establish a relationship with the community that you are trying to reach. Community, it is in the title of the position, and so very important. If you are not engaging with the community, then you are not doing your job and only losing the opportunity to excel. Get to know them, ask for their advice, and thank them for their engagement. People are at the heart of any business or nonprofit, no matter the type. Individuals are much more likely to donate, purchase something, or sign up for a service if they feel connected, valued and seen. Plus, they know what they want to see and invest in. While you may very well be the expert in your field, your community are experts in another way, lean on this. 

Stay up to date on trends and what is going on within the community you are seeking to reach. Engage with every person whether it is through a comment or message, no matter the tone. People may disagree with you but that is okay. Thank them for their advice and opinion. View it is a growing opportunity for yourself or for them to possibly learn something new. Most people will respect you for being transparent and taking the time to respond and have an open conversation. Everyone is different and that is what makes up a community and makes it so special. Learn from this and take value in it. 

My last piece of advice is to lead with your heart and have fun! You love what you do and people need and want to feel this as well. If you are not passionate about what you do, they will not be either. It is as simple as that. People want to be excited, so give that to them. On average, most people only spend a few seconds on a post, email, or message. You have that long to not only establish a connection but catch their attention and grab their heart. If you are not delivering your content and message with enthusiasm, they will keep on scrolling and you will miss out on so many opportunities. That could mean you lost a potential client, donation, partner, or even a sponsor. The list goes on and on. Do not let that happen. Let them know why you do what you do and what makes you different.