Community Manager

A Community Manager is the bridge between video game development studios and the player community. Their primary role is to engage with players, build relationships with them and foster a positive and inclusive community. They appear as the public face of the game, communicating with players through various platforms, such as forums, social networks and live-streams. They communicate updates, collect feedback and resolve player issues, ensuring the community’s voice is heard and their needs are met.

 

A Community Manager also plays a key role in organizing events, tournaments and competitions, bringing players together and creating a sense of camaraderie within the community. They collaborate with developers to convey player feedback and suggestions and help shape the future direction of the game. In addition, they serve as a source of information, as they inform the community about upcoming content, patches and fixes, and foster a transparent and confidential relationship between players and studios. A skilled and dedicated Community Manager is essential to fostering a vibrant and engaged player community, a game’s success and a strong sense of belonging among players.

Tools

Hootsuite

Salesforce

Discourse

WordPress

Trello

Google Analytics

Slack

OBS Studio

Discord

COLLABORATION WITH OTHER TEAMS:

The role of Community Manager involves collaboration with various other positions in the gaming industry. They must work closely with Game Designers, Producers and other developers. A Community Manager must effectively communicate player feedback and suggestions, ensuring that developers understand what players want and need. This collaboration helps developers prioritize the features and updates that the community wants the most.

 

A Community Manager also works with the Marketing and PR team to create promotional materials, organize community events and ensure consistent messaging across all channels. They work with the Customer Support team to resolve player issues and complaints. In addition, a Community Manager can work with influencers, content creators and other community members to create engaging content, nurture relationships and expand the game’s reach.

Skills

Depending on seniority, this position is expected to be able to master, do and deliver the following:

Hard skills

  • Communication skills
    • Has excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey information clearly and concisely.
  • Social media management
    • Understands various platforms and is adept at creating engaging content, managing communities and monitoring conversations.
  • Problem and conflict resolution
    • Identifies and resolves problems, manages difficult personalities and maintains a positive and inclusive community environment.

Soft skills

  • Empathy
    • Understands and relates to the feelings, experiences and perspectives of the community, approaches player concerns and feedback with compassion.
  • Adaptability
    • Works effectively in a fast-paced environment and is open to learning and embracing new technologies, platforms and trends.
  • Diplomacy
    • Navigates delicate situations, resolves conflicts and deals with sensitive topics with tact and professionalism.

Seniority

Depending on seniority, this position is expected to be able to master, do and deliver the following:

Junior

  • Actively participates in communication with the player community on various platforms, answers player questions, solves problems and participates in discussions.
  • Writes engaging social media posts and blog articles that are relevant to the target audience and are consistent with the game’s brand and messaging.
  • Has basic skills in analyzing feedback from the community, monitoring discussions and moods on social networks, identifying trends and common problems.
  • Provides basic customer support and troubleshooting, handles player complaints professionally, ensures satisfactory solutions and positive player experience.

Medior

  • Contributes to the development and implementation of community development strategies, understands market trends, analyzes data to identify areas for improvement.
  • Plans and implements community events, both online and offline, organizes tournaments, live streams, contests and other interactive activities.
  • Manages crises within the community, keeps sensitive or controversial topics under control, manages conflicts in the community and resolves negative feedback.
  • Tracks and analyzes engagement, sentiment and community growth, writes reports, identifies areas for improvement and measures the impact of initiatives.

Senior

  • Provides strategic leadership in driving growth and community engagement, has a solid understanding of the game, its target audience and industry.
  • Collaborates effectively with others, aligns initiatives with broader organizational goals, advocates for community needs.
  • It excels in its crisis response, manages the company’s reputation and sensitive issues, mitigates potential crises, develops a comprehensive crisis response.
  • Innovates and experiments with new community engagement strategies and tactics, researches and tests new technologies, platforms, trends and their application.
COMMUNITY MANAGER // MARKETING //
COMMUNITY MANAGER // MARKETING //

EDUCATION:

If you are interested in a career in marketing within the gaming industry, a degree in marketing, communications, or business with a focus on digital media and entertainment could benefit you. Look for educational programs that cover topics such as digital marketing strategies, social media marketing, branding, market research, and player behavior. Understanding the unique aspects of the video game market, including player demographics, trends and preferences, is critical to developing effective marketing campaigns. Courses that offer hands-on experience with digital marketing tools, analytics platforms and campaign management software will give you practical skills relevant to marketing roles in the industry.

 

In addition to formal education, gaining practical experience through internships or entry positions, especially in the field of video games or entertainment, can be very valuable to you. Look for opportunities to work with companies to gain industry insight and build a portfolio of marketing campaigns and projects. Networking with industry professionals, and attending events and conferences will also help you stay informed about industry trends and developments. Showing creativity, analytical skills and a passion for gaming in your approach to marketing will set you apart in this field.

Resources

Books

  • “The Art of Community: Building the New Age of Participation” – Jono Bacon
  • “Buzzing Communities” – Richard Millington
  • “The Community Manager’s Playbook” – Lauren Perkins
  • “Online Community Management For Dummies” – Deborah Ng
  • “The Social Media Handbook for Community Managers” – Randi Zuckerberg

Individuals

  • David Spinks (@DavidSpinks)
  • Rachel Happe (@rhappe)
  • Patrick O’Keefe (@patrickokeefe)
  • Sarah Judd Welch (@sjw)
  • Anil Dash (@anildash)

What does the interview for this position look like?​

News

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COMMUNITY MANAGER // MARKETING //
COMMUNITY MANAGER // MARKETING //