Are pros destined to become glorified community managers?

It's Takes A PR Pro to Manage a Thriving Community

That was the question that got my attention today. It came in through my email from PR Week’s Paul Armstrong.  You see every week he asks PR professionals a question that he would like us to comment on for his PR Fire Brigade Blog/twitter platform.  His questions are all topical and extremely relevant, but this one just hit home with me right now.  For my field is changing just like almost every one else’s.  In fact, I no longer refer to myself as a publicist, but a media strategist. I set strategy and go after placements, even if the new placements are building communities.  So my answer to his question is “YES.”

Paul’s tone of the question though irked me for it was a bit snarky due to his addition of the word “glorified.”  That I do take offense to.  I believe that as a PR pro, whether we are working with a journalist, blogger or managing a community – that it takes a special skill set and talent.  Sure, anyone can take a photo – but a true photographer knows how to manually adjust the aperture and is knowledgeable about lighting, among other skills.  The same goes for communication executives.  Anyone can add friends to their Facebook page, but do they know how to build their brand online and handle negativity?  PR pros do and more.

As a PR pro, I am enjoying implementing community management into my portfolio of services. To me it’s exciting.  Whereas, as traditional media continues to downsize (last Monday’s ABC News report), the numbers of others we can connect with to promote ideas, people, companies continues to explode.  The players may have changed, but the audience is ever growing.  It’s a harvest out there in Community Land.

So I will be proud if one day my title includes the term Community Manager. I have always enjoyed promoting content and with social media, I have so many choices to reach great amounts of people with varying messages.

Speaking of titles,  I attended the AMA’s virtual conference last week and there, I learned of a new corporate division called “COE.”  It stands for “Center of Excellence.”  The Center of Excellence, as I understood it, is the company’s watchdog group of social media. It’s there that policies are set and monitored as other divisions of the company utilize social media for their job functions.  Pretty cool huh. I like these new titles.  I wouldn’t mind having one someday that said, Cindy Ronzoni, Vice President, Center of Excellence, X Amazing Company.

Times are changing as our titles.  Since we’re speaking of titles…what’s one that you would like to have one day? Do tell.

Best,

Cindy