I've been getting asked a lot of questions about social media management and it's roll in overall social media ROI. There seems to be a lot of confusion about who should be in charge of communicating with the community once it's created.

First, let me explain that the decision to begin a social media initiative needs to be well defined upfront.

I've walked through this Social Media Tactic Refinement Framework with several brand managers and account directors.

I've found it very useful in helping to define social media initiatives upfront. (read more about this framework)

As goals are being defined, it's important to know that fundamental company competencies are required to ensure the success of the initiative.

Listen: Listening to the community helps a company understand issues its customers are experiencing in real time, which will help the company adapt and respond.

Agile: knowing issues customers are experiencing is great business intelligence, but a company needs to have a process in place that will allow it to effectively respond and incrementally release updates.

Cohesiveness: An agile company that listens, responds, and adapts itself to address customer concerns requires cohesive internal collaboration. This will ensure responsiveness isn't inhibited by traditional bureaucracy.

Accountability: When you have a cohesive team, that's listening responding, & adapting to its customers; each team member needs to be accountable for achieving specific business objectives.

And, those accountable team members should be responsible for listening for specific things from the community.

Consider a recent ladder of accountability I created for a CPG brand. I was able to convince the brand that one 'community manager' wasn't the answer to their social media management issues.

They had asked a number of specific questions about who should be responsible for what; and how to set up an information vetting system. The interesting thing was that when I examined their organizational structure and external vendors; they already had a system created with individuals assigned to address who was responsible for what.

They just needed to recognize that social media can be used for many different things. So I categorized the initiatives the company was currently engaged in; and helped the company realize who should be accountable for each initiative.

Relationship Building: Considered the most important social media initiative by the majority of the company. The plan is to create brand advocates by allowing users to engage with the brand in a more personal way. It was decided that this initiative requires constant participation. Where the person accountable, would be the most active voice of the brand.

Assignment: Community Manager (via Digital AOR)

Locating The Community: Another important initiative; locating where the community is already talking about the brand requires substantial listening and searching. After locating the community, relationship building can begin.

Assignment: Brand Intern

Customer Service: Considered to be 'insurance' against a firememe. If an unhappy or unsatisfied customer engages the community; customer service would help ensure the customers issues are dealt with. Special training/ handling procedures were developed because the team is aware that social media customer service is not one-on-one; but is visible by everyone.

Assignment: Director of Customer Service (and a trained call center team)

Content Generation: A new initiative designed to drive repeat traffic to the brand website; as well as increase user engagement while on the site. This initiative asks users to discuss the brand in new ways; and allows the brand to pull that content into various marketing initiatives.

Assignment: Brand Manager & Account Director (via Digital AOR)

SEO: As part of ongoing SEO; all social media initiatives are frequently reviewed and adapted to include SEO suggestions.

Assignment: Search Analyst (Consultant)

Business Research: Collection and analysis of customer feedback for various purposes. Research initiatives are rare and occasionally get integrated into marketing initiatives. (i.e. fill out a survey to win)

Assignment: CMO, Business Strategist

Running through this exercise helped the company assign accountability. Now that specific individuals were accountable for specific initiatives; they were able to begin listening for what really mattered.