Trends

Web Master vs Community Manager

By Mijo! Brands

April 24, 2012

Since the advent of the internet, a whole new crop of job positions have popped up. With many of these positions the job descriptions often blur, at least in the minds of industry outsiders.  Case in point is the difference between a web master and a community manager

A web master is in charge of the day-to-day operations of a website.  In essence, they ensure that the site is relevant and in working order.  They update homepages, ensure that links are live and define web content by highlighting keywords

They are also “Troubleshooter-in-Chief”, trying to anticipate any potential problems in the website itself.  They are in charge of site management, including writing, editing and proofreading web content. They segue into some marketing by developing promotions on a website and writing email newsletters.

A community manager is in charge of many things, chief among them is content creation, including blogs, and social media content.  Companies looking to make significant inroads in the web hire community managers, either internally or externally.  Social media has become a vital tool in marketing. This, companies utilize the skills of community managers to perform virtual community outreach.

Many people mistakenly think that a community manager’s job is easy. After all, most of us can use Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks. 

The difference is that community managers know how to use these networks effectively and strategically. They incorporate content relevance, keywords, metatags and marketing messages into their tweets or posts. 

Savvy companies understand that both of these positions are vital in making significant strides into widening their customer base. 

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