Community Management Questions and Answers

• Get a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as English, marketing, journalism, or communications, is typically required of community managers by employers. Taking IT, HTML, and coding classes may benefit aspiring community managers. You can learn the abilities and comprehend the tools you might use in your professional role with the aid of these programs.
• Master social media techniques. Learning about social media and engaging with customers effectively benefit community managers. One way to showcase your abilities to potential employers is by expanding and maintaining your social media accounts. You can also follow company accounts to see how other professionals handle their accounts.
• Acquire communication abilities. Community managers focus on business development objectives and uphold brand identity while communicating in a direct, memorable, and efficient manner. You can develop your communication skills by engaging in active listening exercises, practicing conversations, and studying nonverbal communication cues. You can read writing craft books and enroll in a creative writing course to improve your written communication skills.
• Acquire sales experience. Companies frequently look for professionals at ease managing social media, using sales tactics and marketing techniques. Any relevant professional experience you have in these relevant fields may be useful to you in your capacity as a community manager. You can work in sales or marketing to gain knowledge of pertinent tactics and norms.
• Industry-standard certifications are optional to work as a community manager, but obtaining one could help you prepare for the position’s responsibilities. An accredited institution may offer an online or in-person course on a pertinent subject. You could enroll in a course that will teach you how to improve your communication, SEO, or marketing skills, for instance. Some businesses also allow employees to earn certifications relevant to their line of work.
• Make a resume that emphasizes company branding and community outreach expertise. This experience can be obtained through internships or by working as a volunteer on marketing initiatives for charities. When applying for a job, consider highlighting your experiences and skills matching the job’s requirements.
• You can begin applying for jobs with organizations where you want to work once you have finished your education and honed your skills. You might discover that you prefer working with specific brands, such as clothing retailers or home builders. Send out a resume and cover letter specific to the positions you are qualified for.
• The training requirements for community managers could be higher. New hires can attend an orientation to learn more about the company’s offerings, branding, and products. Usually, during the orientation, they become acquainted with the company’s social media pages. Community managers collaborate with the marketing and sales teams, so as part of their training, they might spend time observing employees in these departments to gain more insight into how the business runs. Thanks to this, the community manager gains a better understanding of how the business approaches its sales and marketing initiatives.

Note: the requirements below are for a specifically-licensed, different profession — a Florida Community Association Manager (CAM), who manages homeowner/condo associations — not the general online/social-media "community manager" role described above, which has no formal license or universal exam. Always confirm current requirements with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) before relying on this list.

• Be 18 years old to obtain a Community Association Manager (CAM) license in Florida.
• Finish the 16-hour pre-licensing course required by the state.
• Have your fingertips captured.
• Submit and get a CAM application approved.
• Achieve a score of at least 75% on the state test.
• Florida residency is not required.

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