What is the educational path to become a community manager?

The profession of community manager emerged from the growth of social networks. Responsibilities include managing a social network presence and uniting an online community, but they do not end there. A range of skills related to digital marketing and communication are required to handle the various tasks of a community manager. So, how should you prepare yourself to be a community manager? The business school IPAG runs several courses that open the door to this new web profession.

What is community management?

Community management involves building a community on the social networks by deploying online campaigns. Using digital communication tools, community management improves the presence of a brand or a product on the Internet. Various content is distributed on social networks with the aim of promoting a company and improving its visibility. This is why community management has become a key marketing function.

Community manager: a recent profession

The birth of community management followed the appearance of the first social networks in the 2000s. The profession of community manager is therefore relatively new and has become firmly established in many companies in the space of just a few years. A large number of organisations that previously had a limited online presence have achieved growth by building a community on the Internet.

Today, community management has become a powerful marketing tool. The position of community manager has gradually become structured and is now found in various organisations, including large companies, communication firms, non-profits, public institutions, and so on.

What are the various responsibilities of a community manager?

The job of a community manager involves many tasks related to digital communication, as well as increasing visibility and engagement. One of the main tasks of a community manager is to devise a social media strategy to grow the company’s reputation within online communities.

In order to build and develop a community on social networks, the community manager must produce editorial and visual content (articles, videos, computer graphics, etc.) that encourages the target audience to participate, share and interact. In line with the chosen digital strategy, the community manager creates and plans campaigns on the various social network platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and then maintains them by adding regular content.

The community manager must keep watch to understand their customers’ needs and analyse the competition, with the aim of connecting with their community and building loyalty. By keeping watch, they will also be better prepared to respond to topical issues and provide guidance on content.

The community manager’s role is to develop a brand’s identity and enhance its e-reputation. They analyse and monitor marketing campaigns deployed across various online media. To do this, community managers analyse the audience on social networks used and produce reports on communication campaigns.

What are the skills needed to become a community manager?

Community managers are at home using IT tools and are experts in all areas of webmarketing. They have in-depth skills in social network management, market watch, editorial line creation and analysis tools. They have the ability to create digital marketing levers (online events, SEO and SEA, etc.) and use web content production software.

Furthermore, being a community manager means being creative, curious, communicative and proactive to create innovative content. Training is needed to acquire these essential skills for the profession of community manager.

How to learn to be a community manager?

To access jobs in community management, you can take a vocational communication course that will teach you the basics. For a community manager position, it is highly advisable to follow up such a course with a specialisation in webmarketing. So, what to do after a vocational communication course?

Our business school offers a Bachelor’s degree that provides a solid foundation on the web, social media and digital communication strategies. IPAG also offers a Masters in Digital Marketing that prepares future graduates for new digital professions and opens doors to a wide range of job opportunities. This learning path can also be accessed online with our MSc Digital Marketing.

How much can a community manager earn?

On average, a junior community manager fresh out of school will have an annual salary of €25 K. Following a few years’ experience, and depending on the size of the company, an experienced profile will have a salary of €35 K on average, while a senior community manager can earn up to €50 K.

Are you interested in working in the digital sector? Find out about the many courses run by IPAG in the areas of management, digital transformation, project management and finance.