Apparently, yesterday was CMAD! so Happy Community Managers Appreciation Day! On this third annual CMAD, we celebrate community management, an industry that has become increasingly important in the rise of social media. I know a lot of our users are part of the internet and technology community, so maybe these profiles will give some inspiration


Brands and organizations are now finding creative ways to connect with their audiences — and their community managers are leading the charge.

The role is far from being standardized from organization to organization, and may never be. Yet most community managers share the ability to multitask, make quick judgement calls and think critically. The gallery above features six community managers paving the way, and tells you a little bit about their contributions to the industry.

What community managers do you appreciate? Why are they so awesome? Share your thoughts in the comments below.



Chrysanthe Tenentes, Community Manager at Foursquare

Part user-generated content, part gamification, Foursquare relies heavily on its community to keep it going. While the service has grown far too large for one person to manage its userbase, Chrysanthe Tenentes has led the charge in establishing Foursquare's consistent voice. She even created a style guide to ensure this voice is upheld by her team.


Dan Zelikman, Marketing/Community Host at Honolulu Civil Beat

The Honolulu Civil Beat has been one to watch in the journalism world since its launch in May 2010. With Dan Zeilkman leading the community charge, the site has not only grown its audience, but maintained high engagement -- despite the challenges of being behind a paywall. He uses Twitter and Facebook to engage readers by accepting reader content submissions, livestreaming events and facilitating discussion. “Social media gives us instant feedback on what resonates with our readers,” Zelikman says. “We are very happy with the warm welcome we received in our community."


Jenn Pedde, Community Manager at 2tor

Co-founder of thecommunitymanager.com and the weekly #CmgrChat on Twitter, Jenn Pedde certainly has a passion for the industry. She facilitates community among community managers with these initiatives while keeping up with the USC School of Social Work audience for her day job at 2tor. Pedde is a go-to resource for many CM's -- you might call her "the community manager's community manager."


Josh Riedel, Community Manager at Instagram

Josh Riedel has been managing the Instagram community, now at 14 million users, since day one. Bringing a community manager on from the get-go shows the app's commitment to community -- which hasn't wavered since its October 2010 launch. When the platform launched Instagram 2.0, it set the stage for community engagement and development by featuring four user-created filters. The app also has a large network of superfans who meet in person at monthly "instameet"


Mike Fraietta, Enterprise Community Manager at News Corp

While many community managers are closely associated with marketing efforts and audience development, Mike Fraietta's job is a little different. He's responsible for fostering community among 51,000 employees at News Corp. It's no small feat but Fraietta does it with enthusiasm and poise. His trick? Becoming every employee's "first friend" on the organization's internal social business network.


Natalie Villalobos, Community Manager at Google+

Google+ has been one of the most-talked about social networks among the tech community since it launched in June 2011 -- and there's no doubt Natalie Villalobos had something to do with it. As the platform's community manager, Villalobos is experiencing and experimenting with the site right along with her community. She goes beyond marketing Google+ features by trying them out for herself (her brand page is one to learn from) and connects with the highly engaged community there to get feedback.


BONUS: Community Managers Meetup

Better known as #CMmeetup, Community Managers Meetup holds monthly events in New York City to discuss the latest industry trends. It's grown to more than 1,000 members since its September 2010 launch and continues to be a valuable source of information for many. Community managers in places like California and the U.K. are starting up their own meetup groups, making #CMmeetup a pioneer in connecting community managers worldwide.

I hope one day I'll be on this this! Thanks for reading!