"Why can't we be like them?" The real reason your Community Strategy struggles
In conversations with studio heads and founders, I sometimes hear a similar sentiment repeated. It usually sounds something like, “Oh man, XXX have a kick ass community team!”. Or while scrolling through their social feeds they’ll say, “Their social media is so good! I wish my team would do that!”.
Sometimes, it even then moves further, into instructions to their own folk: “Be more like XXX” or “We want our social to be like them!”.
I almost get a sense that these comments are rooted in envy. They feel like they’ve made a mistake, that they are missing out, or that they simply didn’t get the right people. In the worst cases, they believe their current team just isn't doing “good enough work”.
But what if I told you that your current community or social media manager is most likely capable of doing that exact level and quality of work? What if they could deliver the same impact and results you envy in your social feeds?
Because the truth of the matter is, the secret behind those "kick ass" brands isn't an individual unicorn employee. It is systematic.
It’s not a department, it’s a mindset
Viewing your community and social teams as isolated departments that exist to manage the players/users is a sure way of siloing and hampering the value these teams can bring to the wider company. Success in this space is not down to an individual performance; it is the result of a systematic approach. A systematic mindset regarding the role the player/user plays in the entire company.
The brands you envy operate with a player/user focused mindset that is front of mind at every level of the company, not just the community discord.
True community work happens when the entire studio understands the importance of the player.
In a siloed organization: The Community Manager is seen as separate. They are tasked with deflecting anger, solve player issues, and make some content to keep players informed. Often dealing with the fall out of decisions made in rooms they weren't invited to.
When community present their user insights (the real value of community), people nod along, thank them for their input, and then continue as they were before.In a systemic organization: The Community Manager is a catalyst, a source of valuable understanding of the player behaviour. They are invited to share their expected impact on the players, and are seen as if you had your entire player base in the room with you, helping guide your decision making. They personify a company culture that truly focuses on the user experience.
When you see a team that is "sooooo good" at what they do, you aren't seeing a unicorn social media genius. You are seeing the result of an entire studio knowing how to think player centric and turn things around in the name of the player/user. It’s the result of months of integrated involvement.
Why you miss trends
Another common puzzling issue I hear from leadership is, “Why can't we jump on trends like them?” or “We seem to be missing a lot fitting trends”
This is almost never a lack of creativity on the part of your social team. It is a lack of trust, empowerment, and preparation on the part of leadership.
If your social team spots a trending meme at 9:30 AM, but requires approval from a Brand Director, a Product Lead, and Legal sign off before posting you have missed the moment, and it’s days too late. The brands translating trends effectively, have all that sorted with a “Signed off Trend principle” document, or something along those lines. It’s a document I help produce which presumed approved with clear guidelines. It ultimately speeds up the creation because it facilitates trust among multiple stake holders.
If you don’t empower your teams to do what is best for the channel, that is a systematic issue, that can be solved. The barriers of legal risk mitigation, micromanagement, and general fear of "saying the wrong thing" are the exact things killing the "kick-ass" vibe you are asking for.
Starting the solution
So, what can be done to move towards solution? Start by looking at the pipeline and systems that produces your content and lead to a post. A functioning player/user centric system requires three areas:
Integration: Community needs a seat at every table that touches the player experience, not just at during the launch phase.
Access: Social teams need direct lines to teams that can provide answers quickly, without filtering through middle management.
Speed: Removing convoluted sign off processes for every post is a recipe for slow down. Define the outlines and principles and then let your team operate within those boundaries lets them operate autonomously and at speed.
A call for leadership
If you find yourself looking at a competitor and wishing your team was "more like them," take a hard look in the mirror.
Are you giving your team the same access, trust, and speed that the other team likely has? Or are you asking them to win a F1 race while you provide a VW Polo to drive?
Your team is likely ready but stuck waiting for approvals to roll in. You didn’t lose out, you didn’t make a mistake, you don’t have to go looking to hire a superstar to get on track. You do need to build a system that lets your team be the experts you hired.
