Our helpful series of free, short community strategy, community management and community building training modules are designed to help everyone, from those new to online communities, to experienced community managers.
In addition to our community strategy training series, we're listing useful resources for community managers and community strategists we've developed such as The Ultimate Online Community Glossary and The Periodic Table of Community Strategy.
The Guild team includes community strategy and community management specialists with decades of experience.
We’re constantly updating our community strategy training series, resources and articles. And we run regular Community Strategy and Community Management webinars, virtual and in-person events.
Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to get updates and join Guild Community Collective - a community for community managers and social media managers, community builders and strategists to connect and collaborate on all things community and social media.
Community Strategy Training Articles
Free training for community builders, community managers and community strategists developed by our community professionals with decades of community building experience.
What is an online community?
An online community is where people come together to interact, share knowledge and build relationships. Find out more in our in-depth guide.
The history of online communities
Online communities have been around for a long time. In this post, we look at their history, and how they have evolved over time.
What are the different types of online community?
Online communities can be divided into different broad categories. At Guild we call these the "5Ps of community" - practice, play, product, place or purpose. Discover what these types of communities do (with examples of each).
The complete guide to the online community lifecycle
Communities go through life stages in the same way as their members move from childhood to old age. We look at how to make sure your community strategy can help you understand, anticipate and plan for the different stages.
How to align Community to your organisation or business goals
In this Community Strategy Training module, we look at how to align your online community strategy to business goals and set clear objectives.
Onboarding online community members
In this Community Strategy Training module, we look at how to create effective onboarding processes that help community members sign up, feel comfortable and start engaging in your community.
What are rituals and how do they help online communities?
Rituals are a key part of any successful community - even if you don't know the term, you've certainly seen some in action. But what are rituals, and how do they help your community to grow and your members to engage more?
How to create Community Guidelines
Community Guidelines tell your members what behaviours are encouraged or are unacceptable. Get them right and you'll save time and build a more successful, happier community.
Community Strategy Resources
Free resources to help community managers plan, launch and sustain successful communities, groups and networks.
The Ultimate Online Community Glossary 100+ community terms and acronyms defined in our comprehensive online community glossary for community managers.
Introducing the Periodic Table of Community Strategy Discover the most important considerations in online community strategy distilled into a quick reference visual - the Periodic Table of Community Strategy.
Insights from the first Guild Community Summit Key learnings from the Guild Community Summit and access speaker slides, videos and other resources from the event for community professionals.
What is Community-based marketing (CBM)?
You’ve heard of ABM (Account-Based Marketing), but what about CBM (Community-Based Marketing)? Read this guid about the latest development in marketing - CBM and community led growth.
Community Management Skills
Learn how to refine your community management and community-building skills with these free tips and guides from people who 'do' online and virtual community daily.
A list of community engagement techniques
Tips on how to encourage community engagement. Practical tips to increase engagement in your groups, networks and online communities.
How to combine events with Community
A practice guide sharing tips on aligning online community and event. From promoting an event via a community, to seeking year-round engagement with your audience.
Lessons from the first 90 days of running a new Guild Community
From articulating a compelling community purpose to managing member expectations and encouraging engagement, we share lessons on running an online community.
Advanced Community Strategy thinking
Advanced community strategy thinking from our community experts. These articles explore how community is disrupting business models and how traditional community building is evolving.
AI and Community - opportunity or risk?
Global community experts Venessa Paech, Richard Millington, Gregor Young and Blaise Grimes-Viort discuss the impact of AI on community building in this free, on-demand webinar.
Community trends 2023
30 community experts share their views on the key trends in community (Community Based Marketing (CBM), The impact of AI, The great social media migration, pop-up communities, closer alignment to influencer marketing and employee advocacy etc.) and how to adapt to them.
12 ways publishers get ROI from Community
Why publishers are developing virtual communities, how to monetise community and increase the value of sponsorship, membership and subscription.
The future of professional services - Community-Powered Market Networks
Guild founder and CEO Ashley Friedlein explains what 'market networks' are, why are they the future for professional services and how they will be community-driven.
Why we need to ban the term 'lurker' in community strategy
A member of an online community who doesn't actively engage in a community is often described as a 'lurker'. We explain why it's time to use new terminology.
Join a community for community professionals
Guild is home to a large community of strategists, community managers, social media experts and other professionals who share their experience and knowledge about all things community strategy.
Request to join Professional Community Leaders, a free online community and centre of excellence for professional community strategy and practice. Or apply to join Guild Community Collective, a free online community for community and social media professionals, however experienced you are.
Share best practices, ideas, inspiration, interesting content and resources. Get feedback from the group on ideas and initiatives, develop partnerships and make useful contacts and connections.
We run virtual, in-person and hybrid events in both communities where we hope many of you will be able to meet.
