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Online community managers should look for ambassadors to create stability, says Touch Creative MD

Brands managing online communities should not overlook the value of ambassadors who drive the rules of the community themselves, Touch Creative managing director Lewis Shields, said.

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Speaking at today’s PRIA conference on a session about creating civil online communities, Shields said: “In keeping a community simple, one of the best tools we’ve got is actually our community of ambassadors and advocates who are willing to build that stability within the channel itself.

“Also, as a communicator and managing the pages, you’ve got responsibility yourself to keep an eye on the types of conversations taking place,” he added.

“It all comes back to planning”, Lewis said, with organisations and individuals needing to understand there always will be issues that will occur in the community, however, it is about the policies and procedures in place to combat this.

“[Look] at the type of community we want to foster, what are the rules of engagement for the community, what is and isn’t acceptable and how do you moderate that on an ongoing basis?” he said.

“Working with social media is fantastic to guide communities to talk about very positive things about a brand or products”.

“When people come to voice opinions that are contrary to the popular, when they engage in civil discourse, that’s when individuals can start to take meaning from the community and as long as they are respectfully learning to mutually understand each other’s point of view, that’s really when social media is working at its best,” said Lewis.

Lewis was joined by social commentator, writer and lecturer Jane Caro on the panel; Caro reminded the audience that when dealing with ‘trolls’: “You are discussing the issue, never the person”.

Jane Caro:

Jane Caro: “Manage your own behaviour, don’t attack someone personally”

Caro urged the audience to manage their behaviour, saying it’s okay to challenge the ideas, behaviours, policies and ideologies; however, it is never okay to attack someone personally.

Lewis agreed with Caro’s points and added the importance of creating a safe and productive space which is conducive to learning, “make sure the space is productive and that everyone who is taking part in it is getting a viable learning hand and participation for community out of it”.

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