Blog post September 2009

Recently one of the Community Champions in a community I manage came forward to suggest that we link to a controversial video circulating on the internet. She approached the community team in private, in the separate Community Champions area of the discussions, as she was not yet certain that it was appropriate to place the video into the public-facing area.

As we head in to the final quarter of 2009, we’re looking very busy already, so with that in mind we’re expanding the team and looking to bring in a new Account Exectutive.

The post-holder will work in the Account team managing existing clients with website issues and new business developments. The candidate will be required to work with all the different departments to ensure excellent customer service is achieved at all times as well as achieving set sales targets.

SiftGroups provide social media consultancy services and technologies to enable organisations to develop and sustain rewarding relationships with their audiences.  We work with publishers, membership bodies, charities and the public sector, enabling our clients to build rewarding relationships with their audiences, whether that’s through member retention or simply outright profit.

On the outside it’s surprising how many businesses rely on the continuing buying habits of their customers when times are hard. For many the assumption is that inertia will prevail despite the economic gloom. On the inside it’s understandable. After all many business models are based on our inertia – our reticence to change.

All online communities cost. There is a cost to specify and build or configure an existing application, the cost of hosting and the cost of ongoing maintenance. These are tangible costs, often fixed, that those responsible for budgeting across the organisation understand and for which there are precedents. But as discussed under What is an online community? pricing the technology does not provide the true cost of an online community.