The world of online marketing is not an ocean you have to sail alone. There are plenty of other sailors on the same sea, many of which are willing to share their knowledge and expertise.
An excellent place to look for this help is one of the many online marketing communities. Facebook and Slack are full of them.
Benefits of Participating in Online Marketing Communities for Marketers 2023
Groups and communities have been fundamental features of Facebook for many years, but now other platforms are jumping on board. Groups on these platforms are growing in popularity because they can offer solutions to many of the issues faced by marketers today.
Many content marketers consider membership in these groups a valuable tool. Here are the reasons why:
- Connection: You’re able to connect with like-minded people who are doing the same thing as you. If you’re part of a small team or work remotely, this connection is valuable.
- Professional relationships: You’ll build valuable relationships with other people. You might, for example, find a guest author for your blog.
- Communication: You’ll be in direct communication with influencers and industry experts.
- Advice: Look for advice and learn more about some of the industry problems.
- Sharing: Not only will you learn from others, but you’ll also be able to share your own expertise and offer advice.
- Employment: Look for work or find possible employees.
- News and trends: You’ll be able to keep up-to-date with breaking news and industry trends.
It’s safe to say that not all groups are created equal. So here’s a definitive list of the best online marketing communities based on recommendations, personal experience, and thorough research.
1. Link Building + Guest Posts + Collabs (Travel Bloggers)
Type of community: Facebook community
Who can benefit: New and established travel bloggers
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/170657847046780/
Member count: 3.2K members
Created in 2018, this Facebook community is a private group, so you have to request membership and answer a few questions that will confirm whether you are a travel blogger.
The recent pandemic has meant that many travel bloggers have spent the last 12 months or so honing their blogging skills. This means there are lots of useful tips and advice for anyone just starting.
2. Link Building Collab & Exchange Community
Type of community: Facebook community
Who can benefit: Marketers and SEO professionals
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1754418361382518/
Member count: 1.2K members
This members-only group is a great place to discuss your marketing, SEO, and blogging tactics and share industry news. It’s also a pretty fun place to be from time to time. When you request membership, you’ll be asked a few group questions.
3. Link Building Mastermind
Type of community: Facebook community
Who can benefit: Marketers and SEO professionals
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/307508540624012/
Member count: 1.4K members
Request membership to this group, and you’ll have to answer a few pertinent questions. After your request is accepted, you’ll be able to participate in discussions about marketing strategies, whatever the color of your hat.
4. Travel Blogger Link Swap Group
Type of community: Facebook community
Who can benefit: Travel bloggers
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TravelBloggerLinkSwapGroup/
Member count: 3.3K members
This private Facebook group is only for travel bloggers. However, it’s a great place to spend time if you want to learn more about building your travel blog and connecting with other travel bloggers. It’s a friendly and helpful community and one that’s administered strictly.
5. DNW Link Building For Lifestyle Blogs
Type of community: Facebook community
Who can benefit: Lifestyle bloggers
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247869639417877/
Member count: 1.1K members
This private Facebook community is only for lifestyle bloggers. It’s a great place to be if you’re looking for help with increasing the traffic for your blog.
6. B2B Bloggers Boost Group
Type of community: Facebook community
Who can benefit: Mid-size B2B SaaS companies, agencies, or independent bloggers
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199662247332487/
Member count: 1.5K members
The focus of this community group is the authentic promotion of high-quality content, and there are lots of members to help you reach your goals.
7. Growthchat
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Anyone who wants to learn more about content marketing.
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://growthchat.slack.com/
Member count: 300 members
This is a private Slack group run by Sujan Patel. This selective community is a place where you can swap tips on growth hacking and marketing.
8. Marketers Chat on Slack
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Affiliate marketers
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://chat.aff.io/
Member count: 3K+ members
The focus of this community is affiliate marketing, but more specifically, paid search. You’ll find dedicated paid search and media buying channels where you’ll be able to discuss strategies or ask for help.
9. Online Geniuses
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Job hunters, marketers, SEOs, and IT professionals
Cost: n/a
Sign-up link: https://onlinegeniuses.com/
Member count: 19k members
Online Geniuses started out as a Skype chat group, but as its membership grew, it moved to Slack. Membership applications are strictly vetted, which ensures you’re only connecting with the best in digital marketing.
10. Growmance
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Marketers looking for marketing tips, startup, and business owners
Cost: Free
Sign-up link:https://slofile.com/slack/growmance
Member count: 1K + members
Growmance is an online Slack community of marketing enthusiasts who are excited to share growth marketing tips and ideas to help each other.
11. CRO Growth Hacks on Slack
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Anyone wanting to learn more about conversion rate optimization
Cost: free
Sign-up link: https://www.ometrics.com/cro-growth-hacks/
Member count: 1K + members
CRO Growth Hacks is a Slack group where you’ll find discussions about conversion rate optimization hacks. It’s a great place to find ideas and learn about using techniques such as SEO, SEM, email, CRO, and business strategies.
12. SuperPath Content Career Growth
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Content marketers
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://superpath.co/
Member count: 4.5K+ members
SuperPath is the community to join if you want to take part in high-level discussions on topics such as networking, writing, and content strategy. There is also a popular job board that covers a variety of content-specific roles.
13. Seotional
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Digital marketers and SEO professionals
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://slofile.com/slack/seotional
Member count: 101 members
Join Seotional, and you’ll find like-minded digital marketers and SEO professionals who are discussing industry-specific topics.
14. Link Building HQ
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Link builders, guest bloggers, and SEOs
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://linkbuilding.community/
Member count: 1K+ members
This is an invite-only community where you’ll be able to build relationships with guest bloggers, SEOs, and marketers.
15. Growth and Seo Professionals
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Digital marketers and content creators
Cost: Free
Sign-up link: https://growthandseo.com/
Member count: 1.5K members
Connect with professional content creators you wouldn’t usually cross paths with. You’ll gain access to insights, opinions, and questions from some of the brightest minds in SEO.
16. Traffic Think Tank
Type of community: Slack community
Who can benefit: Marketers who are looking for inspiration and ideas.
Cost: $119 per month
Sign-up link: https://trafficthinktank.com/
Member count: 3K + members
This Slack community was founded by the best SEO experts, and it’s a place where you can get inspiration. Content available includes hours of videos, live events, private webinars, and resources.
The goal of a marketing interaction isn’t to close the sale, any more than the goal of a first date is to get married. No, the opportunity is to move forward, to earn attention and trust and curiosity and conversation. – Seth Godin
Online Marketing Communities according to Reddit:
Digital marketing spaces like Moz or Search Engine Land offer more commenting than peer-to-peer interactions. Hacker News targets the IT crowd but has valuable marketing threads. Marketo, Hubspot, and Trailblazers communities are product-focused.
You might be interested to check those related posts as well:
- 10 Best Marketing Newsletters to Subscribe To [2023 List]
- 9 Fundamental Components Of An Effective Brand Strategy
- The Best Strategies To Increase Sales On Your Online Store
Final Thoughts
You can join hundreds of online marketing communities, but not all offer the same helpful advice. However, the ones listed above have proven themselves to be worthy of featuring in a list of the best online marketing communities.
Before finishing up, here are a few tips to help you make the most of these communities:
- Always read the rules carefully before making a post.
- Introduce yourself when you first join. Let other members know where you’re based, the project or role you’re currently working on, and what you hope to gain from or bring to the community.
- Try to share as much value as possible.
- Avoid sales-focused or promotional posts.
- Look to build genuine, long-term relationships worthy of being included, and you’ll reap the rewards in the future.