Community vs. crowd: the real measure of social media influence

Exceeding 1 million followers on social media pages or getting thousands of likes on social media posts - is what businesses, brands, and influencers strive for today.

There's a fixation on numbers when it comes to social media followers and engagement.

It's understandable because big numbers have the power to attract attention and make an impression. We tend to think that the number of followers and likes a brand or influencer has will serve as a measure of success.

The best seem to be brands and influencers with millions of followers. But this isn't a good measure of success. Why?

It's because success should be measured by quality and engagement, not quantity. Many followers are unengaged and even fake.

Rather than simply chasing numbers, businesses, brands, and influencers should focus on building a strong community. Smaller but closer-knit followers forming a community is more important and we'll learn how in this post.

The evolution of online communities

Social media - a place where people, businesses, and influencers come together to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences gives birth to communities.

But long before social media came into existence - there were already platforms where people came together to connect and share.

The Early Platforms

Early online communities such as Usenet, AOL chat rooms, and forums were the predecessors of social media.

These platforms were inclusive and at times even provided digital sanctuaries for people to talk about their passions, beliefs, or interests without judgement.

The idea was that individuals should be given a platform where they could communicate easily with each other - something that was not possible in physical settings.

From discussing books, movies, and music to talking about work, relationships, or politics - online communities gave people the freedom to express themselves.

And from here on only the sense of community and connection came into existence. Like-minded people or those with similar interests, feelings, or thoughts came together to form communities.

For instance, supporters of a team, followers of particular art movements, or members of a common heritage. These forums or chatrooms actually gave rise to this sense of community.

But with time tech only got better.

Social Media - the Next Stage

What you couldn't do on these forums and chat boards like - sharing photos, videos, or even live chat - was made possible with the advent of social media.

Limiting discussions to writing was no longer necessary, thanks to the development of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

And you already know how social media works.

It provides an easy way for anyone to create and manage their own profile - where they can share posts, stories, photos, and more with a much broader network of people.

Suppose, you want to share your recent vacation photos with hundreds of friends and family. You can do that easily on social media.

However what if you wanted to build a following anonymously? Or get followed by people not in your immediately circle? That's where modern forums like Reddit and Discord come in.

Not Social Media and Not Chat Rooms

Reddit and Discord emerged as unique spaces that fostered the development of niche communities.

On Reddit, you can submit and see content or discussions covering a vast array of topics from the mainstream to the obscure.

Similarly, Discord, initially developed for the gaming community, has grown into a hub for a variety of niche communities.

It provides real-time interaction through voice, video, and text communications between users in a chat channel. But what both platforms allow is the formation of close-knit communities with common interests.

And that's what sets them apart from mainstream social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But nowadays, even mainstream social media platforms are encouraging the formation of smaller but engaged communities.

The best example would be ‘Facebook Groups’, which allow people with similar interests or passions to connect and collaborate in smaller, more intimate settings than the general public timelines.

Changes in What Defines Success

Nowadays, people have started valuing quality over quantity. This change is rooted in the understanding that a smaller, engaged community often provides more value than a large, dispassionate crowd.

Rather, than just aiming at ways for scoring followers - brands and influencers are now focusing on building meaningful relationships and nurturing communities.

For instance, brands are now creating chat groups or private forums dedicated to their products.

These exclusive communities allow brands to engage directly with their most devoted customers and build brand loyalty.

Today communities on different platforms are valuable sources of information and building relationships between people and brands. And this is the real measure of social media success.

It's not about how many followers you have but rather how engaged your community is and how it will benefit your business.

How to leverage the power of communities in marketing

When it comes to leveraging the power of communities in marketing, most brands and influencers are still scratching the surface.

Communities are great for building relationships, gathering feedback, and identifying emerging trends. A loyal community is basically followers who are committed to brand values and its mission.

From them not only do you get ideas, feedback, and insights but also sales. They are your loyal brand marketers - they will go out and rave about the product or service you are offering, with no financial incentive.

Unlike the fleeting attention garnered by viral content, long-term relationships offer a sustainable basis for marketing success.

So, if you want to foster and leverage the power of communities in your marketing campaigns, here are some ways you can do so -

First, Build A Community

Start Facebook, LinkedIn, or Reddit groups or communities and invite people to join. Make sure you create an attractive community page that speaks to the values of your brand.

Start conversations with engaging topics, and post interesting content related to your niche. Ask questions and encourage participation from members. Use polls, surveys, challenges, or collaborative projects to engage your audience.

Start Memberships On Your Site

You can also create memberships on your site to create a sense of exclusivity and engagement within your community.

Another advantage of beginning membership is that it gives you more control over who is part of your community. You can even charge a fee for memberships if you want. Or you can offer free trials or exclusive discounts to members.

For your loyal followers and consumers, it also creates a sense of urgency or fear of missing out. Those who are interested or loyal to your brand will eventually want to access exclusive content and offers available only to members.

Use Third-Party Platforms

When we talk about third-party platforms, we mean platforms like Patreon, Discord, or Circle.

These platforms are great for building communities because they allow you to customize and control the environment for your members.

You can always create private groups on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. But if these third-party platforms are built for the express purpose of creating communities, they can offer you more features and customization.

But keep in mind that stick to one primary one. Don't spread yourself too thin by creating multiple communities on different platforms.

Manage Your Communities Well

Starting a community and managing it are two different things. Managing a community well is the key to successful engagement.

You need to be active and engaged, and foster conversations. Keep an eye out for trolls or negative comments.

Assign moderators or guide heads - people who will take responsibility for the community. These people can be from your team, or you can even look for external volunteers.

And have some 'rules' or a code of conduct in place. Like - no trolling, respect for other members, kind of content, etc.

But most importantly - be responsive to your members’ queries

Engage As Much As Possible

Don't limit yourself to just replying or responding to questions. Engage with members as much as possible - ask questions, and comment on their posts.

Have themes for the week or month that members can follow. This helps keep the conversation fresh and interesting.

Creating automatic welcome posts is also a good way to engage with new members. It helps make members feel welcome and get them active in the group.

Try to automate weekly posts to engage the audience. Like you have a group on Facebook you can use the platform's automated posts feature to help keep the conversation going.

You can also create events or challenges to raise the level of engagement.

Answer questions people ask - even if the answer is available somewhere else. This shows that you value their time and are willing to help them out in every way possible.

Wrapping Up

Having a close-knit community of loyal followers is way better than having a huge crowd of followers.

Communities offer more value than just numbers - they offer meaningful relationships and sustainable marketing success.

You might have a smaller community or fewer followers than another brand, but that doesn't mean it's any less valuable. A small and well-nurtured community can provide more engagement and even more sales than a larger one.

So, if you want to grow your brand and maximize social media success - start building an engaged community and not aim for racking up followers.