Digital Community Leaders - Rosie Sherry

Rosie Sherry is a well-known figure in the world of digital community. As the founder of Ministry of Testing, a global community of software testers, she has spent years building and nurturing communities online.

In our recent DCL Podcast episode, Pete and Rosie discussed insights on growing communities, getting creative as a community manager, and creating community spaces for professionals within the community industry.

Growing Your Community

One of the key takeaways from the podcast was the importance of understanding your community's needs and wants in order to foster growth. Rosie used the phrase "community discovery"; a strategy she created which highlights the exploration of community needs, cares and engagement.

Rosie emphasized the need for community managers to listen carefully to their members and to find creative ways to engage with them. She also advised community managers to build trust with their members by being transparent and authentic in their communication.

Getting Creative with Community

Another point of discussion was the need for community managers to get creative in their approach to community management. Rosie highlighted the idea that most forums become customer support spaces, and that they could be so much more.

“I think it's almost wrong. It's not that forums shouldn't be customer support, but there could be so much more within that space. For some reason it just defaults into being customer support. I'm trying to get creative with it and I'm trying to think of fun, new, different, useful things to do.”

Building Community for Community Builders

Finally, Rosie talked about the importance of creating community spaces for professionals within the community industry. Disappointed at the lack of resources, she discussed how valuable it can be for community managers to connect with others in their field, share insights and best practices, and collaborate on projects.

Rosie emphasized that community managers can learn a lot from each other and that creating these professional networks can help to advance the industry as a whole.

Overall, the second episode of the Digital Community Leaders podcast provided inspiring insights for community managers looking to grow their communities. The key takeaways included the importance of listening to community members, getting creative in community management, and creating professional networks within the industry.

If you're a community manager looking to enhance your skills and knowledge, be sure to check out the full episode - available now on all platforms.