Question

Topic: Strategy

Tips On Mktg A New Social Learning Community

Posted by Cabellsn08 on 4/20/2012 at 9:54 AM ET 250 Points
My company is launching a new social learning subscription community (similar in concept to MarketingProfs) for project managers. I'm working on the marketing plan and I've looked at the MarketingProfs model for inspiration. Any advice or suggestions on how to get the word out?
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  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 4/20/2012 at 10:23 AM Accepted
    Announcements on professional groups on LinkedIn, relevant industry groups on Facebook, articles to relevant industry blogs, comments on articles on industry blogs ... these will all help. As will multiple formats for your content delivery. Also look at banner ads, link exchanges, and keyword optimized videos.
  • Posted by Cabellsn08 on 4/20/2012 at 10:43 AM Author
    Thanks Gary, sounds like I'm on track then these are all things we're planning on for the launch. Any thoughts on messaging? Unlike MarketingProfs our community does not have a free membership option, we do have a 'freeview' but they don't need to create a login for that. Monthly memberships start at $25 for basic and $75 for masters. I'm worried that we've handicapped ourselves with only paid memberships. I guess I'm struggling with balancing creating buzz and excitement while selling people on the value.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/20/2012 at 2:00 PM Accepted
    Give away samples of some of your offerings - some white papers, some webinars, etc. Allow people to see the amazing value in your free offerings to give them a sense of what the benefit for your memberships. If you can, provide free abstracts to many of your articles (so people can see the breadth of your offerings as well).
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 4/22/2012 at 2:04 PM Accepted
    Split your content so that 25 percent of it is free to all. The remainder is what you charge your fees on. Get people to create a log in and password and you build a LIST that you can then upsell and cross sell to.
  • Posted by Thorsten Strauss on 5/12/2012 at 3:20 PM Member
    Focus on quality over quantity.

    Some of the short tips on MPs are really too general or not helpful. You want to remain relevant first and then comprehensive second.

    Why build and promote ? That is so old school.

    Engage and cooperate instead. Start by engaging with your target audience. Sell the vision and the benefit, then ask for their help to make it great. Get their point of view. Even is you know it already or have concrete ideas - LISTEN. Then ENLIST them. Enlist them to help with topics, prioritization, deal shaping , price point setting, identification of competitors , solution or service development and also with promotion. Having others promote you is much more powerful.

    The benefit is that this "pre-selling" has customers lined up around the block by the time you are ready to launch.

    Good Luck !
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