Community Signal
is a legend of the online community profession. After 30 years, she has retired. But what does it mean when we retire from this work? Her career began AOL in 1994, building communities and managing a massive volunteer program. Among her numerous stops, Rebecca found a focus in child safety, leading such efforts for Sulake (the company behind Habbo Hotels and Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom), Mind Candy (Moshi Monsters), and most recently SuperAwesome, a provider of tools for safer, responsible digital engagement with young people, who was acquired by Epic Games. A program manager for...
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Employee resource groups (ERGs) can do a lot to create a greater sense of belonging at your organization. But the folks who volunteer to lead these groups may find themselves in need of help when it comes to utilizing perhaps the greatest tool at their disposal: Your internal employee community platform. As a community strategist within large organizations, has trained employees to help them get the most out of these platforms. She has also managed two large migrations, both from Jive, and that has led her to have a (in her words) cynical perspective on the resources made available...
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Elon Musk’s presence has loomed over Twitter since he announced plans to purchase the platform. And for these few weeks that he’s been in charge, many concerns have proven to be justified. Musk , and then . He is . The verification process, perhaps one of Twitter’s most trusted features, has been unraveled. He’s offered severance to those who don’t want to be part of Following the results of a Twitter poll, , who was suspended from the platform for his role in inciting the January 6th attacks. So, what happens now? What of the many social movements that...
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As customer base and product offerings have grown, so has its community. The Zendesk community started in 2008, under the support organization, as a space for people to ask and answer questions about using the product. Since then, it has shifted departments multiple times, leading to changes in KPIs and core purpose. , the company’s director of community, joins the show to explain how she has navigated these challenges. Tune in for her approach on thoughtfully managing change and expectations within your community and inside of your organization. Patrick and Nicole also discuss: ...
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Recently, community pro Danielle Maveal joined Community Signal to discuss . In this episode, we’re getting the opposite perspective from product leader . Gitesh and Patrick worked together at CNN, where community reported into product. And while the product and community that they were building were short lived, they both speak highly of their time working together. Gitesh describes creating a team atmosphere where each individual’s expertise was respected and given room to ladder into organizational goals, giving each person the opportunity to see the impact of their work....
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If you’re wondering how you can more actively foster safety and belonging for LGBTQ+ folks in your online community, there’s precedent to learn and borrow from. In this episode of Community Signal, we’re joined by , the CEO and founder of . Venia shares lessons from her decade of experience building community for LGBTQ+ individuals, which started when she began sharing her transition journey on YouTube. Patrick and Venia discuss tools, policies, and practices that can help build queer friendly spaces over time. For example, how easy is it for someone to edit their profile...
info_outlinePeople have gotten crafty when it comes to staying connected during this time of social distancing. Zoom calls with family and friends, Animal Crossing weddings, and drive-through birthday parties are just a few of the ways we’re showing up for the people we care about. HER, a dating and social app for LGBTQ+ womxn and queer people, is also doing its part to foster safe socializing for its community. That said, you might say this comes as first nature to HER, because safety has always been a must when it comes to representing and providing a space for their members.
In this episode of Community Signal, HER’s head of community, Shana Sumers, discusses the recent changes that have been made to help community members stay connected during the pandemic. She also shares some of the tools and policies that keep members of HER safe from scams and persecution because of their sexual identity or gender orientation.
Patrick and Shana also discuss:
- How community moderators make a difference on HER
- Reasons why members find value in HER even after finding a partner through the community
- Delivering a premium and safe experience on HER without forcing everyone to pay a premium
- Why the 40+ community is Shana’s favorite on the app
Our Podcast is Made Possible By…
If you enjoy our show, please know that it’s only possible with the generous support of our sponsor: Discourse.
Big Quotes
When you happen upon a scammer meeting (12:47): “It’s almost like [scammers] have a room where they have figured it all out. … We’ve even caught some of our scammers having conversations with each other when they figure out there’s code words that they have. It’s just a whole mastermind process.” –@shanahasatwitr
Ensuring the safety of HER’s LGBTQ+ community (18:44): “We’re available in [about] 113 countries worldwide, but we [also pay attention to] where it’s still illegal to be an out LGBTQ+ person and where people get highly prosecuted. … We wanted to be sure that the app was available in places that it was safe. If you were comfortable enough to come onto the app and show your face, that that’s because you were in an area where you can, and if you didn’t, that you have the option to be able to with our incognito mode.” –@shanahasatwitr
Why building your brand and profile on HER could lead to more dates (26:35): “[We saw adding posts to your profile] as a way to hold people accountable, [but it’s also] a way for you to build your brand and make yourself seem more appealing to the community, which would then lead to more likes, more messages, and hopefully more dates.” –@shanahasatwitr
Fostering inclusivity for the HER community (36:27): “Our community is so intersectional that we want to be able to find ways that everybody can feel represented. Even though we do have a big group of people who identify as lesbian or bisexual, it’s not far off to have people who are identifying as non-binary and we want to be sure that all of those are represented, all of those fit, and thankfully, the profiles give us a lot of data in that area so we can continue to adjust and make sure that people are seeing things that make them feel like they are part of the community.” –@shanahasatwitr
About Shana Sumers
Shana Sumers is a black, queer womxn, who is the head of community for HER App, the largest social and dating app for LGBTQ+ womxn and queer people. With a community of over five million users worldwide, Shana has worked from the ground up to launch and grow a community that supports the wants and needs for this rainbow-filled group. Online communities, in-person events, social media, content creation, email marketing and customer support are just scratching the surface of skills utilized by Shana on a day to day basis.
Related Links
- Sponsor: Discourse, civilized discussion for teams, customers, fans, and communities
- Shana Sumers on Twitter
- The HER App
- Incognito mode has arrived
- HER’s community guidelines
- HER premium
- We Met on HER
- COPPA: Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule
- Shana’s podcast: Bad Queers
Transcript
Your Thoughts
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