MEAA forms new partnership with ACM

MEAA has formed a new partnership with Australian Community Managers (ACM), the country’s largest network for Australian community management professionals.

Under the partnership, ACM members will be able to apply for a special MEAA membership.

Founded in 2008, ACM exists to support and advance the working lives of community management professionals in Australia, and help grow the industry locally in conjunction with international peers.

Its growing 4000 + members fill diverse roles across online communities in both private and public organisations and businesses across Australia.

The ACM annual survey examines working realities of community management professionals, including challenges around compensation, hours worked, workload and online harassment.

To help address these issues and offer additional support and resources for Australian community management professionals, ACM has teamed up with MEAA to create an affordable, custom membership for community managers.

The partnership was officially unveiled today in at the annual Swarm Conference, organised by ACM and held this year in Melbourne.

“MEAA recognises that the media industry is changing rapidly and the growth of community management is evidence of this,” said MEAA Chief Executive Paul Murphy.

“But in many ways, the needs of workers in the media industry remain the same. We are excited about working with ACM to build an industry where its members can have a job with fair conditions, where their skills are respected and they have the tools to excel.”

“As community management work encompasses skill-sets and subject matter expertise from numerous other disciplines (such as sociology, communications, marketing, journalism and community relations), it can be difficult to align it with existing professional bodies and communities,” said Venessa Paech, ACM co-founder.

For $5 a week, ACM members will gain access to many of MEAA’s services, regular bulletins with industry news and special offers and preferred access to professional development and networking events. MEAA will also lend its long experience of industry campaigning and advocacy to the ACM membership.

“We’re delighted to be working with the MEAA to help ensure community managers have access to working protections other occupations enjoy as we often fall through the gaps – in practice and understanding. ACM is excited to see how this partnership can further raise the profile of this growing profession and offer additional support to the community management profession in our region,” said Alison Michalk, ACM co-founder.