How to build a community that really matters (being a brand)

Part of being human is belonging.

Who says that? It’s not me. It’s science.

We need to participate in groups, socialize, connect with others.

From the first signs of human life, we know people gathered and interacted with each other.

It’s our nature. And nowadays, with social media, it’s even easier to connect with those who share the same interests.

Communities on social media

Stop for a second and think about yourself and the people you know. Your interests. How you spend your time.

Now, think about how your algorithm on social media is aligned with that.

Yeah, it can understand you deeply. What you want to see, who you want to connect with.

A big example is BookTok, a community of readers on TikTok.

Reprodution: TikTok (#BookTok has currently 55M posts!)

I must say, I love this part of TikTok (connecting people who read these days and influencing youth to read more? Yes, yes, yes!)

Anyway, readers from all over the world can connect with others reading the same book. Share insights, thoughts.

Just like runners also exchange experiences when they gather to run together.

You feel like you’re in the right place when you find others who like the same things as you.

When a brand connects people

Beyond gathering people with the same interests, building a community around your product or service is something else.

Now, let’s think about beauty and makeup.

Social media is full of GRWM videos and people talking about the products they use and recommend.

But when a brand listens to what a community is saying and creates products aligned with that, that’s another thing.

I’m talking about Rare Beauty, whose products are designed with accessibility and usability in mind.

Photo: Rare Beauty

Another example? The biggest one I could think of, considering this subject: Apple.

Photo: Apple

We all know Apple has fans and has built a community that revolves around innovation, right?

But they didn’t build that overnight. In fact, the company started in Steve Jobs’ garage.

Sounds wonderful, but how to build THAT?

Indeed, it takes time. It won’t happen in a day. But if you want to start today and build a community for your brand, keep reading.

Let me tell you a story. In 2017, there was a girl studying to go to college. She was studying on her own, at home, and she loved writing summaries by hand.

It helped her remember things. One day, a thought came to her mind: What about sharing those summaries online, in case someone else needed help or inspiration studying too?

What she didn’t know at the time was that the profile she would create would reach thousands of students, over 50k followers, and her life would change forever because of it.

That girl is me. I created a study profile on Instagram called Resumeasy, and I was part of a community on Instagram we called “studygrams” (study accounts that share summaries, daily life as a student, etc.)

If I’m being honest, it wasn’t in my plans to create something so big (but I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned).

First thing: we’re talking about people. So you have to know them, listen to them, and truly care about them.

• Who are they?

• What do they care about?

• What do they need?

• What would make them feel they belong?

Now, what elements does your brand have that are capable of bringing people together?

• Is your tone of voice aligned with the public?

• Does the product/service make sense with their lifestyle?

• How do you help people to reach what they want?

Next step: since you have an objective, you need a plan. How, in practice, are you going to create a community?

With strategy. You need marketing strategies to communicate, connect, engage with people.

You need marketing strategies to go beyond your current horizon, to make people pay attention to what you have to say.

Remember to consider:

• Which channels are you using

• How are you showcasing the brand

• How are you connecting with people

• What difference you can make

If I can give you one piece of advice, start on social media (which is an organic and great way to connect with people).

But don’t forget that people have other ways to communicate, and they have a life outside of it!

If you have something good to share, I’m 100% sure you’ll be able to create a community with people who believe in the same thing you do.

With love,

Lara Beatriz Wamser