Being a Community Manager is a full-time role, with technical and topic talent needed – as Sheridan Webb explains
Learning socially, as part of a community is not only an enjoyable way to learn, it’s also pretty effective! But unless it’s very small, every community needs managing. Many people totally underestimate what goes into running a learning community; it’s not really something that can be done as a side hustle. Many people tried that during the pandemic and soon had to give it up as their day-job took over again.
It’s been a steep learning curve, but it’s one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed
Five years ago (just before Covid) I made a pivotal shift in my business, moving from designing training for others, to helping them create outstanding training themselves. This transition wasn’t without its challenges. I had to acquire new skills – many of which were tech-related – and learn how to communicate effectively with individuals rather than organisations. I’ve also had to learn how to manage boundaries and get the balance right between support/guidance and doing things FOR people. It’s been a steep learning curve, but it’s one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
What does a typical week/month look like?
There are a number of regular tasks that I need to complete to deliver the promised services to my members. I use Trello to act as a rolling to-do list and make sure that I stay on top of those things. The rest varies from week to week, depending on what people need from me, and what opportunities I’m exploring.
Monday: Social media updates
The week kicks off with updating all social media links. Any new videos, blogs, or podcasts released need to be signposted in our Facebook and LinkedIn groups. It’s crucial to keep the community engaged and informed.
I also meet with my technical virtual assistant to discuss the behind-the-scenes work (see below). This might include setting up new product pages, scheduling online events, setting up new discount codes, or managing routine website maintenance. These sessions ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Tuesday: Emails and volunteering
Every Tuesday I send an email to VIP members reminding them of upcoming events, sharing new resources, highlighting useful links, summarising the conversations from our lively WhatsApp group and sharing the content of our meetings. It’s pretty time-consuming, but it means that people don’t miss out, even if they’ve been busy.
I spend half a day volunteering for a local forestry group, which is a great way for me to get a screen break
I also prepare emails to non-members on my mailing list to inform them of upcoming events/opportunities or remind them of services I offer. As an aside, I spend half a day volunteering for a local forestry group on Tuesdays, which is a great way for me to get a screen break and boost my physical and mental health.
Wednesday: One-to-one work or resource creation
Sometimes I support members one-to-one by acting as a sounding board, partner or mentor. This can happen on any day and can take any format – but it’s usually a virtual meeting where we roll up our sleeves and work together to move projects forward. It’s just about helping people over a specific obstacle when they don’t need to outsource the work.
If I’m not doing one-to-ones, I’ll spend time creating content: maybe a helpful video for the YouTube channel, recording a Training Design Podcast episode, writing a blog post, adding an exercise to our extensive VIP resource bank, or signposting something useful for future reference.
Thursday: Community virtual meeting
There is a virtual meeting every week, whether it’s a Designer Drop-In, a Lunch & Learn, or a Coaches’ Catch-up (though the latter is run by a founding member who is a coach – I just attend to learn and make notes). These meetings are where the magic happens – ideas are shared, problems are solved, and connections are made.
The Drop-Ins move around to maximise the chances of people joining us – some people are in other time zones or have regular commitments on specific days, and I don’t want to routinely exclude the same people. The meetings are summarised (or recorded), and notes and links prepared and put into our WhatsApp group and onto the website so they can be accessed easily.
Friday: Tidying up, planning and Zumba!
I keep my Fridays light – picking up anything that hasn’t been done already, planning activities for next week and rewarding myself with a Zumba class! There’s a lot of sitting in my role and, without a commute, I sometimes don’t move much. Taking a Zumba class to round off the week is my treat.
In addition to all this…
Sometimes I speak at conferences or attend industry events. Throughout the week I’m also responding to messages in our busy WhatsApp group or via email, ensuring that everyone gets the support they need.
When I’m not directly engaged with the community, I’m busy creating new content, designing training for clients or VIP members, or searching for and curating new tools and ideas. It’s a challenge to stay up to speed with everything out there, but I love being the person who can point members to the resources they need.
I also work on the Training Design Podcast periodically – it’s a great way for me to harness the knowledge of our VIP members, and it’s a great way to share that expertise with others as well as showcase their talents.
Behind the scenes
As well as the visible stuff, I’m involved in several other aspects of running the Training Designer’s Club:
- Providing a safe space: I offer a platform where members can try out virtual tools before using them in live events. It’s a great way to build confidence and ensure everything works smoothly.
- Email sequences: Setting up email sequences to ensure timely reminders for members is another key task. This ensures that everyone stays informed and doesn’t miss out on opportunities.
- Link and payment management: Checking and fixing links, including payment links, is essential for providing a seamless experience for our members.
- Social group management: I manage the addition and removal of members from our various social groups, depending on their membership status, and moderate content in the free Facebook group.
- Exploring new tools: Trying out new tools and investing in my own development is crucial for keeping the community and my skills up to date.
- Event organisation: I source speakers for our Lunch & Learn events or the bi-annual Training Design Festival, ensuring that we bring fresh, valuable content to our members.
- Administrative tasks: Updating calendars, creating discount codes for VIP members, sending out event notifications and writing blogs are all part of the mix.
- Content creation: Whether it’s creating images for website products or social media posts, or producing short videos like “Monday Musings” or “Dear Training Designer’s Club”, there’s always something creative on the agenda.
Committing to community
I didn’t return to my old role, unlike many who dabbled in setting up memberships and communities. Why? Well…
- It’s social: For the first time since going freelance, I feel like I’m part of a team. The community I manage is built on trust and psychological safety, and I genuinely consider many of the members as friends. This sense of camaraderie is something I treasure.
- Adding value: By sharing my expertise, I can enhance the skills of so many more people than I could when I was solely designing training myself. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that my work has a ripple effect, benefiting numerous professionals.
- Flexibility: While there are regular commitments and it’s a full-time job some weeks, the role is flexible. Apart from scheduled events, I can move things around as needed. The membership evolves alongside the people, which keeps things fresh and adaptable.
- Continuous learning: I’m always learning, but it’s all in the flow of work and right at the point of need. This informal, on-the-job learning suits me perfectly, and I believe many of the VIP members appreciate this aspect as well.
Reality and rewards
Of course, not everything is perfect. The financial rewards don’t match those of corporate consulting, and if I’m not careful, I can spend too much time tangled up in tech and systems. But the upsides outweigh the downsides, so I’m 100% committed to this and wouldn’t go back.
Lastly, I love connecting people. Many VIP members have collaborated after meeting in our community, and I’ve even been able to help some members find work. It’s a happy by-product of my role as a community manager – something that was never promised but has become a rewarding aspect of the job.
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Sheridan Webb is Community Manager at the Training Designers Club
