Social Lights podcast

Community: Truly Seen, Heard and Known - Episode 55

8/24/2021
0:00
48:43
Rewind 15 seconds
Fast Forward 15 seconds

In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Allie Fernando, Director of Brand Experience at Kajabi. She has been with Kajabi for four years – exceling in the many different roles since she started including social media marketing and partnerships. Allie has also been responsible for the massive growth of the Kajabi community with 27,000 highly engaged loyal customers in their Facebook Group alone. She is passionate in bringing the Kajabi brand to life through culturally relevant offline events and experiential programs that connect people in meaningful ways with the brand.

About Allie

After engaging in several internships to build her skill set in social media marketing during her college days, Allie started working at Kajabi, four weeks after graduating college.

She became a social media marketer where she did everything concerning marketing, including designing. Along the line, she had been interacting with different influencers on Kajabi’s social platform where she first had an idea on influencer marketing. She later joined an Influencer marketing team at Kajabi that deals with relationship building internally and externally, figuring out what the brand wants and how best to serve them.

Allie is passionate about building relationships with her customers by creating experiences where the things they are passionate about intersects with what they are talented at.

Big Idea 1

“It's about giving people a space where they feel truly seen, truly heard and truly known so that they can then take that community and that culture back into their business.” (19:14)

Allie shares her insights on the value of relationship-building through your online group or online community. Real growth does not only mean having thousands of members but creating a culture. This is built through authentic engagements, active listening, exchanges, and inclusion. This positive culture creates ripple effects - members embrace and implement the best community and cultural values and practices back in their own businesses and relationships.

Big Idea 2

“If you're starting a community and you're starting to see it get really, robust and really engaged, think about tapping on those key community engagers to help you grow and cultivate the community.” (24:23)

When aiming to scale your online community such as your Facebook group, make your most engaged members as your partners. Honour their efforts and their active participation and tap them in growing the community together. They are not just ambassadors for your brand but real powerhouses that can support you in expanding the mission and vision of your community.

Big Idea 3

“Your customer is your hero. You're a guide in their journey and how can you unlock this amazing journey for them so that they can get to a place that's better than where they started.” (43:46)

Allie reflects on humility as an integral part of creating sustainable and impactful communities and business. It is essential to let your customers be at the heart of what you do. Remain grounded in your why or in your purpose of creating a product or a service at the first place. Offer your best guidance that can propel them to greater heights instead of getting stuck in the idea that you should be the one at the pedestal. Let their success be the reflection of your success.

Episode links

You can find Allie Fernando at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-fernando-129885b3/

You can find the Kajabi Facebook Group at:

More episodes from "Social Lights"