Latest Community Manager Interview Questions

Community Manager Interview Questions

Whether you are thinking of becoming a community manager in the future, or you already have an interview lined up for that position in your dream company, you should definitely know about the way the interview is likely to go before you actually show up for one. We understand that it can be quite stressful not to know what to expect before going for an interview. But don’t worry, we have you covered. Here in this article, we shall look at some of the Community Manager Interview Questions and ideal ways to answer them.

Companies look for bright and well-versed individuals with technology to fulfill the role of community manager at their organization. A community manager must have excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, and know how to handle social media as a tool of promotion and advertisement. In addition, they need to be strategic in their professional approach and understand the value of a robust social media presence for a corporate firm. The position is typically an entry-level one, which is why most community managers are supposed to be young and energetic and mature as well. They are responsible for taking a brand to its potential customers online and must have a lot of experience using social media.

Community Manager Interview Questions

It is a considerable responsibility, as community managers have to build the company’s image online, and the wrong sort of message can potentially damage their profits to a great extent. Therefore, the questions asked during an interview for that role are designed to bring out the qualities of the candidate which make them a good fit for the job. The following are some possible interview questions for the role of a community manager. Let us check them out:

  • Tell us something about yourself.

A very common question asked at interviews, usually at the beginning as an ice-breaker. The interviewer gives the candidate a chance to set the table for themself and highlight some important points about themselves that are relevant to the job. The candidate should ideally talk about their relevant character traits and experience, such as their communication skills and experience using social media, mentioning any internships or past jobs they had. They worked with things that might be relevant to being a community manager. They should also briefly mention why they want to be in this line of work to show that they are passionate about it. Lastly, the candidate might mention a hobby or two that they have to answer a human touch. Companies like to hire good people at their job, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be human.

  • What do you like about our company?

Questions specific to the company are asked for one basic reason — to see whether the candidate has done their research about the company before coming to the interview. A good candidate should know enough about the company to say what they like about it, whether it be the product/services they provide to their customers, their espouse values, etc. We recommend looking up the company website and reading their mission and vision statement and some basic information about them to be prepared to face this question at the interview. The interviewer may also ask the candidate why they want to for their company or what they would like to change. The purpose of all these questions is the same — the interviewer wants to see if the candidate is diligent enough to have done a little extra work before showing up.

  • What is your definition of a community?

To be a good fit at a firm, they must see eye to eye on certain essential aspects of the profession. The interviewer would like to see that the candidate before them has the right kind of mindset for the job that they have applied for. When the interviewer is asking for the candidate’s definition of ‘community, they are not literal. They want to see how the candidate understands the concept of community and is unique about it. The candidate should develop a definition of community that goes beyond the simple bringing together of people through social media. Their answer must not be limited to what they understand by a community. Still, it should also extend to the impact they believe a community can have on the organization regarding its growth and profits to display their passion for the job. 

  • How would you go about building a strong community?

The interviewer needs to know a candidate’s professional approach first to consider them for a role. This is an opportunity for the candidate to highlight their methods and showcase their expertise regarding working with social media. The candidate should talk about the social media tools which they would use and why. They should mention the experience they have in building and growing communities in the past for different organizations. Since this is an entry-level position, it is okay not to have much professional experience. The candidate should mention any experience they have in building communities, such as for their college book club, and talk about what excites them about the whole process. The candidate who has an approach and is passionate about the work they will have to do if hired will be looked upon favorably by the interviewer.

  • How would you deal with a difficult user online?

Companies like Netflix often go viral on social media for their witty messaging and prompt engagement with users. However, part of being a community manager is to deal with disgruntled and difficult customers online. A bad comment or unanswered questions on social media can damage the company’s reputation among potential customers. A good community manager should be able to engage with such unhappy customers to pacify them and control any possible damage to the company’s image. A good answer to this question should highlight the candidate’s communication skills and how much they value customer support in building a community. A candidate may have their own approach, but generally, interviewers like candidates who are open to listening, showing empathy, and not taking a customer’s complaints personally.

  • How would you judge success in your job?

At the end of the day, success matters in business. No matter how passionate and well-intentioned a candidate may be, they are practically useless for a company if they cannot deliver results. To understand whether the candidate before them will be efficient in their role as a community manager, the interviewer has to see what standards the candidate holds themselves accountable to. Apart from basic metrics such as member growth, communication engagement rate, number of members showing interest in joining, etc., the candidate would do well to provide an answer specific to the needs of the particular organization they are interviewing with. For this, they would have to do some research online about the company. If the candidate has any prior experience with managing a community, either on a personal project or for another organization, they should definitely mention how they judged a success in community management during that time.

  • Tell us about how you have used social media as an effective tool to promote a community’s brand.

Of course, the interviewer would want to know about the candidate’s experience. As mentioned before, this is typically an entry-level position, so candidates will not be expected to have much corporate experience. But since there is no college degree or formal training program to become a community manager, the only way to judge a candidate’s technical competence is through their prior experience. The candidate’s answer should show that they have a firm understanding of using social media as a promotional tool. They can talk about digital marketing tools such as carefully crafted slogans and taglines and attractive videos that target the maximum demographic. The interviewer will be looking for experience in interacting with users on social media and familiarity with different digital marketing techniques on the part of the candidate.

  • How would you increase traffic to your community?

The interviewer needs to know that if the candidate is put in charge of the company’s social media, they can attract potential customers regularly and subsequently grow their customer base. The candidate will have to outline the marketing plan they plan to follow to increase traffic and keep users engaged with the community website for a long time. They should definitely mention instances from the past when they effectively used search engine optimization techniques to promote content-driven campaigns. They should talk about the results they delivered with their methods. An ideal answer to this question should display the candidate’s knowledge of search engine optimization and how to use it to improve a website’s rankings and experience in promoting and increasing membership to a community they have managed before.

  • What makes you think that you are a good fit for this job?

This question is designed to test two things — the candidate’s understanding of the specific role they have applied to and their self-awareness and confidence. It is always good to conduct some basic research specific to the company before showing up for an interview. The ideal candidate should articulate their strengths relevant to the job enthusiastically and simultaneously display sufficient knowledge and understanding about the role. They can draw examples from the past to show that they already have experience in the field and are familiar with the industry, and will face no difficulty in the major problems they may encounter while on the job. The interviewer will be looking for technical knowledge and enthusiasm on the candidate’s part, explained with past examples of their professional competence.

  • Where do you see yourself in five years?

A good candidates should a clear vision for themselves in the future. Companies like candidates who display a sufficient degree of ambition are not too whimsical or eager to get ahead. They need to know that a candidate will not leave them the moment they see greener pastures. A good way to answer this question is for the candidate to say that they stay in the company and climb up the corporate ladder by learning on the job and gradually taking up more responsibilities, such as managing multiple communities and developing new approaches for increasing community membership. The candidate should display clear career goals and an appreciation of company loyalty through their answer.

Conclusion

Interview questions are basically opportunities to display that you have the skills and experience relevant to the job you have applied for. For example, you must have excellent communication skills and proper working knowledge of social media and SEO techniques for a community manager. You must also display a creative tendency and suggest a few ideas to impress the interviewer, such as brand ambassadorship programs to help build an online community. These broad questions should give you a fair idea of what to expect when you walk into the room and sit down with your interviewer. We believe you will ace that interview. Best of luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How should I dress for the interview? Dress professionally. A sloppy appearance gives the impression that you do not take the job seriously, which is something that your interviewer would not like to see. 
  2. Can I be a community manager without a college degree? You will need experience in handling social media and knowledge of SEO techniques in order to be a community manager. A college degree in mass communication is helpful, but not necessary. You can be a community manager with just a high school diploma.
Latest Community Manager Interview Questions

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