Communications Business Partner Job Description

When I met with Sarah Prevette about the Community Management job at Sprouter I had never heard the term before, and I really had no clue what the role meant within a company.

This was late 2008 and it was still a really new position, without definitive job descriptions or templates. She described the job as a mix of writing, PR, communications, and social media, and I thought “I can do that” without knowing what I was getting myself into.

Defining A New Role

Obviously the rest is history, and it seems like the position of Community Manager was made for me. But despite the fact that it’s almost two and a half years later, I still get asked all the time about what a Community Manager does and the skills employers should look for when they’re hiring one for their business.

I haven’t seen a template circulating around – so why not put one together to help small businesses who are looking to add one to their company?

So here’s my stab at putting together a Community Manager job description – obviously you need to tailor it to your company’s needs. If you have more of an emphasis on in-person networking, or on social media analytics/metrics, then make sure to include that. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all description, but it’s a place to start.

A Community Manager is the face of a company, managing communications in both directions. This digital-savvy employee is responsible for all communications, PR, social media, events, and content creation, among other things.

It’s a Web 2.0 communications role, incorporating online tools and in-person networking to create relationships and ultimately build the company’s brand, both online and off.

While every day as a Community Manager is different, this is what the role’s responsibilities may include:

1. Content creation – writing blog posts, articles, newsletters, communications materials, and material for social media channels

2. Social media marketing – creating, managing and growing the company’s presence through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other strategically relevant online properties

3. Events and event planning – attending industry events in your city (often outside of 9-5 hours) and planning meetups for your community

4. Public relations – (note: some companies may have devoted PR departments so this may not be relevant) managing incoming media requests and building relationships with industry journalists; creating, executing and measuring media campaigns

5. Customer relations – the Community Manager is often responsible for customer support – answering questions however they come in (phone, e-mail, Twitter) and managing any online feedback forums such as GetSatisfaction pages

6. Communications/marketing strategy – the Community Manager is responsible for creating strategic marketing/communications plans to provide direction for the company’s public-facing communications

7. Analytics – Using Google Analytics and other measurement tools to provide reports on metrics, and continually find ways to improve on those metrics through testing and new initiatives

8. Business development – Depending on the company and depending on how senior the role is, a Community Manager can also be responsible for business development and sales