Finally, You’ll Have…
A proven strategy for creating and growing a thriving online community that impacts your business’ bottom line
Community Diagram
Building a community is like throwing a party.

You hang the disco ball, set out the party snacks, and start playing that playlist you spent hours curating, but then something terrible happens…

…no one shows up!

Why? Because you don’t have the commitment from the audience you actually want to serve.

There’s a different kind of party, one much more favorable, that you can learn how to create with a little help from this certification.

It’s the kind of party where you only invite a few people, and 200 guests show up — scary for a high schooler whose parents are out of town, but for a company that is trying to build brand awareness or increase loyalty, this is a dream come true.

When you know how to invite the right people, with the same common goal, your community members will likely do the heavy lifting for you and invite everyone they know.

But then, a lamp breaks.

With so many people in the house, you can feel the chaos intensifying and you think…

“What did I get myself into?!”

As a Community Management Master, you’ll have all the tools to put out any fires, and even stop them before they happen!

For too long, brands have considered online communities to be an “option.”

But that just isn’t the case any more.

Your online audiences are begging to “attend the party” (AKA connect with brands who create valuable, real-life relationships that go beyond transactional interactions).

They want friends to talk to, mentors who will listen, and fans to cheer them on.

The best part? There’s a place for brand communities in every step of your customer’s journey...

Beyond the problems your product solves, there is a whole world out there that your prospects are struggling with. So, why not be a voice of guidance that supports them even BEFORE the sale happens?

And when they do buy your product, they’re looking for a place to share their success and their struggles with people who actually get them and understand what they’re going through. Communities exist to bring customers together who are passionate about your product, but more importantly, they’re passionate about the same end goal.

There may even be advocates or hardcore fans of your product that need support in getting your message out — and there’s a type of community for that, too!

No matter what place your customers are in, it is guaranteed they’re waiting for an invitation to your party. They crave a relationship with your brand that goes deeper than your product or service in itself.

FACT: Businesses need Community Managers
(…who actually know what they’re doing)
Face it.

This whole “relationship building” idea is not familiar to most business owners and marketers.

We’re used to giving out information in mass sums, spitting out the ugly truths of our prospect’s situation in hopes that they will realize our product or service is the only solution!

Community Managers are the key to getting out of the promotional content safe zone and actually standing on the front lines to give audiences a new type of value they can hold on to.

The problem is… most Community Managers don’t know what they’re doing.

They just create a Facebook group, forum or other community platform, add their members, and just hope that their community will gain some traction.

Community Managers who actually know what they’re doing understand the importance of nurturing their members with a solid content and programming strategy that will get (and keep) the conversation going… that’s where you come in!

As a Certified Community Management Specialist, you’ll know exactly how to build a community from the ground up that will grow your brand, your brand advocates, and your overall revenue.

When you become a Certified Community Management Specialist, you’ll discover…

The 10 direct benefits communities can provide for your business (from decreasing churn to increasing revenue and even boosting SEO rankings)
The best way to maintain trust within your community and the CRUCIAL difference between marketing communication and community conversations
The 3 ways community members can carefully use the platform to convert members (and how to do it without destroying the member-brand relationship)
How to determine which of the 8 types of communities your business needs based on how your members define their common bond (hint: purchasing your product is NOT a significant bond)
Communication styles that are most effective when serving your market instead of serving your product (and why no one really cares about your product as much as they do about your brand)
The 3 things every community mission statement MUST include to outline the overall purpose, goal and scope of your community
How to effectively moderate the conversation at all times to maintain a safe, comfortable environment for your members and what to do when trolls start invading your posts (even if you’re a team of one)
Two of the most popular ways to grow an online community that works regardless of your industry (yes, even “boring” products can have flourishing communities)
The 8 types of content that drive compelling discussion and build your community, and why it’s more effective than asking general, non-meaningful questions that create massive, but short-lived engagement
What metrics you should use to measure success and how to prove a positive ROI in your community management efforts
How to keep your members positive and active within the community by using consistent, ritual content that will keep them engaged
The best ways to encourage every type of member to engage with the community — no matter if they’re “newbies” or “salty veterans”
What to look for when choosing a community platform like Facebook Groups, forums, or other social community platforms (you can even build your own platform and own the data)

You and your business are being talked about on social media… right now.

Whether it’s a Facebook post, a tweet on Twitter or a photo on Instagram…

…your prospects and customers have changed the way they voice criticism and praise.

They’ve also changed they way they find and consume information…

…and they’ve even changed the way they buy too.

Successful businesses must adapt their marketing to these changes.

FACT: Businesses NEED Social & Community Managers Now More Than Ever
(…Who Actually Know What They’re Doing)
If you’re here, you already know that having a social media strategy is an important aspect of any digital marketing strategy.

But, if you’re like most businesses, you’re not doing it as well as you know you should be.

Your business needs to have plans and processes in place in order to:

Listen to what your folks are saying about you on social media so you can monitor and respond to customer service and reputation management issues…
Influence them in a positive way, by establishing authority, often through the distribution and sharing of valuable content…
Network and associate with authoritative and influential individuals and brands…
Sell them your products and services, without coming across as sleazy or pushy.
In other words, good social media management helps to control the conversation about your business, leading to positive customer experiences, increased authority and ultimately more leads and sales.

So that’s why businesses need Social and Community Managers.

There’s just one problem: Most so-called “social media managers” don’t know what they’re doing.

That’s where you come in.

As a Certified Social & Community Manager, you’ll learn to assess your business’ goals and employ sound and measurable social media marketing practices to meet those goals.

More specifically, in this master class, you’ll learn:

The “Social Success Cycle” framework that gives you instant clarity on the 4 categories of social media marketing activities (and the category every business should begin with).
How to create your Customer Avatar in order to architect a social media strategy that attracts leads and buyers (our simple Customer Avatar Worksheet will show you how to build your avatar).
How to recognize and leverage the strength (and avoid the weakness) of both “Seeker” and “Engagement” social media channels.
The “10-Minute Social Media Audit” that immediately identifies gaps in your social media marketing so you can close them.
The two categories of social media marketing that can (and should) be automated by software (don’t worry, we tell you which programs to use).
The “Feedback Loop” process that exponentially increases the impact of social media marketing on product/service development, customer service and content creation.
The 5 keyword categories that matter when monitoring the web for customer service and reputation issues (“Listen” for these keywords and you’ll immediately join the social conversation about your brand).
The Social Listening Keyword Research Planner that makes social listening campaign set up a breeze.
How to set up social listening using paid tools (and an alternative method using free tools for those on a tight budget).
The simple 3-Step Social Media Customer Service Plan to employ when dealing with angry customers on public social channels.
4 methods to growing connections on any social channel (look out for the “Indoctrination” and “Bouncing” processes).
7 blog post templates that create high-quality, “shareworthy” blog content with speed (never get stuck for blog post ideas again).
The Social Media Topic Map handout that transforms boring, “ho hum” social media channels into thriving social communities.
The 6-Step “socialization” process you’ll apply to every new piece of content you create (this will maximize your social media exposure).
How to defeat the “Social Fire Hose” (and create social media updates that get noticed in the sea of social status updates).
How to leverage “Long Tail Media Outreach” (in order to generate traffic, links and authority from blogs, podcasts and more).
How to combine Social Media Topic Maps and “The Short List” process to create a network of influencers (these can really can “move the needle” for your business).
How “Reverse Media Outreach” works today (and how to position yourself to take advantage of it).
The “Value First” strategy that seamlessly and subtly transforms casual social media connections into leads and customers (without being sleazy).
3 types of “Value First” offers (and when to use each one).
How to employ “Content Segmentation”, social media and social advertising to ascend social connections to leads and customers.
How to use content + social media to intersect with “The Customer Journey” from the Awareness to Conversion stage.
In short, Certified Social & Community Managers are able to not only manage and control the social conversation about you and your business... they are also able to track, measure and monetize your social media efforts.

If you’re interested in becoming a Certified Social & Community Manager, then I have one question for you…

Are You A “Doer”…or Just a “Talker?”
(or…Why You Might Want To Get Certified)
Let’s face it: Marketing experts are a dime a dozen.

So how do you separate those who “walk the talk” from the ones who merely…

…talk?

That’s the problem!

And at DigitalMarketer, it was our problem, too. You see, we don’t just teach marketing best practices, we actually DO MARKETING for businesses that we ACTUALLY OWN.

We aren’t researchers. We aren’t journalists.

We’re business owners running companies (both online and offline) in B2B and B2C markets selling everything from cosmetics to camping equipment to industrial water filters and everything in-between.

In other words: WE ACTUALLY DO THIS STUFF…

…so we know how hard it is to find truly skilled people who know what they’re talking about.

And that’s why we created the “Social & Community Mastery” course and certification.

We built this certification to train our own team members, but in the spirit of “open sourcing” our business (which is what DigitalMarketer is all about) we’re now making this certification and training available to the world.

In short, we’re making it available to YOU…

Arrow What You’ll Learn In This Course
The Social Success Cycle
Learn the 4 critical categories of social media marketing activities. Understanding the different forms of social communication will help you identify your business goals and focus on the category that best fits your needs.

The “10 Minute Social Media Audit”
Quickly evaluate your social media presence and determine where there are gaps, so you can close them. When you know how often you post and what type of content you regularly provide, you can develop new ways to engage your followers.

Value First Strategies
Learn the appropriate types of offers to make in social media channels, including valuable content, opt-in offers and deep-discount offers. These 3 main offers will seamlessly and subtly transform casual social media connections into leads and customers.

Community Management
Learn how to create and monitor an online community by building relationships and encouraging relationships between members. When your customers have a safe place to discuss your product and their goals, you will decrease churn and increase retention.