Ep 177: Why Your Community Manager Feels Like More Work (And How to Fix It)
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Why Your Community Manager Feels Like More Work (And How to Fix It)
If you feel like your community manager is adding more work to your plate instead of solving problems, you’re not alone. Many membership owners hire a community manager expecting them to drive engagement, improve retention, and take ownership of the community but instead, they find themselves still managing every detail.
The problem isn’t your community manager. The problem is that they’re working reactively instead of proactively.
A reactive community manager waits for things to happen and then responds. A proactive community manager creates systems, strategies, and engagement plans that drive retention without requiring constant oversight.
If you’re frustrated with your community manager, it’s likely because they were never trained on how to be a strategic asset to your membership.
The Difference Between a Community Manager and a Community Moderator
Most membership owners think they need a community manager, but what they’ve actually hired is a community moderator.
A Community Moderator:
Answers member questions but doesn’t take initiative
Monitors discussions but doesn’t create engagement strategies
Waits for members to post instead of encouraging conversations
A Community Manager:
Leads engagement efforts and creates intentional conversations
Drives retention strategy by identifying at-risk members
Creates systems for onboarding, engagement, and ongoing member success
A moderator maintains a community. A manager cultivates it.
If your community manager is constantly asking you what to do next instead of bringing strategic ideas to the table, they aren’t thinking proactively and that’s why you feel like you’re still managing everything.
Why a Reactive Community Manager Adds More Work for You
A reactive community manager waits for problems to happen instead of preventing them.
Here’s what that looks like:
Waiting for members to ask questions instead of proactively providing value
Only responding to issues instead of planning ways to increase engagement
Coming to you constantly for direction instead of thinking ahead
This creates a frustrating cycle where you still feel like you’re in charge of engagement, and your community manager isn’t truly taking work off your plate.
The problem isn’t the person. It’s that they’ve never been trained to be a strategic, proactive community manager.
What a Proactive Community Manager Does
A proactive community manager isn’t just answering posts. They are driving member engagement, retention, and ROI.
Some of the key responsibilities of a proactive community manager include:
Onboarding and activation – Making sure new members feel welcomed and know what to do next
Proactive engagement strategies – Not just reacting to what’s happening, but creating conversations that keep members engaged
Spotlighting members – Sharing success stories and keeping progress visible inside the membership
Tracking engagement and retention metrics – Identifying at-risk members before they churn
A great community manager owns these responsibilities. They don’t wait to be told what to do. They create strategies to improve the member experience.
If your community manager isn’t thinking about retention and engagement, they aren’t delivering the full ROI they could be.
Best Practices for a High-Performing Community Manager
If you want to turn your community manager into a retention and engagement leader, they need a clear set of best practices.
Some of the key expectations every community manager should meet include:
Owning the member experience – Acting as a guide to ensure members stay engaged and progressing
Planning engagement campaigns – Not just reacting to conversations but initiating them
Tracking member progress – Reaching out when engagement drops to prevent churn
Reducing your workload – A community manager should be taking tasks off your plate, not adding more
The difference between a high-performing community manager and a moderator who just answers posts is the ability to think proactively.
When your community manager understands how to create engagement and retention strategies, you get a stronger community, better member results, and a membership that runs more efficiently.
How to Train Your Community Manager to Be Proactive
If your community manager is reactive instead of proactive, it’s not their fault—they’ve likely never been trained to think strategically.
That’s why I created Cultivate, my Community Training Course for membership owners and community managers.
Inside Cultivate, you’ll get:
A step-by-step framework for turning your community into a retention driver
Proven engagement strategies that increase participation and long-term retention
Training for community managers and membership owners so they know exactly how to take action
If you’re tired of feeling like you have to micromanage your community manager, Cultivate gives you the structure to help them step into a leadership role inside your membership.
Go to shanalynn.com/cultivate to learn more and start building a thriving, engaged community that keeps members longer.
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