Robyn Tippins is a community manager at ReadWriteWeb with 15 years online marketing experience. Also she is an   Author of Community 101 book. You can follow Robyn on Twitter ,  Linkedin or Facebook. G: How did you build your experience as community strategist? had learned as a forum moderator that it was important to be a part of the community and to be an expert in your field. G: What are your top resources for community management? Otherwise I just watch my RSS feed for ‘community management’ and check out what people are discussing. MORE >>

When it comes to social media and the influencer who wins – those you know but aren’t experts or those you don’t know who are? Digg has changed it’s social networking strategy from spotlighting key influencers who “digg&# a lot of articles to collect followers (crowd gatherers) to news from your friends. Of course, there’s a whole other blog post on how “stranger&# influencers become our friends – especially as we follow them on Facebook and Twitter and “get to know them&#. Stranger Influencers. Authors. MORE >>

Many brands now opt to put “Find us on Facebook” next to or even in place of their own web address as they hope to build a community around their brand. Of course, as long as the Facebook page is managed properly –. For one, effort should be taken to make the Facebook page effective as a community tool. Don’t use Facebook to display a ton of information, just the vitals. Even 52% of people feel that they directly influence the brands they follow on Facebook and Twitter through interaction. Probably. Is this a smart move? MORE >>

Here are 15 thriving online communities you might want to explore. My favourite community. The community for teachers. great example of clear, effective, Ning design creating a decent online community for today’s Baristas. Designers unite, this is the coolest community for one of the coolest audiences. true example of building a business for a community and not a community for a business. Game-mechanics overload and a very active online community for today’s top gamers. Does a good job of mixing content and community. Mumsnet. MORE >>

Many suggest that you need to get as many people as possible to retweet your tweets, share and comment on your posts, like and comment on as many Facebook posts as possible, and to get more followers. don’t know where people are getting the idea that a high Klout score or ‘level of influence’ alone will make them stand out in the crowd. One thing some people need to understand is that real influence cannot be bought or manipulated. Influence is simply earned throughout your life, work, dedication and achievements. This makes me sick to my stomach. MORE >>