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1- Ever wondered what happens if you don't hire (or don't replace) a community manager?
For the past 3 years, the FeverBee community has served as a fascinating (and unintentional experiment).
Here's the data...
#CMGR
For the past 3 years, the FeverBee community has served as a fascinating (and unintentional experiment).
Here's the data...
#CMGR
2 - Back in July 2017, my colleague @ILOVETHEHAWK left her role managing the FeverBee community to take up an incredible new opportunity @discourse. For various reasons (time/money), I didn't replace her.
I removed spam/replied to a few questions, but that's been about it.
I removed spam/replied to a few questions, but that's been about it.
3 - Let’s start with the number of visitors. Things didn’t really change much at first. In fact, the number of visitors continued to increase significantly for the following year. The reason for this is simple; the community was still attracting growing levels of search traffic.
4 - My best guess is the community was still considered ‘fresh’ by Google.
It’s only been in the past year that traffic has really begun to decline - largely the result of formerly popular topics no longer ranking highly in search engines.
It’s only been in the past year that traffic has really begun to decline - largely the result of formerly popular topics no longer ranking highly in search engines.
5 - The number of pageviews (which is a fairly good indicator of how engaging people are finding the community) almost immediately dived.
We might have been attracting most people, but they were finding the community a lot less engaging.
We might have been attracting most people, but they were finding the community a lot less engaging.
6 - Unlike total page views, engagement metrics collapsed but seem to ‘bottom out’ at around 2 to 2.5 pages per session and an average session duration of about 1:30 to 2:00 minutes.
This was primarily new visitors browsing around after most of the regulars had departed.
This was primarily new visitors browsing around after most of the regulars had departed.
7 - This might be an interesting benchmark for community professionals (i.e. anything above this line is attributable to the work of a community manager).
Note: @ILOVETHEHAWK was working just 2 days a week for FeverBee just prior to her departure (hence decline before she left)
Note: @ILOVETHEHAWK was working just 2 days a week for FeverBee just prior to her departure (hence decline before she left)
8 - Kaboom! Could the impact of not replacing a community be more clearly shown than this graph?
If a community manager leaves, you need to find a replacement quickly or you lose all the value the community has created.
If a community manager leaves, you need to find a replacement quickly or you lose all the value the community has created.
9 - The community also became a lot less 'sticky'.
20% is often considered the standard to aim for . And the FeverBee community was within touching distance of that before Hawk left.
It immediately plummeted afterwards.
20% is often considered the standard to aim for . And the FeverBee community was within touching distance of that before Hawk left.
It immediately plummeted afterwards.
10 - Conclusion:
Communities can’t run themselves. Large communities might fare slightly better than smaller communities like ours, but you still need someone at the helm.
Communities can’t run themselves. Large communities might fare slightly better than smaller communities like ours, but you still need someone at the helm.
11 - If you want a community to thrive and reach a critical mass of activity, you need a full-time community manager to make that work. You can’t wait for a community to be successful and then hire one. And if your community manager leaves, you better find a replacement quickly.
12 - A community that collapses like this is a huge loss of an investment. There's probably a $150k+ investment which was lost because I tried to 'save money' by not replacing the #CMGR
13 - Also the opportunity cost. The community was consistently growing. There were other places to talk community ( @CMX/ @TheCR etc..), but we were cultivating a special, unique, group.
At this rate of growth, might've been the definitive community in the sector by now.
At this rate of growth, might've been the definitive community in the sector by now.
Follow up - This is what happened to the Mayo Clinic's dying community after they hired a top tier #CMGR.
Stop messing around and hire a full time community manager folks!
Stop messing around and hire a full time community manager folks!
