95 Things I have learned being a Community Manager

Well, I've learned that building and managing an online community is no easy feat! But, with a little bit of passion and a lot of dedication, it can be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. Here are 95 things I've discovered so far:

1. You've gotta know why you're building an online community.
2. A strong community takes time to build.
3. Set specific goals and targets.
4. Who cares about the technology? It's all about the people.
5. Planning is way more important than design and coding.
6. Starting a community is the most exciting part!
7. Running a successful community is the most rewarding part!
8. You can revive a dormant community.
9. Ads shouldn't steal the show from your content or your community.
10. Never hide your community behind a "Community" tab.
11. Make it easy for members to invite their friends.
12. Poaching members from other communities rarely works.
13. Social bookmarking traffic isn't worth chasing.
14. SEO matters, but don't go crazy.
15. Paid advertising won't always get you the right members.
16. Google is fickle.
17. You'll deal with more spam than you ever thought possible.
18. Keep an eye on your competition.
19. Competitors will try to steal your members.
20. Stealing ideas is fine, but don't copy them.
21. Befriend your competitors!
22. Keep your community as open as possible.
23. Don't assume that members will use every feature they request.
24. Keep features to a minimum.
25. Your reputation is everything. Protect it.
26. Slow and steady wins the race.
27. Change is good, but don't overdo it.
28. Expensive software isn't necessary.
29. A flashy design isn't necessary either.
30. Keep your community easy to use.
31. Don't wait for new members to come to you.
32. People won't always understand what you do.
33. Backup regularly, or else!
34. Banning someone from your community is inevitable.
35. You'll face criticism and abuse.
36. Clear guidelines and rules are a must.
37. You need to educate your members about online safety.
38. Highlight your best content and give clear calls to action.
39. You don't need money to succeed.
40. Know what your visitors are doing on your site.
41. Know how visitors find your site.
42. Know how visitors interact with your site.
43. Use a tool like Google Analytics.
44. Link exchanges still have some value.
45. Encouraging abuse and arguments will create a negative environment.
46. Controversy and suspense can generate activity, but be careful.
47. Asking questions is the best way to get people engaged.
48. Share information about yourself.
49. Be approachable.
50. Be consistent.
51. Be personable.
52. Be visible.
53. Be proactive.
54. Be involved in the community.
55. You will make mistakes.
56. Sometimes you'll need to apologize.
57. Don't forget your mistakes when you succeed.
58. Your community will disappoint you sometimes.
59. Your community will overwhelm you sometimes.
60. Your community will make you proud sometimes.
61. Sometimes it'll feel like your whole community is against you.
62. Never give cash to your members for posting. Incentives are advised.
63. Competitions require careful planning and are rarely effective.
64. Introduce members to each other.
65. Sometimes you'll get lucky.
66. Sometimes you'll be unlucky, and you'll need to work harder.
67. You'll make friends.
68. You'll make enemies.
69. Sometimes you'll want to quit.
70. Sometimes you'll want to work 24/7.
71. Don't be selfish, it's all about your members!
72. Trust us, trust is a biggie.
73. Blow up that ego with compliments like it's a balloon animal!
74. Saying yes can open doors you never thought possible.
75. But sometimes you gotta break out the "no" hammer.
76. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you can't please everyone.
77. Brace yourself for the complainers, they're coming.
78. Prepare to be humbled by the awesomeness of your community.
79. Members aren't always going to sing your praises, deal with it.
80. Don't be a hater, respond to negative comments openly.
81. Moderating is great, but too much can kill the vibe.
82. Delegate like a boss to those you can trust.
83. Give trusted members more power, like a superhero upgrade.
84. Your moderators should know the rules like the back of their hand.
85. Don't play favorites, focus on all your members.
86. Wake up the sleepyheads in your community, they need love too.
87. News flash: the future is unpredictable.
88. Be bold and experiment, like a mad scientist (without the evil laugh).
89. Let those creative juices flow and come up with something new.
90. Your community should stand out like a unicorn in a field of horses.
91. Behind every username is a real human being, don't forget that.
92. Be passionate about your community like it's your favorite TV show.
93. Member count doesn't equal success, so don't get hung up on it.
94. Communities need their own superhero - a dedicated community manager!
95. There's nothing more rewarding being a Community Manager.

Finally, I've learned that online communities need a dedicated community manager. It's a challenging job, but the rewards are worth it. And, I know I still have so much more to learn - there's no such thing as a comprehensive list when it comes to community building!