After having to do a hand-over of all my organisation’s social media accounts before going on a few weeks holiday – I can say that it is absolutely key that you make those introductions.

If you don’t, you risk the new person’s tone being rather different than yours – suddenly your well-built credibility would crumble as people realise they’ve had a switch pulled on them – with no warning or explanation.

Introductions need to be made honestly, friendly and obviously in a tone that your community has come to expect. If the new person has a similiar communication style to you, it could make the transition easier for the community as well.

I think also that the new person can get a of a kick out of seeing all the welcome messages from the community, and it can help them settle in the role easier if they feel welcome and accepted. That’s the experience my colleague and I had, others’ mileage may vary.