Dear Team,

If all of the world is a stage, community managers are not the stars of the show. They're the ones behind stage, making sure everything is running smoothly. WIth everyone and their twittering plant being a social media expert these days, I'm coming up with my own parameters to decide who I think is amazing. Some new universal truths I've noticed (you know, like how all girls like candles and Dirty Dancing):

Great community managers don't ask you to buy their book

Great community managers get media attention for interesting community members, not for themselves

Great community managers ask how they can help - and actually mean it

Great community managers know metrics, but couldn't tell you how many people follow them on twitter

Great community managers make you feel as though you've got a friend

I'm going to keep these in mind and hopefully, they'll help me better at what I love to do :)

Huggles,

Blue

I've been meaning to tell you
I've got this feelin' that won't subside
I look at you and I fantasize

Oh Baby! You know it was coming atcha sooner or later and today is the day. The funny thing about Eric Carmen is that he is on HEAVY rotation at Safeway - or at least, whenever I am there. Worth clicking through to check out the "hair" He's on Team Awesome, for sure.

Well, this HAD to follow the 2 previous posts

5. Try not to yawn. I know it happens to everyone, you probably stayed out too late last night or whatever, but it is hard not to take it personally. 

4. Don't be loud. Is this one too obvious? You'd think.

3. Give feedback post-session/conference. Organizers like hearing what'll make you more/less likely to fork over cash next time. Don't be shy (but hold off on being a jerk - just be honest).

2. Ask questions that solicit great answers from the speaker(s). Don't ask specific questions about your situation - those are offline discussions. Corner the speaker later (but at least buy them a drink while you are looking for free advice).

1. This is not the platform to solicit funding for your company. No one cares about you. If they did, you'd be on the panel. Ask a smart question or sit down. Those are your only 2 options.

Yeah, this post kind of goes with yesterday's post about being a good moderator.

5. uhhh... know what you are talking about. Know what the panel is about, be good at pitching your company, know your other panelists, know what their companies do. You should probably check the news that morning so you know about any catastrophic events, too.

4. Give us blogger-type people a hand. Come prepared with at least 5 awesome lines of wisdom to drop. You'll probably be able to use at least one of them. Quotable gems don't just happen magically, you know.

3. BUT WAIT! Listen to the conversation. Make sure all your pre-planned genius fits the talk. If it doesn't, take 2 minutes and think of something that does. There is nothing worse than the numpty that's still on topic A when everyone else is on topic K...

2. Don't think, "How can I sell these people?" think, "How can I help these people?" Trust me, you'll make more friends this way.

1. Be yourself. Unless you have no personality or you are a total chump :( People don't pay to listen to facts, they can read those online, they pay to listen to you.

Tomorrow... how to be a great audience? All signs point to yes.

Everyone thinks panel discussions are easy. I disagree. Here's what I've noticed makes for a better panel (psst, they are mostly pretty simple!):

5. Do your homework. The best moderators are interested and well informed. If you can't set aside at least an hour of research per panelist, don't be the moderator. As an audience member, anything less is really just kind of disrespectful :)

4. Don't make the panel about you. Nobody cares that you spend the weekend in Lake Tahoe with your semi-famous panelist. Seriously, you're embarrassing yourself.

3. Don't ask more than one panelist the same question. You don't want to turn the discussion into a, "and now it is your turn" situation. Ask one person, one question, give the person a chance to respond and let everyone else join in. You know, like you do around the dinner table.

2. Encourage audience participation, but don't let the audience take over. If there is amazing discussion amongst the panelists at any given moment, keep it going. People paid to hear the panelists, not the next audience question (which will probably involve some type of pitch, anyway). Having said that, don't be afraid to include the audience if things are slowing down. One great question can foster all kinds of discussion.

1. Ask the John Batelle question, "What's next?" Dude, it is two words, you can't master that? So simple, yet usually fosters the most interesting discussion. Works for pretty much any panel on any topic, as well. 

**adding to this post (May 25th, 2009). If you are interested in the Topic, check out what Jeremy Owyang has to say about it. His is more comprehensive.

That could be my best post title ever. 

5. Ham and Cheese Croissant

4. Lemon Tart

3. Pain au Chocolat

2. Almond Croissant

1. Chocolate Pudding

Worth the trip. New Top 5 list potential: restaurants/shops you'd travel around the world for!