Don’t think of the community manager as the link between the community and the company.
It encourages the company to keep the community at a distance, it encourages the community manager to take two sides and encourages the community to focus on one individual from the organization.
The community manager shouldn’t be the link separating the two. The community manager should be the force that is continually merging the two. The community manager is the person who will get more of the organization participating in the community. The community manager will connect members of the community directly with employees.
If your role is to separate the two, keep the community at arm’s length from the organization and provide positive reports every few weeks, you’re going to be disappointed.
