Online communities give people a place to engage more deeply than social media alone. They’re how creators, solopreneurs, and contemporary brands are establishing authentic connections, testing ideas, and building trust in ways no social media feed can. Because of this shift, community has become a key growth lever for many businesses. For 88% of community professionals surveyed, growing an online community is integral to achieving a company’s mission.
Every great community has someone behind the scenes that makes it thrive. Community managers do much more than post updates and moderate conversations. They foster dialogue, build bridges between participants, and help maintain focus, turning that into belonging and long-term loyalty. This role has only grown in importance as more companies focus on people rather than platforms.
This guide will teach you:
- The community manager role
- The difference between community management and social media management
- How to confidently moderate and become a community manager
- How to organize online events
- Resources essential to community managers
Understanding Community: What Does it Really Mean?
The best way to begin your journey to becoming a community manager is not only to understand the value of community but also to understand what your role will be — and what the true meaning of community actually is.
Community is often a word that’s misunderstood by many people, especially those in the early stages of branding. Many think that community is about growing profits or building an emotional connection through ads and marketing…
But here’s what community is really about: bringing people together.
When you build and manage a community, you are creating a space where people can:
- Interact with each other and not just with the brand
- Share their passions and interests
- Rely on each other for support and feedback
- Learn from one another and grow together
A community is where managers give more value than they receive. Most importantly, it’s a place that creates long-term value and connections for everyone involved.
A true community is one where, even if you eventually leave, you take the connections you made with you and are still considered a part of the group. Think of alumni-based groups or long-standing membership organizations, connections often last well beyond active participation.
That’s where community managers come in.
Having that strength of connection between people is what makes a true, long-lasting community that can stand the test of time and help people excel in whatever they want.
Now, you might be thinking:
Wait, isn’t that basically what social media does?
And the answer is:
Not exactly.
There are actually many differences between social media and communities. There’s a difference between building and managing an actual community, versus building a sense of community.
And it’s important to understand the difference before becoming a community manager.
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Social Media vs Communities
Social media often seems like a community. People respond to your posts, and discussions take place. Platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram make sharing ideas and reaching an audience easy. However, most of these exchanges are intentionally superficial. Once a post gets likes, reactions, or perhaps a few comments, the interactions generally stop.
Social media is still about the creator-to-audience model. The dynamic is mainly one-way, even for consultants, coaches, and solopreneurs.
After a post is published, followers may respond briefly and move on. Algorithms often play a larger role than relationships in determining visibility.
A community flips that dynamic. On a community platform, members have a shared space where discussions live independently of individual posts or algorithms. Participants can start conversations, share stories, ask questions, and collaborate, not just with the host but also with each other. This many-to-many dynamic allows relationships to develop independently of continuous content posting, and value flows peer to peer.
Even when social media creators encourage conversation, the power dynamic remains imbalanced. A community loosens that hierarchy: everyone can create impact, initiate discussions, and shape the culture over time.
Now that we understand the difference between a social media platform and an actual community, what’s the difference between the role of a community manager, and the role of a social media manager?
Community Managers vs. Social Media Managers
Social Media Managers
Social media managers are the people behind your feeds. They keep your YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram up-to-date, professional, and consistent for small teams, coaches, and solopreneurs. Their main focuses are content and visibility, making sure that your posts are viewed by the right audience while still looking professional.
Typical duties include the following activities:
- Creating, producing, and publishing content
- Answering direct messages and comments
- Monitoring analytics to determine what works
- Keeping Your Voice Consistent & Representing Your Mission
- Increasing likes, followers, and general engagement
- Running sporadic marketing campaigns
But the majority of communications via social media are one-way. Your followers can share, like, and comment, but the platform controls the conversation. Viewers respond to your posts and move on. Unless you go out of your way to nurture them, connections are fleeting.
Community Managers
The goal of community management is to help people connect with one another, not just consume content. In other words, for consultants, coaches, or solopreneurs, the idea is to create an environment where people can help others, share information, and feel like they belong.
A community manager handles the following tasks:
- Serves as a link between the people in your area and your mission.
- Inspires its members to interact with each other and shine.
- Sets the tone in creating a welcoming atmosphere.
- Listens to conversations and thinks of ways to enhance interactions.
- Curates important content without stealing the show.
- Moderates discussions and addresses concerns.
- Encourages peer-to-peer communication that allows for genuine connection.
Success in community management shows up in repeat participation, member-to-member interaction, and long-term engagement. Community managers focus not only on content performance but also on the quality of interactions within the community.
They don’t only look at how many of their own posts people are liking and sharing — they look at how people are engaging with each other.
- Diversify your revenue
- Understand your audience better
- Build deeper connections
- Expand your network
Here’s how:
- Diversify your revenue
Especially if you are a creator or entrepreneur, building an online community is a great way to build a new income stream. You can do this by giving early access or discounts to products you’re selling, charging a subscription fee to join the community, or putting prices on extra educational content or resources available in your community.
- Help you understand your audience better
When you build a community, it’s much easier to get real input, feedback, and people’s ideas on what could make your brand better, and improve their experience interacting with you. This, in turn, makes your job much easier. It lets you know how you can create a bigger impact, gives you industry insights, and helps you build loyalty with your community.
- Build deeper connections
Beginning a community online allows you to grow a deeper connection with your followers, or any fellow creators who join. This helps build people’s loyalty to your brand, meaning they will be there for you when you need them the most. In short: when you grow your connection with followers, you grow your number of friends.
- Expand your network
Especially with growing an online community, you have the opportunity to grow your audience beyond your locale. You can get people to join you from all across the world.
Having an online community allows you access to different perspectives, more people to network with, and even more job or creative opportunities you would otherwise never know about. This means you will give a richer community experience to your members — and you’ll have a chance to impact a greater number of people.
A step-by-step guide to community management
How to master community management
- Establish your goals and mission
- Know your community platform well
- Hone in on your people skills
- Build engagement through curating original content
- Host regular virtual events
- Nail down your network
Start your community management here
1. Establish your goals and mission
Before you start your journey as a community manager, make sure you understand your “why.” Knowing your goals and mission will help you create the best experience for your members. It guides decisions about how to structure the community, what events to hold, what content to share, the tone of discussions, your budget, and whether to charge subscription fees.
This applies to both in-person and online communities. Your “why” shapes how you manage the group and keep it thriving. You can use moderation tools, emails, and basic automations to keep conversations on track and members engaged.
2. Know your community platform
Another important reason to nail down your goals: pick the right platform.
There are many different community-building platforms out there, and they all have their own perks. Picking the right one and mastering it is key.
On the other hand, if you are assigned to a platform, make sure you understand it from top to bottom. Here are a few community-building platforms that are geared toward building a strong, engaged community:
Discord
Discord has been growing in popularity in recent years as one of the top community-building platforms. People from all different industries, all over the world are using it — from educators, content creators, entrepreneurs, gamers, and especially Web3 communities (more on that later).
Discord has features to help you keep your community organized with their different chat channels, it allows voice or video calls, and public or private chats. Here are a couple beginner tips to help you manage your community on Discord:
- If you want to expand your pool of community managers or moderators, choose people from your list of most active members. This way, you know the people in charge of your community are truly passionate and knowledgeable about the space.
- Create rewards systems as an incentive to get people to increase engagement.
- Make sure you have your “user rules” laid out clearly in your first chat so that everyone is on the same page about what’s acceptable and not acceptable in your community.
Nas.io
Nas.io is a platform for managing both communities and digital content in one place. You can set up memberships, share updates, host events, and track engagement all from the same dashboard. Tools like Magic Ads and Magic Leads are built right in, helping you reach and engage the right members without extra apps or complicated setups.
Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks combines education with community. It facilitates member interactions, events, discussion groups, and course material. It helps members connect around common interests while accessing learning resources, which makes it helpful for small teams or creators who want to combine education with engagement.
Uscreen
Uscreen focuses on video-driven communities. Members can interact through live streaming, playlists, on-demand content, and comments. It’s suitable for creators offering subscription-based access or video-focused learning.
Circle
Circle is a highly customizable space for communities of all sizes. It includes discussion boards, content repositories, and event hosting. Due to the flexibility of the platform, creators and solopreneurs can customize their space to fit their brand and foster significant member engagement.
FreshLearn
FreshLearn serves educators and creators who want to bring together education and community on one platform. Courses, coaching, memberships, and recurring subscriptions are all supported. While creators monitor engagement and provide new experiences over time, members can access content, participate in cohort-based programs, and engage in discussions.
Make sure you know to use all of the relevant tech and comms channels from social media to integrated chat functions. After all, community managers have to be masters of their platforms and great communicators.
3. Hone in on your people skills
If you’re interested in starting or managing a community, you likely already have many of the skills needed to succeed. Still, it’s important to focus on the abilities that the role will demand. Key skills for community managers include:
- Good communication
- Public relations
- Social media management
- Event planning and management
- Content creation
- Storytelling and writing
- Sales and marketing
- Adaptability, personability, and conflict resolution
For creators, educators, and membership-based businesses, moderation tools and clear guidelines help conversations stay productive and respectful. Knowing how to run email campaigns or use messaging tools to communicate directly with members also makes it easier to keep engagement consistent without feeling robotic.
To boost your confidence and credibility, consider refining these skills through free certifications or short online courses.
4. Build engagement through curating original content
Creating useful, engaging content is at the heart of a thriving community. For a community manager, engagement is all about keeping the conversation alive and giving members a reason to come back.
If your community doesn’t offer something people can’t get elsewhere, they won’t stick around. Try hosting live Q&As or panel discussions, sharing interactive course materials, or setting up small challenges that encourage members to work together.
Building a community isn’t a “set it and forget it” task. Use scheduled posts, prompts, or gentle reminders to keep discussions moving, and make space for members to share their thoughts and ideas. The goal is to spark real conversation and make everyone feel included.
5. Host virtual events
Virtual events are a key way to help your community feel connected, to you and to each other. They don’t need to be complicated, but consistency matters. Hosting regular events keeps conversations going and encourages members to come back. Use the platform that works best, whether it’s Discord, Zoom, Google Meet, or another tool.
Some effective ways to structure your events:
- Mix formats: Rotate between Q&As, mini-workshops, office hours, or member-led discussions. Variety keeps people curious and engaged.
- Invite participation: Encourage members to ask questions, share ideas, or contribute examples. Small contributions go a long way.
- Build anticipation: Send clear invitations or reminders ahead of time. A short teaser or personal note can make members more likely to show up.
- Keep it interactive: Polls, short exercises, or breakout chats help members actively take part instead of just watching.
6. Nail down your network
Networking might feel intimidating, but it’s one of the smartest moves a community manager can make. Did you know around 85% of jobs are filled through personal connections? That shows how much real relationships matter.
Start by showing up where your people are. Join relevant online groups, comment thoughtfully, and connect with peers who share your goals. LinkedIn is still a go-to, but don’t ignore smaller communities where real conversations happen.
Mastermind groups are a goldmine. These small, focused groups let you exchange ideas, get honest feedback, and build deeper connections with other creators, educators, or business owners. Treat them as a place to learn and grow, not just another networking checkbox.
Must-have tools for community managers
Now, before you go out there and start managing communities — several tools out there are going to make your job much easier.
Aside from the many community-building platforms we talked about earlier, here’s a short list of other handy tools to add to your system so you can create the best experience possible:
- Hootsuite — Tons of social media marketing tools and analytics platforms can help you in your marketing efforts for your community. But one of the leaders in the industry is Hootsuite. This platform helps you schedule content, monitor analytics, respond to comments, and share posts through all of your social platforms. It’s a convenient way to see how your community-driven content performs alongside broader social activity.
- Notion — Notion is a great way to keep your own behind-the-scenes work and schedules organized for free. It allows you to write documents, spreadsheets, and trackers, share certain pages with your community members to collaborate, and keep it all organized in one place. While it’s similar to Google Drive, Notion is more focused on organization, and collaboration and has intense customizing opportunities.
- Brand 24 — This tool helps you keep track of any brand mentions or talks related to your industry. It helps you keep up to date, find content ideas without having to spend hours filtering through research, and lets you know if something significant about you or your industry has popped up in the media somewhere.
Manage your online community for free
Stop Building Followers, Start Building Belonging.
Anyone can post content, but few can create a community that people actually want to show up for. A real online community doesn’t just engage your audience, it gives them a reason to stick around, talk to each other, and feel like they’re part of something bigger. This is where true influence lives.
If you’re serious about building something that lasts, it’s time to stop chasing fleeting attention and start creating real experiences. Bring people together, spark conversations, and watch your community grow in ways social media could never achieve on its own.
Ready to turn your vision into a thriving community? Try Nas.io free for 7 days and experience how easy it can be to manage, engage, and grow your audience in one place. Your community is waiting, and now it’s your turn to lead it.
