What Does a Community Manager Do?
A community manager is responsible for building, growing, and nurturing a brand’s online or in-person audience. They serve as the primary connection between a company and its users or followers, creating content, responding to questions, moderating discussions, and fostering engagement that builds loyalty and trust.
Whether managing social media platforms, online forums, Discord servers, or user groups, community managers ensure that brand messaging is consistent and audience feedback is heard. They often collaborate with marketing, customer service, and product teams to inform strategy and improve user experience.
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Community Manager Core Responsibilities
- Develop and implement strategies to grow and engage online communities
- Monitor and moderate conversations across social platforms, forums, or private groups
- Respond to comments, questions, and support inquiries in a timely, brand-aligned voice
- Create and schedule engaging content, including posts, polls, and event announcements
- Gather user feedback and insights to share with internal teams
- Track community growth, engagement metrics, and sentiment trends
- Manage brand ambassador or influencer programs, when applicable
- Enforce community guidelines and escalate issues when necessary
Required Skills and Qualifications
Hard skills
- Proficiency in social media platforms, forums, or community tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout, Discord, Slack)
- Content creation, copywriting, and light design skills
- Analytics and reporting (social media insights, Google Analytics, or community dashboards)
- Basic understanding of CRM and social listening tools
Soft skills
- Empathy and people-first communication
- Creative problem-solving and adaptability
- Conflict resolution and diplomacy
- Strong attention to detail and tone consistency
Educational requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, or related field preferred
Certifications
Not required, but certifications in social media, community management (e.g., CMX), or digital marketing are helpful.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience managing branded online communities or social channels
- Experience with customer support or influencer management
- Familiarity with content calendars and campaign integration
- Exposure to moderation in regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance)
National Average Salary
Community manager salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. Click below to explore salaries by local market.
The average national salary for a Community Manager is:
$53,622
Sample Job Description Templates for Community Managers
Entry-Level Community Manager
Position Overview
An entry-level community manager supports day-to-day engagement across social and community platforms. They interact with users, moderate content, schedule posts, and gather feedback to improve customer experience and brand visibility.
Responsibilities
- Monitor social platforms, forums, or community channels for user activity
- Respond to questions and comments using approved brand voice
- Schedule and post content, polls, or event reminders
- Flag inappropriate content and assist with moderation tasks
- Compile user feedback and share trends with internal teams
- Support contests, campaigns, or virtual event logistics
Requirements
Hard skills
- Proficiency with basic social media tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer)
- Copywriting and visual content familiarity
- CRM or community platform basics
Soft skills
- Friendly, brand-appropriate communication style
- Time management and responsiveness
- Curiosity and openness to feedback
- Attention to detail in tone and user sentiment
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related field preferred
Senior Community Manager
Position Overview
A senior community manager leads the development and execution of community engagement strategies. They manage platform growth, guide tone and content strategy, and work cross-functionally to align community with business goals.
Responsibilities
- Set and execute engagement strategies across platforms and channels
- Lead high-priority user conversations and manage escalations
- Analyze engagement metrics and report on community health
- Collaborate with marketing, product, and support teams to align messaging
- Mentor junior community or social media staff
- Drive innovation in content, programming, and community tools
Requirements
Hard skills
- Advanced knowledge of social media, CRM, and community platforms
- Data reporting and KPI analysis
- Content planning and campaign integration
Soft skills
- Leadership and cross-team coordination
- Empathy and diplomacy during sensitive interactions
- Strategic thinking and trend awareness
- Excellent writing and editing skills
Education
- Bachelor’s degree required; relevant certifications or master’s preferred
Social Media Community Manager
Position Overview
A social media community manager is responsible for engaging audiences across platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok. They respond to users, moderate discussions, post content, and manage platform reputation.
Responsibilities
- Respond to DMs, comments, and tagged content in real-time
- Schedule and post original and curated content
- Monitor mentions, sentiment, and platform trends
- Enforce brand guidelines and social tone consistency
- Report on reach, engagement, and community growth
- Coordinate with marketing to align with campaigns or launches
Requirements
Hard skills
- Platform fluency: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X
- Social listening and analytics tools (e.g., Sprout Social, Brandwatch)
- Trend identification and meme fluency
Soft skills
- Creative copywriting and humor (when appropriate)
- Fast-paced responsiveness
- Public-facing customer service experience
- Detail orientation in tone and brand voice
Education
- Degree in digital media, marketing, or communications preferred
Brand Community Manager
Position Overview
A brand community manager fosters long-term loyalty by building deeper relationships with customers, fans, or brand advocates. They often manage ambassador programs, user-generated content, and engagement campaigns that reflect brand values.
Responsibilities
- Build and manage brand ambassador or superfan programs
- Coordinate contests, events, or activations to engage loyal users
- Develop messaging frameworks for community-building campaigns
- Partner with content, PR, and product teams to reflect community voice
- Highlight community success stories, testimonials, and UGC
- Monitor and report on sentiment, loyalty, and retention trends
Requirements
Hard skills
- Campaign planning and brand messaging
- Familiarity with UGC, influencer, and ambassador strategies
- Community CRM and segmentation tools
Soft skills
- Brand storytelling and connection-building
- High emotional intelligence and rapport creation
- Strategic alignment between engagement and business goals
- Collaborative leadership across departments
Education
- Bachelor’s in communications, brand strategy, or marketing