2. Technical support. A moderator with excellent product knowledge can help answer technical questions recognize and reward product savvy customers in the community.

3. Concierge. The forum moderator might well be the only person that your customers have a relationship with and becomes the ‘go to’ when a customer wants something.

4. Marketing and PR. Building buzz in the forum leading up to a product announcement, identifying happy customers who are willing to participate in case studies and rewarding customers who promote your brand.

5. Sales. Identifying an up-sell or cross-sell opportunity. Since moderators should advocate for customers, it’s probably better that they not be asked to actually sell to them.

6. Strategist. The community moderator is immersed in the customer experience and is well positioned to gauge the reaction to new products or initiatives, help create customer personas, help identify unmet customer needs and provide other inputs to your company’s strategic plans.

Given how a good community manager/moderator can contribute to the success of a business, the executive in charge should choose carefully when hiring someone to manage the forum.