Social media marketing professionals are well aware of the significance of community. However, there has been a lack of communities created specifically for them for quite some time. We aimed to alter this situation.
Launched in March 2022, The Arboretum (Arb), an online community driven by Sprout, has transformed into a bustling center for individuals in the social and marketing field, ranging from everyday workers to top-level management. With more than 30 private events held, including presentations from prominent brand representatives and various group conversations, the community delivers real benefits to participants from 69 different nations.
The Arb community, which was launched publicly in April 2023, has seen significant growth in engagement, with a steady increase in members. Just recently, we reached a new achievement—The Arb now has over 10,000 members made up of social professionals from all over the world, and not limited to just Sprout customers.
Discover what sets The Arb apart as an energetic and lively community. Continue reading to uncover how members have benefited from the platform and the insights we’ve gained in creating a thriving brand community.
The strength of a community driven by its members.
Social media marketers continually seek opportunities to learn and connect with seasoned peers and exchange thoughts and ideas. They value the power of a member-driven community—a significant factor contributing to the success of The Arb.
Ironically, there have been very few singular, inclusive spaces for social professionals to come together, connect and share experiences. The Arb has successfully filled that void and is steadily evolving into a central hub for the social community.
Arb members enjoy the many perks the community provides, from upskilling and troubleshooting real social media challenges to having fun with community giveaways. Here’s a look at some of them.
Keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your field.
Social media is one of the most dynamic spaces in marketing, where new platforms emerge weekly and algorithms seem to change even faster than that. Having a reliable brand community you can lean on to stay ahead of emerging industry trends is invaluable.
Jeff MacDonald, Social Strategy Director at Mekanism says, “I love that the Arb has programming specific to topics and trends in our industry. It’s great to hear from others doing this job and ask them questions in real time. I also love the ability to log in and read the questions others are asking, it makes it easy to keep up with the latest platform changes.”
Build authentic connections
Members of the Arboretum community have a secure environment where they can engage and form authentic relationships with fellow members and professionals in the field. They are able to pose targeted inquiries and obtain assistance without fear of criticism.
Members get an insider’s view into how other social teams across countries and domains operate and draw from shared experiences to reach their goals. Whether it’s about new social media tools or exploring effective customer marketing strategies, these interactions give Arb members a fresh perspective on a number of important topics.
Industry-specific connections via our industry peer groups are especially helpful because advice comes from people who understand the challenges of the job first-hand. Members talk shop and share their unique marketing challenges with peers from their industry and exchange best practices that have actually worked.
Nycole Hampton, the Senior Director of Content and Engagement Marketing at GoodRx, believes that an industry’s strength lies in the collaboration and shared knowledge of its professionals. She sees The Arb as the meeting ground for social marketing experts to come together, learn from one another, and collectively enhance their careers and the industry as a whole.
Members also discover more impactful ways to communicate the value of social to leadership teams. As one social media manager says, “Conversations with a peer helped me develop a new way of measuring and communicating the importance of community management to my team’s leadership!”
Access free events
The Arb hosts an ever-growing panel of thought leaders and social media influencers who are shaping the world of social media marketing. Members tap into this expert pool and benefit from free marketing resources such as webinars and industry-specific discussion boards. These resources help them brainstorm innovative social strategies and ideate on ways to stay competitive in a constantly shifting terrain while building efficient teams.
Jenny Li Fowler, the Social Media Strategy Director at MIT and a published author, states, “The wonderful aspect of the Arb is its dedication to fostering a sense of community, as well as offering a platform for social media experts to connect, seek advice, and acquire knowledge. The complimentary webinars provided by The Arboretum are top-notch within the field.”
Members who are Sprout customers receive previews of Sprout feature releases so they can play an active role in helping shape the product. They can submit ideas and feedback that directly reach our Product team.
Additionally, all members have access to an industry-focused job board to search for new career opportunities or source candidates.
Improve your individual reputation
Our members are diverse—we have early-career professionals, aspiring thought leaders and seasoned professionals. They all have informed, unique and rich opinions and are hungry for a platform to share their expertise. They aspire to build their own personal brand outside of the brand(s) that they represent on social.
Monthly member spotlights, speakership opportunities and our member-led webinars and peer groups help Arb members do just this. Being a truly member-focussed community, The Arb ensures everyone has the chance to discover and cultivate their voice and refine their social sophistication.
Throughout our journey, we’ve gained valuable knowledge and insights.
Creating a successful community is one of the most demanding tasks for social teams. There are no shortcuts. But as our team discovered, with a clear focus and sustained dedication, you can establish a brand community that builds meaningful connections between its members and provides tangible value.
Below are key insights we’ve found to be critical to building a successful community of practice.
Concentrate on achieving your objectives.
Effective community building requires a long-term, thoughtful strategy that ensures your content and programs align with your organizational goals and values. That’s why it’s important to identify a vision for your community from the beginning.
Ask yourself—Why should our community exist? Are we trying to solve customers’ problems or is our primary aim to bring our product users together? Is our objective to promote our brand? Or do we envision the community as a place to bring the industry together? These vital questions will act as your guardrails.
Community building is a long-term commitment and investment, where the trajectory can often seem like a rollercoaster. But as long as you keep your goals as the north star and focus on foundation-setting, you’ll gain momentum.
Recognize the requirements of your audience.
Get to know why members use the community and how they integrate the community into their routines. This knowledge helps you improve community programming (such as peer groups or events) and add greater value.
Also understand what your audience’s pain points are, and how the community can help address them. It involves coming from a place of deep empathy for your audience and walking a mile in their shoes to know exactly what kind of a “third” place they seek.
Keep in mind that the focus of the community should be on its members, not yourself. By engaging them with relevant content and activities, you can encourage them to stick around for the welcoming environment you have established.
Don’t be afraid to experiment
Listen to what community members are saying and track engagement. Keep an open mind and identify what areas are resonating most with members. Recognizing when an approach is ineffective and requires a fresh start is crucial in ensuring a community’s success.
“Build it and they will come” is the most flawed assumption many community builders make. Your audience owes you nothing; they are not obligated to join your community just because you exist. You have to make it worth their time by offering them tangible value, and authentic connections and conversations.
Engage consistently
Consistently engaging with community members and monitoring their needs is key to community building because communities don’t become a habit or daily routine for members overnight.
As leaders and managers of the community, it is important for us to establish routines that will hopefully develop into habits. This is why the Arb consistently organizes online seminars, group discussions among peers, monthly highlights of members, weekly social media updates every Friday, and other opportunities for engagement.
Don’t let it dishearten you if a strategy doesn’t yield immediate results – it can take a while to gain traction. As long as you are confident that you are delivering real value with it, you must stay the course.
Embrace feedback
Be open to feedback even if it’s not what you were hoping for because listening to member feedback and actually implementing it is the most effective way to show members they matter. It tells your community that it’s truly about them. And it gives you tangible direction to pivot your strategies toward success.
People care—that’s why they provide feedback. And the more the members feel like their feedback is heeded, the more they feel a sense of ownership in the community and it truly starts to become their community versus yours.
Advance your career with The Arb
As a community of practice, The Arb transcends the Sprout platform. We have a significant number of members who are not Sprout customers or users who still find value in this community. If you’re looking to advance your social sophistication and domain expertise and form your own circle of trust within the social sphere, this is the place for you. Crowdsource best practices, stay informed on algorithm changes and find opportunities to give back to the industry through mentorship, panel discussions and speaking engagements.
Join the Arb today to connect with peers and participate in new programs we’ll be rolling out in early 2024, including 1:1 mentorship opportunities.
The post Inside The Arboretum: How Sprout built a 10,000-member strong community appeared first on Sprout Social.
The 10,000-member Arboretum Community of Sprout is a lively and diverse collection of individuals who share a love for gardening and nature. Situated in the Midwest’s core, the Arboretum Community is open to all who wish to discover, learn, and connect with like-minded people.
The Arboretum Community is a sanctuary for those passionate about gardening, botany, and the natural world. It hosts a variety of events and activities for its members, including gardening technique workshops, botany lectures, and excursions to nearby botanical gardens. The Arboretum also organizes special events year-round such as plant sales, garden tours, and plant identification workshops.
The Arboretum Community is an ideal place to meet new people and form friendships. Its members come from various backgrounds, ranging from seasoned gardeners to beginners. All are encouraged to participate in discussions and conversations about gardening and nature.
Additionally, the Arboretum Community offers its members access to an array of resources. Members can utilize the Arboretum’s library filled with gardening and botany books, as well as articles and videos on related subjects. The Arboretum also has an online forum for members to ask questions and seek advice from fellow members.
The Arboretum Community is a wonderful place for anyone interested in gardening and the great outdoors to explore and learn. With its diverse membership and extensive resources, it’s no surprise that it has become one of the most beloved gardening communities in the Midwest. Whether you’re in search of guidance or simply want to connect with others, the Arboretum Community is an excellent starting point.
Source: sproutsocial.com
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