Preventing 12 Common Communication Fails for Community Managers

Effective communication is the keystone of success. As community managers, your primary mission is to foster connections, cultivate trust, and facilitate meaningful conversations using tools like social media platforms.

However, even seasoned professionals can occasionally tumble into communication pitfalls that impede community growth.

In this article, we'll explore 12 common communication fails that community managers must steer clear of.

Drawing insights from practical experiences and expert advice, we'll uncover strategies to keep conversations flowing seamlessly and connections flourishing.

1. Ignoring Your Community's Voice

1. Fail: Disregarding community feedback and suggestions, leading to member disengagement. Example: Deleting critical comments about a product issue instead of addressing them.
2. Fix: Actively listen to your members, acknowledge their input, and implement their ideas when feasible. Showcase the community's influence on decisions to empower and engage members.Example: Addressing a member's concern about a product bug by thanking them for their feedback, explaining the steps taken to resolve it, and offering a discount code as a gesture of appreciation.

2. Overlooking Negative Feedback

1. Fail: Deleting or ignoring negative comments, fueling frustration among dissatisfied members.Example: Deleting a member's complaint about poor customer service instead of addressing the issue.
2. Fix: Address criticism constructively, empathize with members' concerns, and use negative feedback as an opportunity to improve. Publicly respond to show accountability and transparency.Example: Responding to the negative comment with an apology for the poor experience, explaining the steps taken to rectify it, and offering a personalized solution.

3. Being Non-Responsive

1. Fail: Failing to reply to member inquiries or comments, leaving them feeling neglected.Example: Ignoring questions from members seeking assistance with using a product.
2. Fix: Prioritize responsiveness by setting clear response time expectations. Answer questions promptly, engage in meaningful conversations, and acknowledge member contributions to demonstrate your dedication.Example: Responding to inquiries within 24 hours and thanking members for their engagement in discussions.

4. Misusing Automated Responses

1. Fail: Relying too heavily on automated responses that feel impersonal, alienating members.Example: Sending automated, generic welcome messages to new community members.
2. Fix: Use automation wisely, especially for repetitive tasks, but always inject a human touch when addressing community members. Customize automated responses to suit individual contexts and maintain authenticity.Example: Personalizing automated welcome messages by mentioning the member's name and inviting them to introduce themselves.

5. Being Overly Promotional

1. Fail: Bombarding your community with relentless sales pitches and promotional content, alienating them.Example: Too many promotional posts in a row without any informative, educational, humorous, or community-focused posts.
2. Fix: Strike a harmonious balance between promotional and informative content. Prioritize providing value to your members by sharing educational content, helpful resources, and genuine engagement over pushing sales.Example: Creating a content calendar that includes a maximum of one promotional post per week while focusing on sharing relevant industry insights and member-generated content.

6. Neglecting Privacy Concerns

1. Fail: Sharing or mishandling sensitive member data, eroding trust.Examples: Accidentally exposing members' email addresses through a data breach or accidentally revealing the legal name of an anonymous ("undoxxed") community members
2. Fix: Respect privacy regulations, secure member data, and communicate openly about your data-handling practices. Implement robust data protection measures and be transparent about data usage.Example: Regularly updating your privacy policy, encrypting sensitive data, and informing members about data collection practices in a clear and concise manner.

7. Failing to Address Conflict

1. Fail: Allowing conflicts and disputes among members to escalate without intervention.Example: Ignoring a heated debate in a community thread until it turns into a full-blown argument.
2. Fix: Act as a mediator and promptly address conflicts. Encourage respectful discourse, remind members of community guidelines, and intervene when necessary to maintain a constructive environment. Be sure all community managers are trained in nonviolent communication, de-escalation techniques, and crisis resolution.Example: Intervening in a heated discussion by acknowledging both sides, reminding members of community guidelines, and suggesting a private conversation to resolve differences.

8. Neglecting Content Moderation

1. Fail: Allowing inappropriate or spammy content to proliferate within the community.Example: Failing to remove spam posts that clutter the community forum.
2. Fix: Establish robust content moderation guidelines, regularly monitor content, and enforce rules consistently. Empower community members to report inappropriate content and maintain a clean and valuable environment.Example: Setting clear content guidelines, training moderators to identify and remove spam, and conducting regular content audits.

9. Forgetting to Recognize Members

1. Fail: Neglecting to acknowledge and appreciate active and loyal community members.Example: Ignoring the contributions of long-term members who consistently engage.
2. Fix: Implement recognition programs or initiatives that celebrate member achievements and contributions. Highlight member successes, milestones, and valuable contributions to foster a sense of belonging.Example: Creating a "Member of the Month" program to showcase and celebrate the most active and supportive community members.

10. Inconsistent Tone and Brand Voice

1. Fail: Displaying an inconsistent brand voice and tone in community interactions, leading to confusion.Example: Shifting from a friendly and informal tone to a formal and corporate tone in community responses.
2. Fix: Establish clear brand guidelines and maintain a consistent voice and tone in all community interactions. Ensure that your community's communication aligns with your brand's identity and values.Example: Providing community moderators with a style guide that outlines the brand's preferred tone and language for all interactions.

11. Overloading Communication Channels

1. Fail: Utilizing too many communication channels or platforms, fragmenting the community.Example: Operating a website forum, a Facebook group, a Discord server, and a Slack workspace simultaneously.
2. Fix: Streamline communication channels to consolidate community interactions. Focus on the platforms that are most popular and effective for your community, ensuring a cohesive and centralized experience.Example: Conducting a survey to determine members' preferred communication platforms and consolidating efforts on the top two platforms.

12. Neglecting Feedback Loops

1. Fail: Failing to close the feedback loop by updating members on how their input has been utilized.Example: Gathering member opinions through a survey but not sharing the resulting changes made based on their feedback.
2. Fix: Communicate transparently about the actions taken based on member feedback. Share updates, improvements, or changes that have resulted from community input to demonstrate the value of their voices.Example: After implementing a suggestion made by a member, creating a dedicated post or announcement to inform the community of the change and express gratitude for the input.

Conclusion

Community management is a dynamic dance of communication, and every step we take should bring us closer to creating thriving, engaged communities.

By recognizing and avoiding these common communication fails, community managers can nurture an atmosphere of trust, empathy, and collaboration, where members feel heard, valued, and empowered to contribute.

Remember, effective communication isn't just about words; it's about building relationships and fostering a sense of belonging within your community.