If the community manager does everything, there is nothing for community members to do. Members feel less engaged and less responsible for the state of the community. It’s not their community, it’s your community.
Tim Fountain, who sometimes reads this blog, did a brilliant job at UKT. Tim restricted his role to website maintenance, upgrades, managing volunteer staff and stepping in with moderation when comments got out of hand.
By taking such a limited role, the community blossomed. Others got the chance to stand in the spotlight. Top members began competing to arrange the best events, organize top competitions, get exclusive news scoops, create the best content and moderating comments.
A dedicated team of volunteers effectively ran the community. Tim was always the boss, but he was lesser known than his volunteers. This is how it should be.
If you do everything yourself, you don’t leave much for your members. If you invite and support the efforts of members, you can have a much stronger community where everyone has the chance to contribute and shine.
