Community Building is the thing that separates brands people tolerate from brands they love. Right now, digital spaces feel noisier than ever, and people are craving something deeper. They don’t just want to follow a brand; they want to belong. Social media is shifting from mass broadcasting to smaller, more intentional interactions. Influencers aren’t just selling products; they’re cultivating communities. And consumer trust is no longer built through ads—it’s earned through real engagement and shared experiences.
Here’s a wake-up call: 86% of consumers say authenticity is crucial when deciding which brands they support, and 60% believe user-generated content is the most authentic and influential when making purchasing decisions.
If your brand starts treating community as more than just a content strategy, you’ll unlock deeper connections and long-term loyalty. The brands that embrace this shift are creating spaces where their people feel seen, heard, and truly connected—not just to the brand, but to each other.
Define Your Community’s Purpose—And Make It Bigger Than Your Brand
Exercise: Crafting Your Community Purpose Statement
Think of your community as a movement, not just an audience. Answer these questions:
- What problem are you solving beyond selling a product or service?
- Who is this for? (Be ultra-specific—think persona details, not just demographics.)
- How will their lives improve by being part of this community?
- What’s the emotional connection that binds them together?
Fly By Jing, an artisanal condiment brand, built a community around celebrating Chinese culinary heritage. Instead of just selling sauces, they positioned themselves as an advocate for authentic flavors and storytelling. They even experimented with OnlyFans as a platform to offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content to super-engaged food lovers.
Choosing the Right Platforms
Before choosing a platform, ask:
- Where does my audience naturally gather? (Not where you want them to be.)
- How do they like to engage? (Long-form discussions? Visual content? Real-time interaction?)
- Do I own the relationship? (If Instagram disappears tomorrow, would your community still exist?)
Map out your community’s core and supplementary platforms. Identify where your audience is most active and how they prefer to engage. Consider how you can maintain direct relationships with your community members beyond these platforms.
Turn Your Audience Into Co-Creators, Not Just Consumers
Most brands talk about engagement, but real community means co-creation—letting your audience actively shape your brand’s future. The brands doing this well don’t just ask for feedback; they build systems that make their community part of the process. If that sounds intimidating or unrealistic, here’s the truth: co-creation doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be intentional.
Start by making it easy for your audience to contribute in small ways. These are low-lift, high-impact actions that get them involved without needing deep commitment.
- Ask a simple this-or-that question in an Instagram Story poll (e.g., “Which color should we release first?”).
Create a UGC challenge where followers submit photos or videos and get featured on your page.
Popflex doesn’t just design in a vacuum. Ho regularly shares behind-the-scenes sketches, asks her community for preferences, and uses those insights to refine her activewear line. This has helped quadruple Popflex’s social-driven revenue in just one year. Even better? Her community feels emotionally invested in every product because they helped shape it.
When customers loved her gym bag but didn’t like the bow, she re-released it without the bow—and it sold out within two weeks. She didn’t need a focus group or market research. She just listened and acted.
Invest in Genuine Two-Way Engagement (And Make It Scalable)
Engagement isn’t just responding to comments—it’s about creating an environment where people feel seen, heard, and valued. But let’s be honest: CEOs and marketers are busy. How do you build deep engagement without it eating up your entire week?
The key is intentional, structured interaction—not random replies. And now, with AI and automation, you can scale engagement without losing authenticity.
Think of engagement like a workout. If you don’t schedule it, you’ll skip it. Here’s a simple 15-minute routine to follow daily:
For every post your brand makes, you should:
- Comment on 3 posts from your community (not just replies—start conversations!)
- Ask a question that sparks discussion (instead of just saying “Love this!”)
- Tag or mention an engaged community member in a relevant post
- Use AI (like ChatGPT or Meta’s AI tools) to draft responses faster—but always personalize them before posting.
- Pro tip: Set up saved replies for FAQs in Instagram DMs, LinkedIn, or email to save time.
- Go into relevant niche communities (Facebook Groups, Reddit, Discord) and engage authentically.
How to Use Groups for Community Growth & Engagement
Turn Groups Into Content Amplifiers
- Share posts strategically. Don’t just drop links—start conversations. Instead of “New blog post! Read here,” ask, “We just published a piece on [topic]. What’s your take on [key question]?”
- Repurpose content into discussions. If you post a LinkedIn article, break it into discussion threads inside your group.
- Pin key posts. Keep top-performing insights, FAQs, or discussions at the top for new members to engage with.
Use Group Engagement as a Data Goldmine
- Track what topics spark the most interaction. These insights can inform future content, product ideas, or marketing campaigns.
- Identify common questions or challenges. If your audience keeps asking the same thing, turn it into a webinar, guide, or product feature.
- Survey your group. Polls and open-ended questions help you directly gather insights without guesswork.
Create a Two-Way Community, Not Just a Broadcast Channel
- Assign moderators or brand ambassadors. This keeps the group active without needing your constant attention.
- Encourage member-generated content. Let your community share wins, insights, and experiences related to your brand.
- Recognize engaged members. Feature them in posts, give them exclusive access to content, or invite them to beta-test new offers.
Why This Works
- Higher retention & visibility. Group posts are prioritized in platform algorithms, meaning members are more likely to see and engage with them than regular feed posts.
- Stronger relationships. People trust peer discussions more than brand messaging, making groups a natural way to build credibility.
- Direct audience control. Unlike algorithm-driven feeds, you own the relationship with your group members.
Final Thought
Next Steps: Put This Into Action
- Create your community purpose statement and post it somewhere public.
- Map out your community touchpoints across platforms.
- Design your first co-creation experiment (big or small).
- Implement the 3-comment rule for a month.
- Start tracking a single high-impact community metric.
Building a group that actually drives engagement, builds relationships, and fuels your business takes time, strategy, and the right execution. If this feels overwhelming or you’re not sure where to start, Chatterkick can help!
