Happy Community Manager Appreciation Day 2012 #CMAD2012

Since I co-authored an e-book on Building Robust Communities Online with Arieanna Schweber and I frequently speak and give keynotes on the topic of how to grow and maintain strong communities online, today (the Community Manager Appreciation Day, initiated by online social media pioneer Jeremiah Owyang) is of special relevancy to me.

In the past 6 years I’ve been blogging and growing my own online community, I have had a chance to execute some projects on building online communities (I participated, for example, in the design and implementation and growth of the Community Against Preventable Injuries‘ online community alongside the folks of Wasserman and Partners, and trained some of the City of Surrey staff and elected officials on how to build their online community, alongside the folks of Invoke). I also have given keynotes and taught courses on how to use social media to building online communities for other organizations, including WorkSafe BC, several departments within UBC, etc.

And I have also mentored young, up-and-coming folks on how to become better online community managers. Community is something that is inherent to me and to the way I think and approach social media. I use social media in academia, for example, to build robust online communities of research collaborators worldwide. So, to all of you who execute the sometimes not-so-very-well-appreciated role of community manager, I salute you.

Happy Community Manager Appreciation Day 2012!