Nominate someone for 2012 Vitrue Community Manager of The Year

Since 2010 when Altimeter Group’s Jeremiah Owyang initiated Community Manager Appreciation Day, the 4^th Monday of every January has been set aside to praise and recognize the work these gallant professionals do every day to establish and deepen the real relationships brands have with their fans across the various social networks.

As the technology platform used to publish, moderate and analyze these interactions, and as a provider of thought leadership on community manager best practices, we have a daily front row seat to the work that’s being done out on the front lines.  It takes a special kind of person to live in that netherworldly space between brand representative and consumer advocate, serving as content creator, diplomat, and party host.

This is why Vitrue, in partnership with WOMMA, is following Owyang’s lead and establishing the Vitrue Community Manager of the Year Award, to be given out annually on January 23, and submissions for the inaugural 2012 award are currently underway!

Community managers can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else through October 1, 2012 by going to the award submission site.  For the purposes of this recognition, a community manager is defined as someone who spends at least 50% of their average work day managing, creating content for, moderating, posting, and/or analyzing social streams for brands, companies, or organizations.  All qualified entrants will immediately receive the Vitrue Social Marketing Strategy Kit 2012.

Nominations will be judged by answers to an extensive Q&A.  Once 3 finalists have been chosen, they will be judged 50% on fan and follower support via a voting module, and 50% by a distinguished panel of judges including: Vitrue Founder/CEO Reggie Bradford; The Altimeter Group’s and “Community Manager Appreciation Day” Founder Jeremiah Owyang; famed “Social Explorer” CEO Jason Falls; Weber Shandwick EVP Managing Director of Social Media Stephanie Agresta; and a representative from WOMMA.

All three finalists will be awarded a trip to Las Vegas for November’s “Vitrue School for the Socially Gifted,” including hotel, airfare and all event meals and activities.  Each finalist will be recognized in front of the some of the world’s leading brands at the event with their own video feature.  WOMMA will also feature the finalists during the WOMMA Summit in November, 2012.

The “Vitrue Community Manager of the Year Award” winner will receive, in addition to notoriety within the industry, their choice of the latest version of an iPad or iPhone and a community manager survival kit filled with additional awards and surprises.

We are looking for the largest and broadest level of participation possible, so please submit yourself or a deserving community manager at the link mentioned above prior to the deadline date.  And as always, a big thank-you on this, your special day to all of the talented community managers who make social marketing what it is!