Brando

If you blinked last month you probably missed Community Manager Appreciation Day which sources tell us is the fourth Monday of every January. I’ll be waiting for Hallmark to come out with the cards for next year, but in the mean time this infographic from Get Satisfaction sums it all up pretty nicely.

As a recent addition to the Social Media family, I can confidently say, at some point I’ve felt like each one of these personalities that manifests itself in the mind of the Community Manager. I especially can relate to the “Pinata” personality, “After being beaten with sticks, must still give out candy. *Or like a unicorn, has to f*rt glitter and rainbows.” Nice visual.

The role of the Community Manager isn’t easy as it looks and is increasingly coming under scrutiny from clients and companies who are looking for solid ROI results instead of sentiment metrics and fan loyalty. The upcoming Social Media Week in New York (Feb 7-11, 2011) will tackle some of these issues throughout the week with a solid program including:

Myth Busting: The Reality of Working in Social Media #socialmyths

Myth #1 – Social Media = Getting paid to do what others do in their spare time.

Myth #2 – Only youthful hipsters work in social media

The Inner Workings: Staffing for Social Media

Follow along at #SMWNYCNEW and see full schedule for Social Media Week here.

So even if you missed Community Manager Appreciation Day feel free to give your Community Manager a hug, sweets or even better, a “like” on one of their posts.