• by Colin Kirkland , April 25, 2023

In an effort to help social-media professionals and marketing executives deliver results while staying on top of the latest industry trends, Sprout Social is launching “The Arboretum” (also known as “The Arb”), a community platform where social media managers and marketers can connect with peers, learn new skills and exchange advice. 

Sprout Social, a creator of cloud-based social media management software, says The Arboretum community is open to all marketers at no cost. 

However, similar to LinkedIn, members will have greater access to networking and educational opportunities, as well as “like-minded peers” like practitioners and C-suite executives. 

Members will also be able to attend exclusive events featuring a variety of keynote speakers, peer discussions on current trends in content and social strategy, and advice on best practices for achieving industry-related goals. 

The Arb’s net “Fireside Chat,” for example, is being led by influencer Violeta Venegas (who has almost two million TikTok followers). There’s also a “Business Services Industry Peer Group” on May 2, and a series of posts covering relevant questions like paid vs. organic social media strategies. 

Jamie Gilpin, Sprout Social CMO, values mentorship and views the sharing of collective knowledge as a powerful asset to help marketers. “We’re excited to see how the community will turn shared insights into action,” says Gilpin. 

Sprout Social says that when its customers join The Arboretum, they will receive benefits including previews of product and feature releases, as well as the ability to submit product ideas and feedback directly to the Sprout product team.