If you are a marketer that isn’t using Slack channels outside your company group, I’m about to change your life.
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As you probably already know, Slack is a messaging app for teams that radically cuts down on email and makes corporate communication more efficient by relying on Slack channels. It’s intuitive, it’s effective, and it’s weirdly fun to use.
When Slack was chosen as Inc. Magazine’s Company of the Year in 2015, Jeff Bercovici wrote about the emotional attachment users have to Slack almost immediately upon use. Slack is a very simple concept, but people are obsessed. With the interface, the efficiency, the attention to detail, the integration with other products, the immeasurable delight of automatic GIF use…the list goes on.
Who better to appreciate such a product than the digital marketing community?
And appreciate it they have. Slack channels extend far beyond the one you use for work. There are Slack channels for designers, developers, freelancers, music festivals, psychedelic miscellanea, and yes – many, many for marketers.
Here are seven Slack Channels every marketer should join:
1. OnlineGeniuses
Members: 15,000+
Online Geniuses is the biggest (and fastest growing) Slack channel for marketers, and with good reason. The OG group boasts members from top companies including Facebook, Macy’s, GrubHub, Google, Best Buy, Viacom, and engagement is always high.
You truly can get real-time advice on all 59 channels, from some of the most popular like #socialmediamarketing and #seo to the smaller local channels like Vancouver, NorCal, and Austin.
One member, David Hoos of The Good, says the OGs has helped to round out his digital marketing skillset. “One particular recent example is when I was working on updating some content and had some questions about URL redirections. I was able to hop on OG, head to the SEO channel, and had a number of helpful answers in about ten minutes.”
Best of all, they boast regular AMAs with incredible people like Matt Mickiewicz (co-founder of 99designs, Sitepoint, Flippa and Hired), Mark Josephson (CEO of Bitly), Neil Patel (co-founder of Crazy Egg and Hello Bar), and Micha Hershman (Sr. Director of Inbound Marketing and Demand Generation at Eventbrite).
And if I somehow haven’t sold you yet, I probably learn more from their monthly newsletter than all the other emails in my inbox combined.
2. #CreativeTribes
Members: 750+
Working in a niche industry myself (book marketing), I absolutely love the concept behind this group. “Find, connect with, and grow your tribe – no matter your particular niche, profession or creative endeavor.”
This Slack channel is not just for marketers – it includes entrepreneurs, developers, writers, designers, and more – but it is perfect for marketers who are focused on community building. There is a one-time sign-up fee of $25, but as far as I’m concerned it is well worth it.
3. Open Strategy
Members: 500
While Open Strategy is fairly new to Slack, it has been a vibrant community for marketers (with a must-subscribe newsletter) for much longer. “Open Strategy started as a website, email list and social media play to bring together useful strategy tools and people,” says Mark Pollard, founder of Mighty Jungle and an Open Strategy member.
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“It can be difficult to get access to mentors, tools, techniques, and knowledge as a strategist in advertising, marketing, and digital agencies. It’s a competitive domain. Open Strategy is trying to make strategy more accessible.”
Though it is still growing, Mark expects that the community will be a place to connect and even to search for new hires. “I’m sure people will find jobs, freelance gigs, future business partners, and spirit animals through the group,” he says. Count me in.
4. Inbound.org
Members: 900
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Already a beloved resource for marketers, it’s no surprise that Inbound.org took their talents to Slack. One big-time Slack user, Derric Haynie, Head of Growth for Rebrandly.com, put Inbound.org’s community at the top of his Slack shortlist.
“I get a lot out of these communities,” says Haynie. “I can ask people questions about daily problems I’m having, get feedback, make partnerships and new connections, get help promoting content. Slack channels to me are about meeting real people and working together to solve real problems.”
5. Inbounding
Members: ~900
Guess who else jumped on the Slack train? Hubspot of course. If you aren’t going to ship up to Boston in a few weeks for Hubspot’s The State of Inbound Conference, joining this group is the next best thing.
6. Buffer
Members: ~1500
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Slack Ukulele
You’ve most likely interacted with or at least seen Buffer pop up in your socialmediaverse due to their weekly #bufferchats on Twitter. As helpful as those are, the Slack community is even better.
“[Slack is] a lot more interactive and useful than things like Twitter chats and Facebook groups,” Haynie says. “I’ve essentially gone “all-in” on Slack groups this year and it’s paying off big time.” I am right next to him on that train.
7. Growmance
Members: ~800
Slack Usage
I’m hoping that after a year in this community I’ll be able to call myself a “growth hacker,” because who doesn’t want that outrageously cool-sounding moniker??
Luckily, people in the Growmance community seem very friendly and open to giving feedback and advice to aspiring growth hackers like me. Is it intimidating sometimes? A little. Should that stop you from joining and asking questions? Absolutely not.