Build Your Community with Confidence!
The Engage Your Online Community Accelerator
ENROLLMENT IS OPEN FOR OUR NEXT COHORT, KICKING OFF APRIL 2023!
Join us in the Engage Your Online Community Accelerator, a nine-month course and community filled with templates, accountability buddies, gatherings, and the frameworks you need to make community magic happen.✨
I’ve heard enough! I’m in! ⬇️
Are you ready to transform how you approach community building—from the inside out?
You never feel like you’re doing enough. Even when you see big upticks in traffic or activity, it feels like something is… missing? Once the initial excitement dies down, you’re left wondering, “What now?”
You’re worried that people are leaving your community and wondering if you should make a huge change, but you have no idea where to start!
The pressure to achieve keeps you up at night. You convinced your team to start an online community, but now leadership is skeptical and keeps asking if you’re building traction.
✨ If you feel like I might be reading your mind, you’re in the right place AND you’re not alone. Read on… ✨
The Engage Your Online Community Accelerator Is Here!
There are many who equate community building with marketing, business advantage, and extraction. Or their info is all squishy and lacks practical applications. They don’t consciously do this (they mean well!), but their work will leave you wondering… when it is going to feel like the warm AND useful dream I’ve dreamed about my community?
I created this course based on the principles of my Axiom Gold Medal Award-Winning book Building Brand Communities and over 15 years of professional experience working with hundreds of different organizations and thousands of community builders. I consciously question, inform, and rewrite harmful scripts that many have learned about online communities.
My unique promise to you is that you will feel energized, supported, more confident, and connected. You will not only learn practical skills but also learn to stand up for yourself, your community, and what is right. I’ve seen it over and over again. It’s your turn to stand in your power as a community leader.
There has never been a better time to step back, make inner shifts, and create a scalable strategy for your community.
So many others are out there creating empty, mirage efforts. We need your unique voice, approach, energy, and enthusiasm as we create incredible brand communities in the world—whether for social change, support, innovation, or anything else.
It’s time to create a community that gives you energy, ideas, and sparks growth for everyone involved.
Yourself included.
Hello, weary community builder, I see you!
You’ve tried creating a detailed content calendar for your online community and figuring it all out on your own. Every time you attempt a new program or post, you feel like you’re just cobbling things together. It all feels random and kind of… meh.
You’ve read so many blog posts and white papers about “best practices” that you can’t tell the best practices from the fluff anymore.
You worry that it’s always going to be like this, a constant slog. And maybe you weren’t meant to do this work after all.
You are passionate about your community, but you are DEEPLY frustrated by the internal dynamics of your organization. Every step forward feels like you’re in quicksand.
You know you can do this. You just wish you had someone to bounce ideas off of, show you the steps of a proven engagement framework, who could take you by the hand and guide you through each step in order, and that you had a way you could ask questions when you need to. You wish you didn’t feel so alone on this journey of connection.
Imagine what it’s going to feel like when you recognize you’ve created a meaningfully engaged community—and cared for yourself all along the way.
You love logging in to your online community each day. No more dread or Sunday Scaries.
You’ve set clear boundaries and no longer check your community at odd hours of the day and night. Your family and friends notice and appreciate it. 😊
Your past feelings of resentment have drifted away as you’ve taken ownership of what is yours and what is not.
You’ve met people who have changed the trajectory of your organization for the better.
You feel confident knowing any time you need help, you have a group of people who are right by your side.
You routinely receive grateful emails and hear stories about success among your members and stories of members meeting other members. You feel that your members look up to you and admire your efforts.
The work no longer feels like a burden because you’ve got a process for it all and a purpose to anchor it. You’re trying new things but they don’t feel random.
You feel confident explaining the community’s value to others.
People feel magnetized and want to be part of what you’re building. The growth comes with ease.
You get to serve the people important to you without worrying about whether it is helping your business grow. That is baked into the DNA of the community. Your friends and family tell you you’re more relaxed, less frantic, and centered. Your organization thrives and opportunities present themselves without you pushing, hustling, or straining for them. That’s what a shift to meaningful engagement can look like for you.
You’re ready to uncover your grounded confidence and engage your community, but you’ve got valid questions:
“How do I create meaningful engagement if I can’t get any traction to my posts now?”
“I don’t have support from my team, how could I ever take the time to get strategic and organized?”
“There are infinite ideas and everyone is always suggesting I try new things. How will I ever gain clarity and have time to try it all?”
I know, there can be many questions and much confusion with community engagement. If you don’t have a plan to follow, it can be easy to make painful mistakes, get distracted, and give up before the magic happens. Without guidance and support, it can be difficult to make any progress at all!
That’s why I’ve created the step-by-step program, Engage Your Online Community.
What People Are Saying
“The exercises didn't just strengthen our community, but really, our whole business and positioning. It was unexpected but the alignment that's been created as a result was invaluable.”
— Jenn Walker Wall, Founder of Work Wonders Careers
“The Engage Your Online Community course is astounding value for money and Carrie's knowledge of the subject second to none. If your pulse isn't racing with all the possibilities... call a doctor!”
— Mark Ireland, Product Evangelist at Safe Software
Introducing the Engage Your Online Community Accelerator!
Your one-stop-shop to grounded confidence as you engage your online community
Payment Plan
8 payments of $299
Includes:
All 7 course modules
24/7 access to the online community
Biweekly live coaching calls
Invitations to surprise guest calls
Worksheets, templates, guides
Access to full template library
Hot-seat coaching sessions
Pay in Full
$2,000
Includes:
All 7 course modules
24/7 access to the online community
Biweekly live coaching calls
Invitations to surprise guest calls
Worksheets, templates, guides
Access to full template library
Hot-seat coaching sessions
BONUS Fun Tech Backgrounds
JOIN US FOR THE NEXT COHORT!
Scholarship Opportunities
We are offering a limited number of scholarships for the upcoming cohort of the Engage Your Online Community Accelerator.
We recognize the importance of building and maintaining a strong community, especially during these uncertain times. While the current economic climate may be challenging, we are committed to supporting you—and all community builders—as you do this important work.
These scholarships are for you whether you are currently seeking work, are located in a place where the exchange rate/pay parity makes the US dollar-based program price inaccessible for you, or your professional development budget has been slashed (or never existed). You are not alone!
Regardless of your situation, I strongly encourage you to apply. It’s a quick application, and we will review all submissions with care.
Application deadline: Friday, April 14
Scholarship recipients announced on or before April 18.
(If you pay for your course enrollment now, we will reimburse you if you receive this scholarship.)
Funding for these scholarships is being provided by myself, industry partners, and fellow consultants who are invested in supporting your career and well-being.
We are committed to community—and to community practitioners.
Check out our scholarship co-sponsors!
These businesses and other anonymous donors have generously sponsored seats in the upcoming cohort of the Engage Your Online Community Accelerator. To apply, complete our scholarship application form.
Orbiit
Your community, activated
Orbiit is a B2B matchmaking SaaS platform powering curated introductions at scale.
Circle
The all-in-one community platform for creators & brands
Hivebrite
We power communities, help them thrive, and maximize their impact
SearchUnify
Unified cognitive platform for customer support and self-service
Course Curriculum
Module 1
Mindset & BASELINE SETTING
A guide to shifting your mindset and audio to ease you into the course concepts
Clarity about the tools you need
Average community conversion and activity rates to aim for
Module 2
Address Assumptions & Stay Open with Research
Immediately spark ideas with 4 research methods
Work fast with templates for outreach, surveys, analysis, interview scripts, and more! Don’t do this work from scratch!
A step-by-step checklist for community research
Module 3
GET STRATEGIC with CLEAR Purpose, Values, and Voice
A straightforward guide to writing an action-oriented, practical community purpose statement
Define values and voice, with templates galore!
Audit your community experience
Bring it all together in a community playbook
Module 4
Skyrocket Your Engagement with Organized Content & Programs
Get a framework for planning your content strategy using the 7 types of content and experiences
Checklists and in-depth example walk-throughs for each content type
A brainstorming and prioritization template to move fast!
Module 5
Sustain the Engagement
Methods for validating content and programming ideas quickly
Content calendars (with templates)
How to measure content success
A strategic framework for designing meaningful community programs
Module 6
Set Boundaries with Goals and Metrics
Get tools to work with stakeholders (even tough ones!) to define and customize metrics
Types of data (and their ideologies)
Define your Community KPIs
Connect your data sources in a dashboard
A done-for-you strategy deck
Module 7
Encouraging Engagement for the Long Haul
Learn how to balance long-term and short-term engagement
Distinguish between incentives, tokens, acknowledgment, and recognition in your community
Apply each uniquely so you don’t accidentally demotivate people from participating (a very real problem happening in online communities always!)
Template Library
SAVE TIME! DON’T START FROM SCRATCH
All the templates and checklists from the course in one organized place
Welcome email sequence templates to improve your community’s onboarding
Template for community guidelines
Bonus Resources
TONS OF BONUSES FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, LIKE:
Sample strategic roadmap, insights decks for getting executive buy-in, giving board updates
Sample survey templates
Expert guests and hot seat coaching sessions
Checkpoints for getting feedback from the EYOC Mentors
Member matching
Your Work BEFORE the Engage Your Online Community ACCELERATOR:
It never feels like there is enough time
You’re afraid to get on the phone (or Zoom) and talk to the people you serve
You’ve forgotten why you do what you do and don’t know where to go from here
You’re overwhelmed, stressed out, and close to burnout
You’re crossing your fingers that you’ll figure everything out eventually
Your Work AFTER the Engage Your Online Community ACCELERATOR:
You can clearly articulate the value of your work
You’ve met people who have completely changed your life and business, and you can’t believe the progress you’ve made
You see people connecting with each other without your prompting
You feel purposeful and in integrity
You’ve gone after new opportunities and perhaps even secured a raise or promotion
You’ll Get Incredible Support through Your Journey
The Private Course Community (NOT yet another Facebook Group! + access to member database and the option to sign up for an accountability partner)
Templates Galore (so you can finally stop creating everything from scratch!)
Biweekly Coaching Calls & Events Hosted by Carrie and Other Community Members
Student Stories
"This course has been truly transformational for me, and the community I manage. Before I started, our community was facing the toughest moment in its history... Maintaining our core values, whilst also allowing for inevitable change, was something I felt completely daunted by. By working through each step, that mountain of work seemed more manageable. And little by little I saw incremental improvements, and my confidence began to soar."
— Rebecca Wilde, Community Manager at Endava
“This program has allowed me to take actionable steps… What I learn is not theoretical or something I need to wait to implement. I am learning and experimenting with new concepts in real-time. The ability to learn and grow with other community leaders is a career game-changer.”
— Emily Cole, Manager of Professional Learning Communities at Seesaw Learning
Now Your Journey to Meaningful Engagement Begins
Join us for the spring ‘23 cohort, kicking off in April!
Pay in Full
$2,000
Includes:
All 7 course modules
24/7 access to the online community
Biweekly live coaching calls
Invitations to surprise guest calls
Worksheets, templates, guides
Access to full template library
Hot-seat coaching sessions
BONUS Fun Tech Backgrounds!
Payment Plan
8 payments of $299
Includes:
All 7 course modules
24/7 access to the online community
Biweekly live coaching calls
Invitations to surprise guest calls
Worksheets, templates, guides
Access to full template library
Hot-seat coaching sessions
JOIN US IN THE NEXT COHORT!
You can do this course from anywhere, on your schedule!
It should come as no surprise to you anymore that education is now accessible 24/7. For 9 months, you’ll have 24/7 access to the content, community, live calls, and expert guest calls. All the worksheets are digital and totally organized, so you don’t even need a printer!
The entire program is digital so you will access it from our private course portal and connected online community. And you'll never miss a beat: you can go at your own pace and do the lessons on your schedule.
Want more accountability?
Show up to our biweekly coaching calls, volunteer to run an experience in the community, participate in the live delivery of select lessons, and get yourself an accountability buddy! We’re here to steward you through this journey.
Hear from one of our alumni
Melek Pulatkonak had been building the TurkishWIN community for over 10 years when she joined the EYOC program. She decided to bring her team along for the experience, and it completely transformed their community, increasing engagement and helping her scale leadership programs.
Learn even more from Melek and how she and her team made the most of the accelerator experience:
See results immediately, feel ripples indefinitely
You’re already doing this work, you might as well do it with the best and brightest by your side—and with support all along the way. I recommend you set aside 2–4 hours per week to begin and then see where that takes you.
Students who begin videos right away say they immediately change their perspective and find focus—without needing to do anything more.
You can finish in as few as 6 weeks. Others might take a few months, depending on the level of buy-in they have from their team. We’ll walk you through all of that. We have a timeline for what to expect once you join us. There is no rush and no right or wrong amount of time. I always tell students: one step, one day, one conversation at a time.
Why take the course now?
Why start TODAY?
The world is experiencing upheaval right now, and we need community builders now more than ever. It’s time to shift your perspective and learn a framework that will empower you to make an impact with your people.
Seize the opportunity that presents itself uniquely to you right now: tons of new technology for connection, desire for true digital connection, and your customers need you now more than ever.
Stop second-guessing yourself and get to the REAL work of serving the people important to you and your organization’s success.
So many of my clients tell me they wish they’d started on this intentional journey sooner. They realize they’d been spinning their wheels for years leading up to our work.
If you wait, you’ll be in the same place you are now in 3, 6, 9 months. You want to make progress, to get even better at the work you do. With support and guidance, that progress will come naturally and gracefully. You can skip the silly mistakes and jump in with two feet.
How to Know If the Engage Your Online Community Accelerator Is Right For You:
You are ready to JOIN THE ACCELERATOR if:
You are willing and able to set aside a few hours each week to get strategic with your work
You are passionate about the community you build and want to invest more into its success
You know building relationships takes time and effort; you are ready to do the work that needs to be done
You are ambitious, creative, and resourceful
You want accountability & support
Your team supports your efforts and will advocate for you reaching out to members or users and asking for feedback (and/or you’re ready to advocate for yourself, dammit!)
You are NOT ready to JOIN THE ACCELERATOR if:
You only want vanity metrics like activity and growth
You want someone to tell you exactly what to do or give you bunches of random tips and tricks
You’re interested in creating an online community because you read about how it’s the latest trend to make money fast
You do not yet have any idea about what community you’d like to create (contact me if you want help with a launch)
You’re afraid to reach out to members and you’re unwilling to take the risk
Important Dates
Course Start Date
We will kick off the third week in April!
LIVE Course WELCOME Call
Friday, April 21, timing TBD based on participant time zones
BIWEEKLY LIVE CallS
Timing TBD based on participant time zones
It’s okay if you can’t attend all or ANY calls! We record and summarize them.
So, you’ve got two choices here…
In 6 months, how do you want to see yourself?
Your friends and colleagues could be commenting on how you seem to have your energy back, are on the internet less, and present your ideas a lot more confidently. You could even be planning a real no-phones-or-laptops-allowed vacation.
You have the confidence to ask for a raise, promotion, or find a new job that fits your passions and talents better.
When you log in to check your community, you feel excited to check your notifications because you know you will see:
People supporting each other, stepping up and offering to help or listen
People taking advantage of the fantastic, creative programs you’ve spent time creating
Stories of progress and connection, potentially even lives changed, not just a bunch of random memes or a transactional Q&A
In those 6 months, you can begin to know deeply that your community has helped your entire organization run more smoothly; it’s right there in the numbers and in the countless stories you’ve been able to share with your team.
It’s happened because you cared, but the community is not taking over your life anymore. On Sunday nights, you no longer ruminate on what more you can do. You know you’re doing enough, and you’re doing it one step at a time.
-OR-
You might just be in the same place you are today. Overwhelmed. Anxious. Feeling like you’re treading water and unable to take a break. Constantly asking yourself, “Am I doing enough?” Reading more free blog posts, listening to podcasts, asking for tips in Facebook Groups or Slack channels that aren’t even filled with the kind of professionals you aspire to be.
I know which one I want for you! I want you to take action, make progress, and feel like you’re doing your best work as a community builder.
Think about where you’d like to see yourself 6 months from now, one year from now, maybe even just one month from now. Do you want to keep trying what you know isn’t quite working, or diagnose the issues and solve the root problems so you can sprint forward?
If you’re ready to stop messing around, doing community by trial-and-error, making preventative mistakes, and then beating yourself up about it, I want to support you. Let’s go.
Your grounded confidence starts here.
✨ I’ll see you inside the accelerator. ✨
Meet Your Guide, Carrie Melissa Jones
Hi! I’m Carrie! I want to help you engage your online community. With over 15 years of experience and research under my belt, my single-minded mission is to ensure that everyone has a place to belong. Right now, those places are becoming increasingly digital. Many people think they have everything they need to engage a community, but quickly realize their efforts are futile or unsustainable. I know — I’ve been there myself.
I have helped hundreds of organizations build thriving online communities that further their success, connecting billions of people worldwide. Past clients include Microsoft, Google, Glossier, Hinge Health, DoSomething.org, Ironclad, Buffer, and many more.
We need people like you to connect us during this time—and always. I am honored to stand by your side.
You can do this, even if …
You don’t think you have time.
You are spending more time spinning your wheels right now, explaining what you do and your value, second-guessing yourself, and wondering if you are doing “enough” than if you simply got the specialized support you need, right away. Let’s get you off the hamster wheel.
You’re afraid of feeling overwhelmed.
You’re already in over your head. You’re worried that learning a new framework is going to add more to your plate. Change your perspective: quickly, you will get clarity, retire outdated programs, feel grounded, and you’ll have the benefit of getting objective support, outside perspective, and tools throughout.
Your company won’t PAY FOR IT.
While we cannot guarantee outcomes, many of our past clients/students have gone on to get raises of USD $10,000+ inside their organization or by finding new roles. This is an investment in your future career or the future of your business.
Let’s do this, together.
Right now, you can join us for:
Pay in Full
$2,000
Includes:
All 7 course modules
24/7 access to the online community
Biweekly live coaching calls
Invitations to surprise guest calls
Worksheets, templates, guides
Access to full template library
Hot-seat coaching sessions
BONUS Fun Tech Backgrounds!
Payment Plan
8 payments of $299
Includes:
All 7 course modules
24/7 access to the online community
Biweekly live coaching calls
Invitations to surprise guest calls
Worksheets, templates, guides
Access to full template library
Hot-seat coaching sessions
JOIN THE NEXT COHORT!
Investing in Expert Community Strategy
When clients hire my team to advise and create strategies for their online communities, it typically takes 4–6 months and the investment is five figures and up.
With the Engage Your Online Community accelerator, you get access to our team’s expertise and experience for a tiny fraction of that cost.
Plus, when I work with clients individually, I don’t teach them how I do what I do. It just looks like magic to them.
Completing the accelerator program gives you the tools and confidence to create a meaningfully engaged community, not just once but over and over again—talk about career development!
The Engage Your Online Community Course Guarantee
100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
I wholeheartedly believe in the “Engage Your Online Community” course and have many satisfied students. But I want you to feel confident in trying it out for yourself.
That's why I have a 100% Risk-Free Guarantee. You can try “Engage Your Online Community” for 14 days, and if you aren't satisfied, just ask for a full refund by 11:59 pm Eastern US Time on the 14th day after the cohort begins.
If you do the work, put in your best effort, and feel that we haven’t delivered, we will issue a 100% refund.
What Happens After You Buy?
STEP 1
You’ll be directed to a page that shares what you can expect next.
STEP 2
You’ll receive an email with more details.
STEP 3
You will get a heads up of when to expect access to the community and course hub.
STEP 4
You’ll join us for the kickoff call and ask questions you have about getting started.
FAQ’s
When does the accelerator begin and end?
The next cohort will begin enrolling in April 2023. You will have 9 months of access to all the content, events, and the community. You keep access to the community indefinitely and have a subscription to our alumni newsletter.
How long do I get access to the course materials?
Course membership includes 9 months of access to the content and community. After much research and launching several courses, I have found that 9 months (a typical academic school year) is ideal. It gives enough time to complete everything and see results but creates urgency so you don’t put it off indefinitely.
What is the time commitment per week?
This is entirely up to you! I recommend setting aside 2–4 hours per week to complete the coursework and see where that takes you—you are going to be doing this work every day anyway, and you might as well do it with the best and brightest. Depending on where you are in your journey, you may fly through the first few modules or you may need to spend more time there. Some students finish in 6 weeks, others take the full 9 months. Even if you finish, you are welcome to join our calls and participate in the community.
You’ll also want to set aside an hour every other week for group coaching calls— either to attend live or to review the recording.
Are there any other material or equipment costs besides the enrollment cost of the program?
No, there are no additional required materials. Everything you use in the course will be delivered through tools that are free for you to use.
Do I get support, community, or 1-1 access to you?
You will get community access through the online portal just for course students. You’ll meet your fellow students in the online community, and you will get support for your work during our biweekly group coaching calls facilitated by Carrie. To supercharge your investment, you can purchase coaching sessions with Carrie after the enrollment process.
What is the investment?
The investment is $2,000 if paid in full (or 8 monthly payments of $299) during regular pricing, and $1,699 if paid in full (or 8 monthly payments of $299) during Early Bird. Please contact us if you are outside the US, Western Europe, the UK, or Canada: we offer region-based parity pricing and can tell you what the discount will be if the banner is not already at the top of this page for you.
What are the payment options?
You can pay in full or pay 8 monthly payments. You are able to pay via credit card or PayPal.
Do You have a one-pager I can share with my boss about what I’ll learn?
Yes, I do! You can grab the one-pager and letter-to-your-boss template on this page.
Is this ACCELERATOR better for community managers in organizations or for founders & solopreneurs?
Both! The structures you learn in this course work for any type of organization or community. We have a good mix of students from all kinds of backgrounds and current roles.
should I JOIN if I do not yet have a community?
It depends. If you know you’re going to launch a community and you have a general idea of who you want to serve and what your business needs, this course will set you up to create a world-class community without wasting any time. Several past students have learned the structures they needed to launch with care and intention, which is a beautiful process to witness!
But if you do not have a concept of who you want to help or why community is needed, contact me about paid strategy/launch services instead.
Do you offer any scholarships or reduced-fee opportunities?
Besides the region-based parity pricing mentioned above, there are a limited number of scholarship opportunities.
We recognize the importance of building and maintaining a strong community, especially during these uncertain times. While the current economic climate may be challenging, we are committed to supporting you—and all community builders—as you do this important work.
These scholarships are for you whether you are currently seeking work, are located in a place where the exchange rate/pay parity makes the US dollar-based program price inaccessible for you, or your professional development budget has been slashed (or never existed).
DO YOU OFFER SPECIAL PRICING BASED ON REGION?
Yes, if you need financial assistance and are located outside of North America, contact us at info@carriemelissajones.com.