Angela Connor's Blog, page 10

When disgruntled members attack

I certainly hope that my stories about irate members won't follow me into 2010 and end up as posts on this blog, but I think that may be wishful thinking. Remember my last story about the member who sent an email informing me about the horrible way I manage the community?

Well, I've got another one for you. Today, a member whose account was banned sent an email to many people in my organization indicating that I'd sent him a racist email. (You may also recall the time I was referred to as the...

2010 social media predictions, twitter-style

If you haven't yet had your fill of social media predictions for 2010, check out this deck on SlideShare  presented by Trendsspotting Market Research.

You can find my trend predictions  on page 33.

2010 Social Media Influencers – Trend Predictions in 140 Characters
View more documents from Taly Weiss.

Welcome, Mashable Readers

I've noticed a spike in traffic that has likely stemmed from this Mashable article on Community Engagement, where I am quoted heavily throughout. Many thanks to Leah Betancourt for interviewing me for her most insightful article.

My regular readers know how passionate I am about growing online communities and engaging users online but you may not.

So, welcome to my blog, where I often vent, try to enlighten, and share the good, the bad and the ugly sides of community management.

Please take a...

Opting-out in 2010

Here's something you can do to jump start your year, clear out your inbox and make better use of your time in the social space next year.

Start opting-out.

Take a few minutes to assess every piece of email you receive that comes from someone who promised to teach you how to become an internet marketing genius, double your number of Facebook fans, guarantee that you'll get 15 retweets per day by following 8 simple rules or any other claim that simply did not deliver.

You've waited and waited...

Poll: Teens expect access to social networks at work

A new survey conducted by Junior Achievement and Deloitte finds that teens fully expect to access social networking sites on-the-job. Will they get a rude awakening, or will this be the status quo by the time they enter the workforce?

I think we have yet to determine the answer to this one, and it will likely depend on what happens in the next few years. Employers need to realize that policies will have to be created and they need to really figure out their stance sooner than later. I've been...

A study of 600,000 Facebook fan pages

In one of the first large-scale studies of Facebook pages ever conducted, Toronto-based  Sysomos analyzed and investigated usage patterns in nearly 600,000.

The results include information on various aspects including popularity, amount of content posted, number of fans and categories. This is a study of interest if you manage Facebook Fan pages or plan to create one.

Here are a few highlights from the
On average, a Facebook Page has 4,596
Four percent of pages have more than...

Engagement in Action

I've received quite a few emails over the last year about some of the nuances of community engagement. It is also something I'm often asked after speaking engagements.

People wonder how much time they should put into their communities and what it really takes to keep people interested, engaged and coming back for more.
I think it is important for every community manager to spend time communicating with members publicly and even privately through email when warranted.  It keeps you in touch...

Engaging the Audience: A Presentation by Angela Connor

It is with a bit of trepidation that I post this presentation for what may or may not be your viewing pleasure.

It's the presentation I gave at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism a few days ago.  I have not viewed it in it's entirety because if I do, I'll never post it. You know we are most critical of ourselves and I have to admit,  I could use some work in the speaking department.

So here you go. This is a message I delivered to a group of reporters, editors and bloggers, on...

When members lash out at you

I've shared stories with you about some of the ups and downs I experience as a community manager and that is one way for me to cope with it without going stir crazy. Sharing these stories is just as hepful for me as it is for you. Thank you for being a sounding board and letting me get tings off my chest. It contributes to my sanity.

I am sitting on an Amtrak train at the moment heading to the University of Maryland to speak to a group of reporters, bloggers and editors at the Knight Center...

Five Ineffective Social Media Guidelines for 2010 and Beyond

Social Media Guidelines. What exactly are they? How should they be written? Do we need them? How do we enforce them?  We've had this discussion a lot this year. From the firestorm that erupted upon the release of the Washington Post's social media guidelines to the equally riveting conversation surrounding ESPN's social media policy.

This was one of the biggest tasks I tackled for my company this year as head of our social media task force, and the approach we took seems to be working well...