Introduction                                       1  (6)
      About This Book                              1  (1)
      Foolish Assumptions                          2  (1)
      Conventions Used in This Book                2  (1)
      What You Don't Have to Read                  3  (1)
      How This Book Is Organized                   3  (2)
        Part I The Basics of Online Community      3  (1)
        Management
        Part II Embracing the Community            3  (1)
        Manager's Role
        Part III Building a Productive Online      4  (1)
        Community
        Part IV Growing Your Community             4  (1)
        Part V Assessing the Health of Your        4  (1)
        Community
        Part VI Taking Your Community Offline      4  (1)
        Part VII The Part of Tens                  4  (1)
      Icons Used in This Book                      5  (1)
      Where to Go from Here                        5  (2)
  Part I The Basics of Online Community            7  (40)
  Management
    Chapter 1 Fostering an Online Community        9  (22)
      Understanding What an Online Community Is    9  (2)
      Exploring the Types of Online Communities    11 (6)
        Blogs                                      12 (1)
        Facebook pages                             13 (2)
        Forums                                     15 (1)
        E-mail groups                              15 (1)
        Social networks                            16 (1)
      Knowing Why Communities Need Management      17 (3)
        Understanding how people socialize         17 (2)
        online
        Guiding community members in the right     19 (1)
        direction
      A Manager Does More Than Moderate            20 (2)
        Keeping the lines of communication open    20 (1)
        Attracting new members                     21 (1)
        Focusing on goals and policies             21 (1)
      Evaluating Member Participation and          22 (3)
      Community Health
        Figuring out how members are using the     22 (1)
        community
        Encouraging community participation        23 (1)
        Pinpointing areas of concern               24 (1)
      Taking Care of Business                      25 (4)
        Knowing your responsibility to the brand   26 (1)
        Knowing who to answer to                   27 (1)
        Setting realistic expectations             28 (1)
      Fostering Relationships Beyond the           29 (2)
      Community
    Chapter 2 What You Have to Know about          31 (16)
    Online Communities
      Why People Join Online Communities           31 (4)
        Meet with like-minded people               32 (1)
        Socialize without going out                32 (1)
        Get the job done                           33 (1)
        Have a place to belong                     33 (1)
        Promote a product or service               34 (1)
        Dig online communities for other reasons   34 (1)
      Recognizing the Value of Online              35 (6)
      Communities
        Creating personal or business brand        35 (1)
        awareness
        Getting schooled                           36 (1)
        Sharing knowledge                          37 (2)
        Making important personal and business     39 (2)
        connections
        Getting feedback                           41 (1)
        Receiving support                          41 (1)
      Meeting Community Members                    41 (6)
        Recognizing the types of community         42 (3)
        members
        Knowing why some community members last    45 (2)
        longer than others
  Part II Embracing the Community Manager's Role   47 (64)
    Chapter 3 Becoming an Online Community         49 (26)
    Manager
      Wearing the Many Hats of a Community         49 (10)
      Manager
        Leader                                     50 (2)
        Content developer                          52 (1)
        Moderator                                  53 (2)
        Community advocate                         55 (2)
        Mediator                                   57 (1)
        Analyst                                    58 (1)
      Promoting Products, Brands, and Services     59 (8)
        Pitching without pushing                   59 (1)
        Rewarding customers                        60 (2)
        Creating brand loyalty                     62 (1)
        Creating special programs                  62 (2)
        Serving as a brand spokesperson            64 (3)
      Understanding a Community Manager's Value    67 (5)
        Inspiring customer confidence              68 (1)
        Promoting community engagement             68 (2)
        Providing feedback to the customer         70 (1)
        Providing feedback to the brand            70 (1)
        Maintaining a positive environment         71 (1)
      Dealing with Resistance from Your            72 (3)
      Superiors
    Chapter 4 Establishing Community Policies      75 (36)
    and Guidelines
      Creating a Positive Environment for          75 (9)
      Community Members
        Benefiting from a good impression          77 (1)
        Setting the right tone for your            77 (3)
        community
        Leading by example                         80 (1)
        Nipping negativity in the bud              80 (3)
        Encouraging community participation        83 (1)
      Exploring More Established Communities       84 (10)
        Searching for thriving communities         85 (1)
        Using Facebook communities as a guide      86 (1)
        Finding successful forums                  87 (3)
        Discovering blogging communities           90 (2)
        Looking at e-mail groups                   92 (2)
      Establishing Respectful Rules and            94 (10)
      Regulations
        Averting anarchy with guidelines           94 (1)
        Issuing warnings                           95 (1)
        Taking it outside                          96 (1)
        Banning community members                  97 (1)
        Recognizing respectful disagreement        98 (1)
        versus personal attacks
        Knowing when to let things slide           99 (1)
        Responding to cries of censorship          99 (1)
        Using policy and guidelines pages          100(1)
        Creating your comment policy               101(1)
        Displaying your comment policy             102(1)
        Appreciating commenting etiquette          103(1)
      Recognizing the Importance of Being          104(7)
      Transparent
        Knowing what you should keep to yourself   104(1)
        Knowing what you can share                 105(1)
        Being honest with your community           106(1)
        Looking at the TMI factor                  106(1)
        Admitting mistakes with grace              107(1)
        Rectifying a negative situation within     108(3)
        the community
  Part III Building a Productive Online            111(66)
  Community
    Chapter 5 Getting Started with Your Online     113(12)
    Community
      Finding Your Target Audience Online          113(5)
        Finding the right people for your          114(1)
        community
        Reaching out to bloggers                   115(1)
        Using the social networks                  116(1)
        Visiting other online communities          116(1)
        Promoting without spamming                 117(1)
      Borrowing Ideas the Right Way                118(3)
        Giving credit where credit is due          118(2)
        Doing the same thing differently           120(1)
      Collaborating with Other Online              121(4)
      Communities
        Meeting other community managers           121(1)
        Holding contests for cross-promotion       122(3)
    Chapter 6 Communicating with Your Community    125(20)
      Making Yourself Accessible                   125(2)
      Deciding on a Communication Method           127(1)
        E-mail                                     127(1)
        Phone                                      128(1)
        Snail mail                                 128(1)
      Regular community chat sessions              128(2)
      Answering Common Questions                   130(1)
      Responding to E-Mail from Community          131(2)
      Members
      Creating Community Newsletters               133(1)
      Using Blogs to Provide Updates               134(1)
      Introducing Products to Your Community       135(1)
      Offering Deals, Discounts, and Promotions    136(1)
      to Your Community
      Creating Brand Awareness                     137(1)
      Sharing Hobbies and Interests through        138(1)
      Online Communities
      Communicating Successfully                   139(6)
        Keeping your communication regular         139(1)
        Promoting without spamming                 140(2)
        Using incentive programs                   142(1)
        Communicating with others in your niche    142(3)
    Chapter 7 Listening to Your Community          145(22)
      Gauging the Wants and Needs of Your          145(1)
      Community
      Listening to Your Community                  146(1)
      Finding Out What Others Are Saying           147(6)
      Outside Your Community
        Receiving feedback                         147(2)
        Sharing feedback with your team and        149(1)
        superiors
        Reacting to member feedback                150(1)
        Responding to both positive and            151(2)
        negative feedback
      Handling Criticism and Negativity about      153(7)
      Your Brand
        Responding with dignity                    155(1)
        Participating in heated discussions        156(1)
        Being fair and impartial                   157(3)
      Doing Damage Control                         160(3)
        Undoing community damage                   160(1)
        Handling bad press                         161(1)
        Delegating damage control when necessary   162(1)
        Seeing the humor in difficult situations   162(1)
      Dealing with Trolls                          163(4)
        Identifying trolls                         163(1)
        Managing trolls                            164(3)
    Chapter 8 Building Kids' Communities           167(10)
      Knowing the Differences Between Grownup      167(1)
      and Kidcentric Communities
      Making Social Networking Safe                168(6)
        Obtaining parental permission              168(2)
        Setting age limits                         170(1)
        Making the right kinds of friends          171(1)
        Getting strict with the rules              172(2)
      Hosting a Fun, Productive Kids' Community    174(3)
        Leading discussions for children           174(1)
        Keeping members busy with activities       175(2)
  Part IV Grouting your Community                  177(40)
    Chapter 9 Welcoming New Members                179(14)
      Creating a Welcome Plan for New Members      179(9)
        Rolling out the virtual welcome mat        180(1)
        Maintaining a Welcome folder               181(3)
        Guiding new users through landing pages    184(2)
        Offering perks to newcomers                186(2)
        Offering incentives to bring a friend      188(1)
      Writing Your Welcome E-Mail                  188(4)
        Writing welcoming form letters             189(1)
        Reiterating the rules                      190(2)
      Asking Members to Opt in to Future E-Mail    192(1)
      Campaigns
    Chapter 10 Encouraging Community               193(10)
    Interaction and Involvement
      Creating an Upbeat Environment               193(2)
        Posting polls                              194(1)
        Holding contests                           194(1)
      Interacting with Members through the         195(5)
      Social Networks
        Engaging others online                     196(2)
        Using conversational marketing to          198(1)
        generate buzz and sales
        Monitoring the social networks for         199(1)
        feedback
      Creating Advocates from within the           200(3)
      Community
    Chapter 11 Attracting More People to Your      203(14)
    Website
      Gaining Momentum: Why Slow and Steady        203(1)
      Wins the Race
      Taking Advantage of Search Engine            204(3)
      Optimization
        Keying in on the right words and phrases   204(2)
        Catching the attention of the search       206(1)
        engines
      Creating Reader-Friendly Content             207(1)
      Inviting Community Participation             207(10)
        Reaching out to bloggers                   208(1)
        Asking the community for reviews           209(1)
        Creating an enticing Facebook page to      210(3)
        attract new members
        Using promotions and discounts to          213(1)
        attract new members
        Using Twitter to drive traffic             214(3)
  Part V Assessing the Health of Your Community    217(32)
    Chapter 12 Evaluating Community                219(12)
    Participation
      Looking at the Bottom Line: Return on        219(2)
      Investment
      Logging Community Growth                     221(3)
        Tracking Facebook likes                    223(1)
        Tracking Twitter mentions                  224(1)
      Determining Whether the Community Drives     224(1)
      Sales
      Evaluating Feedback                          225(6)
        Using Google Alerts                        227(1)
        Searching Facebook                         228(1)
        Searching Twitter                          229(1)
        Searching other social networks            229(2)
    Chapter 13 Paying Attention to the Numbers     231(12)
      Choosing an Analytics Program                231(1)
      Using Stats to Find Out about Your           232(8)
      Community
        Gathering details on your visitors         233(2)
        Analyzing content                          235(2)
        Understanding your bounce rate             237(2)
        Keeping track of subscribers               239(1)
      Finding Out Where Traffic Is Coming From     240(3)
        Determining who makes up the bulk of       240(1)
        your traffic
        Discovering who is linking to you          241(2)
    Chapter 14 Making Decisions Based on Your      243(6)
    Findings
      Generating More Traffic                      243(2)
        Develop a content strategy                 244(1)
        Create a search-engine strategy            244(1)
        Plan promotional campaigns                 245(1)
      Stimulating Conversation                     245(1)
      Lowering the Bounce Rate                     246(2)
        Make your content appealing                246(1)
        Ask questions                              247(1)
        Keep the conversation going                247(1)
        Limit advertising                          248(1)
      Cutting Your Losses                          248(1)
  Part VI Taking your Community Offline            249(24)
    Chapter 15 Fostering Community Growth with     251(10)
    Offline Activity
      Why You Need to Go Offline to Grow Online    251(1)
      Using Offline Outreach to Recruit New        252(1)
      Members
      Bringing in Followers from Public            253(1)
      Speaking Engagements
      Attending Conferences and Other Events       254(2)
        Reasons to attend conferences              254(1)
        Benefits of conferences                    255(1)
      Exhibiting at Trade Shows and Conferences    256(1)
      Offering Classes and Courses                 257(2)
        Figuring out the details                   257(1)
        Advertising the classes                    258(1)
      Giving Potential Members a Reason to Sign    259(2)
      Up
    Chapter 16 Hosting Meetups and Tweetups        261(12)
      Fostering Community Offline                  261(1)
      Planning Meetups and Tweetups                262(3)
      Setting Meetup and Tweetup Rules             265(1)
      Planning an Out-of-Town Meetup or Tweetup    266(2)
        Choosing a location                        266(1)
        Choosing a venue                           267(1)
      Encouraging the Community to Host Its Own    268(2)
      Events
        Requiring an official application          268(1)
        Creating a meetup or tweetup kit           269(1)
      Ensuring Meetup and Tweetup Safety           270(3)
  Part VII The Part of Tens                        273(24)
    Chapter 17 Ten Essential Community Manager     275(6)
    Tasks
      Handling Community Correspondence            275(1)
      Planning Events                              276(1)
      Creating Content                             277(1)
      Troubleshooting                              278(1)
      Writing and Editing                          278(1)
      Moderating and Mediating                     278(1)
      Providing Customer Service                   279(1)
      Serving as a Liaison                         279(1)
      Social Networking                            280(1)
      Marketing                                    280(1)
    Chapter 18 Ten Must-Have Skills for            281(8)
    Community Managers
      People Skills                                281(1)
      A Way with Words                             282(2)
      Networking Skills                            284(1)
      Technical Abilities                          284(1)
      Communication Skills                         285(1)
      Multitasking Ability                         285(1)
      Flexibility                                  286(1)
      Focus                                        286(1)
      Drive                                        287(1)
      Business Development Acumen                  288(1)
    Chapter 19 Ten Best Practices of a             289(8)
    Community Manager
      Staying Impartial                            289(1)
      Having a Regular Presence in your            290(2)
      Community and Others
      Responding to Inquiries in a Timely Manner   292(1)
      Keeping a Positive Tone                      292(1)
      Being Supportive of the Brand and the        293(1)
      Community
      Forging Relationships                        293(1)
      Promoting the Community                      294(1)
      Being Passionate about the Community         295(1)
      Staying on Top of Trends                     295(1)
      Continuing Your Education                    296(1)
Index                                              297