How Ruby Built a Multi-Community Platform
Learn how Ruby built a vibrant online community called Media Buyers Hub. Learn how she created it and grew it to be one of the top online communities.
A bit about you
Name – Ruby Ebere Ogbonna
What you’re up to in life?
I am working towards developing lasting digital solutions to address the regular challenges encountered by business owners and media buyers.
How long you have been running your community for?
Since 19th of April 2021.
Anything else cool about you we should know?
I am a co-founder of iAssistAfrica.com, a virtual assistant company that enables executives with side businesses to delegate tasks to our team of vetted experts helping them effective excel at both ends. With iAssistAfrica, business owners can focus on what they love while we take care of the rest.
When did you sign up to the community?
April, 2021
What pushed you to sign up
With over 7 years of experience as a digital marketer, I specialized in media buying about 3 years ago.
While working as a senior media buyer at a nutraceutical company, I noticed that junior media buyers often fell short of their targets due to their limited knowledge of the field. Although they could purchase ad space, set up and monitor campaigns, they lacked skills such as copywriting, image design, landing page creation, scaling, and troubleshooting, which are necessary to excel in media buying.
I also saw the challenges that media buying agencies faced when trying to find competent media buyers to work with in the long term. Seeing the struggle from both ends, I decided to create a startup that could provide solutions for both agencies and media buyers at different levels of expertise.
Currently, I am building this startup, and I have grown my community of members to over 20,000 through a free platform.
When asked what inspired me to create the community, it was the need to bridge the gap between the industry's demands and the available talent.
A short summary of your community
Name of the community
Media Buyers Hub (MBH)
What it’s about
Media Buyers Hub (MBH) is a vibrant community where agencies seeking media buyers can find a perfect match for their needs. Our community encompasses media buyers for various platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, Google, Twitter, and services like Social Media Management, Lead generation, Copywriting, Sales Closing, Telecommunication, among others.
At MBH, we prioritize growth and development, encouraging Junior Media Buyers to offer their services for free in exchange for valuable experience and case studies. This provides a unique opportunity for them to build their portfolio and enhance their skills.
Our Intermediate and Expert Media Buyers offer invaluable insights and share their experiences on the platform, providing a wealth of knowledge that serves as a resource for everyone in the community.
MBH is more than just a community of media buyers; it's a platform that empowers its members to excel in their field. We provide a variety of resources and opportunities for growth and development, including up-to-date information on the latest trends, strategies, and techniques in media buying. We are committed to helping our members succeed in their media buying careers.
What you do in the community
As a community manager, my objective is to foster a supportive environment for media buyers by nurturing, educating, and engaging them, while also facilitating job offers.
I ensure that all content posted in the community aligns with our objectives, and I handle reports from media buyers regarding fake agencies, as well as reports from agencies regarding self-proclaimed media buyers. When a report is received regarding a post, individual, or comment, I communicate with both parties and determine whether warnings, blocks, or no action is necessary.
To maintain our community's integrity, we do not allow pre-approved posts, and I review and approve all content to ensure it aligns with our objectives.
How do your members stay engaged (i.e. events)
Polls, Q&As, Articles and Webinars
What prompted you to create the community
The difficulties and obstacles I observed in my previous media buying company for both agencies and buyers compelled me to take action.
What was the main way you grew the community?
- SEO
- Social Media
Word of Mouth - Provide Valuable Content
- Encourage Engagement and Participation
3 little things that matters!
1 – Ensure that the community is actually solving a problem
2 – Choose a name that resonates strongly with your target audience and develop a clear, step-by-step strategy for growing your community. This may involve creating engaging content, encouraging participation, and reaching out to influencers to help promote your community.
3 – Always monitor activities in the community to ensure no SPAM content is being circulated, even in the comment section. This is important because spam contents gets your members irritated which will make them leave the community and warn other not to join.
