Overview

This standard is about starting, maintaining, engaging and using online communities. It concerns building and retaining a critical mass of users to ensure communities remain active. It is appropriate for any type of online communities including, but not restricted to, social networks, online worlds and environments, discussion forums, newsgroups and mailing lists.

This is not a technical function, although some technical knowledge is needed.

This standard is for anyone involved in managing online engagement for any type of interactive media content, products or services for multi-platform or multi-channel use, including, but not restricted to, games, websites, applications or online marketing campaigns and can also include the use of immersive technology. (Immersive technology can include, but is not restricted to, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR).)

 

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. identify business objectives or other reasons for setting up online communities or social media presence
  2. identify reliable information about target audiences and how to reach them
  3. devise strategies which will engage target audiences
  4. devise editorial, technical and security policies and posting guidelines which comply with legal requirements and the needs of communities
  5. set up online communities or social media presence using appropriate tools, systems or social networks
  6. promote community or social media presence in ways that attract new users
  7. post new messages which stimulate user engagement
  8. judge when it is appropriate to intervene in online communities
  9. respond to questions or other posts in a diplomatic way and without delay to keep discussions going
  10. monitor adherence to editorial policies and guidelines and take relevant action where they are contravened
  11. manage posts in accordance with your organisation’s policies, ensuring you can support your decisions with a clear rationale
  12. mediate between participants when necessary to defuse or head off confrontation
  13. escalate to appropriate authorities when a legal or regulatory breach occurs
  14. record and report data about improvements or changes to the remit and format of online communities in line with organisational systems

 

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. how to identify and define your reasons for maintaining an online community or social media presence
  2. techniques for classifying, characterising and segmenting audiences
  3. where to find information relating to emerging, popular or declining social networks and online communities, or other trends
  4. how to identify social networks, online communities, environments, systems, software or other tools that may be relevant to you
  5. where to find user guides, frequently asked questions, or other sources of help relating to social networks, environments or other tools you are using
  6. the impact of diversity, inclusivity, accessibility, ethics, emotional intelligence and behavioural psychology on online communities
  7. how to use, configure and maintain community software or online social media presence, from a technical point of view
  8. techniques for attracting users to communities and building a critical mass of active participants
  9. how to encourage a sense of belonging and commitment to communities amongst users
  10. how to promote the emergence of volunteer leaders who will help to maintain and police communities
  11. how to deal effectively with inappropriate or anti-social behaviour that could damage communities, such as bullying or personal attacks
  12. common problems that can impact on the sustainability of online communities, particularly relating to size, composition, focus or remit and editorial policy
  13. legal and ethical responsibilities of a publisher, including libel, defamation, taste and decency, incitement to hatred or discrimination
  14. ethical issues such as privacy and freedom of speech
  15. organisational policy relating to improvements and changes to online communities and how to use data to identify them