Expert Community Management resources for professionals. Explore the history, strategies, and practical guides to building online communities from a 25-year industry veteran.
A stubborn myth: communities don’t appear just because you launch a space; they grow when you start small, hand‑pick the right people, design reasons for them to rely on each other, and keep tending the relationships long after the launch glitter fades.
Why “more followers” won’t save you from a relationship problem The big mistake everyone keeps making Somewhere along the way, “We’re building a community” became a fancy way of saying “We’re getting more followers.” Slack workspaces with no conversation got rebranded...
From a community strategist’s point of view, the biggest mistake I see is organizations hiring “a social person” and expecting community outcomes. Followers, impressions, and clicks do not automatically turn into belonging, advocacy, or retention. Those come from structure, norms, facilitation, and trust, which are squarely in the CM world. When you separate these two roles in your head, you start asking better questions: not “how do we get more people to see this?” but “how do we get the right people to care, contribute, and stick around?” That shift in mindset changes everything.
Why the term "Community Manager" no longer suffices.. In recent years, the term "Community Manager" has become ubiquitous, with many organizations and businesses using it to describe a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. However, as the term has become more...
Online Community Management is crucial for brands seeking to deepen customer loyalty, drive engagement, and foster organic growth. By nurturing a vibrant community of advocates, content creators, and problem-solvers, brands not only enhance customer retention but also...
Social media management is the strategic process of creating, scheduling, analyzing, and optimizing content across multiple social media platforms to grow a brand's audience, increase engagement, generate leads, and manage reputation. It involves a combination of...
David DeWald is a pioneering online community professional with over 25 years of experience building, managing, and evolving digital communities of all sizes—some reaching millions of members. Since the late 1990s, he has partnered with diverse organizations and businesses to establish impactful online presences that foster engagement and growth. David is widely respected among his peers for his deep expertise in community strategy, engagement, moderation, and advocacy development. Beyond managing communities, he actively contributes to the industry through thought leadership, including public speaking, and blogging, sharing actionable insights to elevate the practice of Community Management globally.
