The culture of communities has emerged in this digital era, and they have been performing well. Be it on Facebook, LinkedIn, Discord, and even Reddit, people are using it properly. They use it to exchange information, extract news, or even networking. With perks, there are also downfalls, such as spreading rumours, cyberbullying, privacy concerns, etc.
Among the list of successful online communities, we are glad to have a talk with Mr. Mainur Rahman, one of the group admins of ‘Social Media Today, ’ a community of social media professionals and marketers on LinkedIn.
Social Champ asked about his entire journey and inspiration, and here is all that he has to say this.
Hi Mainur, Thanks for being a part of our #ChampsSeries. To start off, please introduce yourself.
Hello, This is Maniur. I’m a marketing professional with about 5 years of experience. Currently, I’m working at Industry Dive, managing online communities across 20 different industries. Before this, I worked at other companies in fintech and apparel.
What inspired you to create the community ‘Social Media Today’ on LinkedIn?
I did not create the community myself. Social Media Today is one of Industry Dive’s publications covering different social media areas. While the Social Media Today (SMT) newsletter publishes all the social media news daily, the LinkedIn community is a space for subscribers to discuss them.
Managing a group can be challenging. Could you elaborate on your strategies for maintaining engagement and meaningful discussions within the group?
Yeah, it is very challenging. But I prioritise 2 things. Firstly, I make sure to post relevant social media updates regularly, and secondly, I keep it free from all sorts of promotional content and spam. This has worked very well so far.
What key milestones or achievements have you witnessed in the group’s journey so far? Are there any specific success stories you’d like to highlight?
The success story that I would like to highlight was being recognized by LinkedIn as one of the most active groups on the entire platform.
Staying updated with the latest industry trends is crucial. How do you personally keep yourself informed about Social Media?
Our Social Media Today community is actually a part of SMT publication. As a publication, SMT publishes all the latest social media industry news. That is always my go-to place to find the latest trends.
What criteria do you follow as the admin when evaluating and accepting new members into the Social Media Today group? How do you maintain the group’s quality and relevance?
Specifically for the Social Media Today group, we accept anyone who seems to be a real human being. There is a strict moderation process for all the posts and comments. We just ensure that anything unrelated to social media or marketing is deleted.
The role of community building can be challenging. What’s the secret sauce behind this?
It’s challenging and fun at the same time. I have got to meet a lot of people. A great networking opportunity, to be honest. The secret sauce is…just don’t think of this as a job. Imagine yourself as a member of the community. You will start loving it.
What plans or aspirations do you have for Social Media Today’s growth?
To become the biggest and most active community on this topic!
We thank Mr. Mainur for his precious time and for sharing his stories and experiences with our champ audience.
