Let’s be honest: the word “community” gets tossed around in marketing like confetti at a brand launch party. Everyone wants one. Everyone says they’re building one. But what does that really mean? A comments section on Instagram? A Discord with five active users? A cute brand hashtag?
Spoiler alert: that’s not a community. That’s a broadcast.
True brand communities don’t just show up, they're built with intention, care, and a whole lot of listening. They’re not just about fans; they’re about connection. And if you do it right, the return goes way beyond likes and shares. Think loyalty, advocacy, feedback loops + even product innovation. So how do you get there?
Let’s dig into what makes a real brand community thrive and how you can actually create one that engages.
The Difference Between a Community and an Audience
Before we get into the how-to, it’s worth revisiting a key concept from Nikita Walia’s insightful Substack piece, The Community Delusion. Walia points out that many brands confuse “audience” with “community.” An audience listens; a community participates.
Here’s the difference in practice:
- An audience attends your events + follows your content.
- A community sparks their own conversations, builds relationships with each other + feels a sense of shared purpose that extends beyond your product.
This distinction matters because too many brands try to “build community” by blasting content or creating a Slack group, then wondering why no one’s talking. If you want engagement, you have to give people something to engage with and a reason to stick around.
How to Create a Community
Building a brand community takes more than good intentions—it requires strategy, thoughtfulness, and a deep understanding of your audience. Every decision should be tailored to the people you’re trying to engage, designed to spark conversation, encourage connection, and create a sense of belonging. Here are some practical tips to consider:
Start With a Shared Purpose
The strongest communities aren’t built around products, they’re built around why people care about them.
Patagonia’s community isn’t just made of people who like outdoor gear. It’s made of people who care about the planet. Glossier didn’t grow because of makeup tutorials alone, they created a space where beauty lovers could talk with the brand and each other, making them feel seen and heard.
So, what’s your brand’s shared purpose? It might be sustainability, creativity, empowerment, wellness, or even humor. Whatever it is, make sure it’s clear and that it shows up across your brand touchpoints. This gives your community something to rally around that’s bigger than just a transaction.
Pro tip: Ask yourself what your audience believes in besides your product. That belief system is where your community lives.
Choose the Right Platform (It’s Not Always Social Media)
Your brand community doesn’t have to live on Instagram or TikTok. In fact, trying to foster real engagement on algorithm-driven platforms can often feel like shouting into the void. Instead of defaulting to social, ask yourself:
Where is your audience already talking? Where do they want to connect with each other? Where can you realistically show up and moderate consistently?
Some creative options to consider:
- Discord or Slack: Great for niche, ongoing conversations and subgroups
- Substack Chat or newsletters with community replies: Ideal for brands with a strong editorial voice
- Reddit-style forums or private Facebook groups: Still valuable if your audience prefers structured threads or legacy platforms
- IRL communities: Think branded clubs, pop-ups, or event series that extend online conversations into the real world. From book swaps to running clubs, there’s major value in creating unexpected, experiential touchpoints that get your community offline and engaged.
Community thrives where people feel heard. The best platform is the one that serves your audience’s needs, not just your content calendar.
Prioritize Human Interaction Over Brand Messaging
People don’t join communities to be sold to, they join to feel connected. So, your role as a brand isn’t to dominate the conversation. It’s to facilitate it.
That might look like:
- Hosting AMAs (Ask Me Anythings) with your founders or creators
- Spotlighting members of your community through features or takeovers
- Asking questions that invite honest responses (and actually responding back)
- Creating polls, games, or creative prompts that encourage co-creation
Community building is a two-way street. The more you talk with your audience (not at them), the more invested they’ll feel.
Make Your Community Feel Exclusive (But Not Excluding)
Exclusivity builds value but cliquishness kills it. The sweet spot? Make your community feel like a reward for being part of your brand’s world, not a gated club for insiders only.
Brands like Nike (with SNKRS drops and running clubs) or Alo Yoga (with their private wellness community) do this well. They offer first access to product drops, IRL events, or bonus content for members creating a sense of belonging without alienating new fans.
You can do the same at any scale:
- Create a loyalty program with VIP access to forums or early drops
- Offer first looks at campaigns to your most active members
- Send handwritten thank-you notes or small surprises to superfans
It’s about making people feel like they matter not just as buyers, but as part of the brand’s DNA.
Encourage Peer-to-Peer Connection
Here’s where the real magic happens. A brand community becomes self-sustaining when members start connecting with each other. Your job? Set the stage.
That might mean:
- Designing spaces for members to ask each other questions
- Encouraging niche topic channels or interest groups
- Shouting out community-led initiatives, like meetups or side projects
- Duolingo has leaned into this well. Its social accounts are one thing, but its global language clubs (online and in-person) let learners support one another. That’s not just engagement, it’s ownership.
The more members feel like they belong to each other, not just to your brand, the more powerful your community becomes.
Celebrate and Co-Create
The best brand communities are collaborative. They don’t just cheer from the sidelines, they help build the brand.
From Glossier’s crowdsourced product development to LEGO Ideas (where fans pitch and vote on new sets), co-creation fosters loyalty like nothing else. It says: “You matter here.”
Ask for input, feedback, ideas. Celebrate the wins, big and small. And when you implement someone’s suggestion? Give credit.
Co-creation also extends to content. Encourage UGC, repost your fans’ stories, and make it clear that the community shapes the narrative, not just your marketing team.
Keep Showing Up (Even When It’s Quiet)
Let’s be real: engagement won’t always be high. Community building takes time, and sometimes it feels like you’re talking into the void. Keep showing up anyway!
Respond to the one comment. Celebrate the single piece of feedback. Communities don’t grow from flash-in-the-pan campaigns, they grow from consistency and care.
Too many brands launch “community initiatives” with a bang, then ghost their audience when engagement dips. That’s the fastest way to lose trust.
Remember: a quiet room is still a room. Keep nurturing it!
Measure More Than Metrics
Finally, don’t fall into the trap of thinking engagement = success. Yes, track your KPIs (likes, comments, click-throughs, etc.) but also look at:
- Retention rates
- Customer lifetime value
- Product feedback loops
- Repeat UGC
- Offline meetups or collaborations
- Brand sentiment over time
Some of the best communities won’t make a huge splash on your dashboard, but they’ll show up in the way your customers advocate for you when you're not in the room.
The Bottom Line: Community Is a Feeling, Not a Feature
You can’t fake a community (or automate it). It’s built slowly, intentionally, with actual humans in mind. And when it works? It transforms your brand from a product people buy into a place they belong.
So the next time you brainstorm a community strategy, remember: it’s not about a viral moment. It’s about creating a space where people want to return, again and again.
Not because they’re being marketed to. Because they feel like they’re part of something that matters.🤝
