As a community manager, which questions do you ask yourself before answering an user ?

[MaryLeeXXX]

I like to respond to everyone. I feel if they connected with me with either by question or comment….I would like to respond with an answer or at least an acknowledgement that their contact was received.

[the_timps]

There are so many questions you learn to shoot through quickly.
Being a great CM isn’t asking these, but a great CM will reach the conclusions these questions bring.

​

* What are the consequences for this person if I don’t answer?
* What are the consequences for the brand if I don’t answer?
* What does this person gain if I answer?
* What does the brand gain if I answer?
* What opportunities to engage, connect, sell, grow does this reply provide?
* What are my goals today/this week/this month, how can this reply contribute to those?
* Has this person interacted with us before?
* Do I want to change how this person feels about us?
* Do I want to change how this person feels today?
* Are they talking to us, or are they talking to someone else?
* Do they want a reply?
* Do they EXPECT a reply?
* Is there another comment that’s more valuable for me to reply to right now?

​

And then even if you are going to reply…

* Do you use their name or not?
* Do you tag them or not?
* Do you acknowledge other people?
* Do you give them information?
* Do you link them somewhere?
* Do you use emojis?
* Do you use a gif?
* Which part of the brand voice do you use?
* Are you starting a conversation or ending one?
* Is there information you need to get now?
* Is there information you will definitely need later on from them?
* Is there information you do not want them to share?
* Is there anything you need them to not say?
* Do you need to drive the conversation somewhere else?
* Do you sign off with a name?
* Is the post too old to reply to?
* Is the post too new to reply to?

Some of those are answered in advance per brand/account. Some of them change every time.

That’s the kind of thing I teach my staff to consider on every post/comment/message etc

[FranceBrun]

I think that it’s just as important to know when to STOP answering. Because you can get some people who, once you answer them, endlessly keep lobbing it back at you. I like to make a cordial response but have some phrases available that can help draw a line on an endless thread, or make it clear that we have gone as far into it as it’s going to go.

[Far_Caterpillar_3151]

What is a great c m