As part of its effort to support community managers, Facebook is announcing a new Facebook Community Manager Certification Program that will serve as a resource for community managers so that they can prepare for the final certification. The online course is totally free through Facebook Blueprint, but there is a fee for the actual certification exam. This is generally the case for all Facebook certifications. Facebook Blueprint certification badges are recognized across various industries and can help community managers stand out as experts in their field. Certification topics on the course include:
Defining and establishing a community: Building an online community, community goals, and community guiding principles. Developing community strategies and processes: Best practices for managing audiences, tapping into the platform, building a brand, launching effectively, building and supporting your team, nurturing strong partnerships, and developing efficient operational workflows. Making strategic content decisions for a community: Serving up relevant content, keeping track of trends, and planning goal-driven activities. Engaging and moderating a community: Understanding the onboarding process for new members, community operations, member-to-member connections, engagement tactics, community standards, and terms of service, as well as safely and thoughtfully handling crises and conflicts. Measuring and analyzing community success: Content performance, feedback collection, data reporting, and sustainability.
The course was created for community managers “across a range of business types, from agencies and brands to nonprofits and NGOs,” and the certification “will measure the comprehension and application of best practices and standards for online community management.” When completing the certification exam, professionals get a badge certifying them for their competency in community management, and the badge is valid for 24 months. Individuals who earn the certification also get access to an exclusive Facebook Group where they can connect with other certified community managers. The certification is available in English on Facebook Blueprint and will be available in other languages soon.
