Crisis Management Case Study: Tips for community management before, during and after a crisis

Perhaps you will recall a national news story a few years ago about a Virginia Tech freshman who was arrested for illegally possessing assault rifles. According to court records, he also tried to buy 5,000 rounds of ammunition, researched bullet proof vests and bought a former police car which he outfitted with special bumpers. In short, he is no longer a student – and numerous stories made the news from local to regional and national outlets, too.

Learn how this event played out over social media and the strategy used to manage the crisis in a large parent group. This Facebook Community Partnerships blog is a two-part series focused on crisis prevention and management in Facebook Groups:

• Community Leaders on Crisis Management Part 1: Practical tips to help prepare your admin team for unexpected, and sometimes life-altering, disruptions to your community’s day-to-day operations.
• Community Leaders on Crisis Management Part 2: What to do in the event of an actual crisis — from first-response actions to moving forward with your community afterwards.

Awarded as “Facebook Certified Community Manager”

I’m excited to share that I was recently awarded as an official Facebook Certified Community Manager. I had the unique opportunity to participate on the team at Facebook that developed this brand new certification program and am looking forward to seeing other colleagues reach new heights in the industry, while obtaining the recognition they deserve. The Facebook Certified Community Manager certification is awarded to candidates who demonstrate a foundational proficiency in community-building strategies, and knowledge of the skills and tools needed to lead, moderate, and engage an online community. The Facebook Certified Community Manager certification exam measures the advanced comprehension and strategic application of best practices and standards for online community management. People who take this exam possess the required digital skills to build, manage, and grow online communities, and have knowledge of the policies and regulations related both to their own verticals, as well as platform policies and regulations.

Facebook Community Leader Series: NYC Edition

I was honored to participate in Facebook’s Community Leadership Panel in October 2019. I met with the Facebook Groups and Products teams and discussed my role as admin for the Virginia Tech Parents group. The panel was live-fed to other Facebook team members across the country, where I shared how the social media platform helps me in running groups as well as suggested enhancements to the tools and features I use. Facebook takes this feedback to develop new products that ultimately help admins create greater, more meaningful impact within our communities. Want to see more behind the scenes photos? Check out my Facebook page here.

Facebook Communities Summit

Since my return from the Facebook Communities Summit in early February, many asked about the event and how I was chosen to attend. Held for the first time at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, CA, the Facebook Communities Summit is an invite-only event hosted by Facebook to connect, support and celebrate community leaders – those of us who admin pages or groups on Facebook whether they be a business, non-profit or cause related organization.

As one of less than 450 participants and 12 speakers chosen to attend, I heard announcements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and others at Facebook about the tools and programs they’re building to support our initiatives. It was my version of attending a Super Bowl, or maybe more apropos, visiting the Mother Ship of technology giants. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share more about this unique experience which was highlighted recently in Inside Business magazine.