Manage online engagement
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 game or interactive media content, products or services including, but not restricted to, websites, applications, or online marketing campaigns. Games and interactive media projects can be for multi-platform or multi-channel use and can also include the use of immersive technology which can include, but is not restricted to, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR).
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- identify business objectives or other reasons for setting up online communities or social media presence
- identify reliable information about target audiences and how to reach them
- devise strategies which will engage target audiences
- devise editorial, technical and security policies and posting guidelines which comply with legal requirements and the needs of communities
- set up online communities or social media presence using appropriate tools, systems or social networks
- promote community or social media presence in ways that attract new users
- post new messages which stimulate user engagement
- judge when it is appropriate to intervene in online communities
- respond to questions or other posts in a diplomatic way and without delay to keep discussions going
- monitor adherence to editorial policies and guidelines and take relevant action where they are contravened
- manage posts in accordance with your organisation's policies, ensuring you can support your decisions with a clear rationale
- mediate between participants when necessary to defuse or head off confrontation
- escalate to appropriate authorities when a legal or regulatory breach occurs
- 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:
- how to identify and define your reasons for maintaining an online community or social media presence
- techniques for classifying, characterising and segmenting audiences
- where to find information relating to emerging, popular or declining social networks and online communities, or other trends
- how to identify social networks, online communities, environments, systems, software or other tools that may be relevant to you
- where to find user guides, frequently asked questions, or other sources of help relating to social networks, environments or other tools you are using
- the impact of diversity, inclusivity, accessibility, ethics, emotional intelligence and behavioural psychology on online communities
- how to use, configure and maintain community software or online social media presence, from a technical point of view
- techniques for attracting users to communities and building a critical mass of active participants
- how to encourage a sense of belonging and commitment to communities amongst users
- how to promote the emergence of volunteer leaders who will help to maintain and police communities
- how to deal effectively with inappropriate or anti-social behaviour that could damage communities, such as bullying or personal attacks
- common problems that can impact on the sustainability of online communities, particularly relating to size, composition, focus or remit and editorial policy
- legal and ethical responsibilities of a publisher, including libel, defamation, taste and decency, incitement to hatred or discrimination
- ethical issues such as privacy and freedom of speech
- organisational policy relating to improvements and changes to online communities and how to use data to identify them