Is building a community more valuable than growing followers today? 🤝📈

Absolutely! Building a community is far more valuable than just growing followers, especially today. Here’s why: -Followers are great for reach, but a community brings engagement. Community members feel a sense of belonging, participate actively, and are more likely to become loyal users or advocates for your brand. They don’t just passively consume content; they interact, provide feedback, and even support each other. -A community fosters trust. When people feel connected to a brand and to others in the community, they’re more likely to stay loyal and recommend the product. This loyalty is difficult to achieve through follower count alone, as followers might not feel as personally invested. -A community offers direct insights into what users want, need, and value. This is invaluable for making product improvements and refining your strategy. -While followers can come and go, a community builds long-term relationships. People who feel part of a community are more likely to stick around, even when trends change or competitors appear, because they’re invested in the brand and the people within it. -An engaged community often leads to organic growth, as members share their experiences with others. Unlike followers, who may just click “follow” and move on, community members actively spread the word, which is more powerful and genuine than typical follower growth.

Yes and no. Yes in the sense that, in 2024, three major trends are guiding both consumers and brands toward community, making community matter more than ever: 1. Traditional marketing doesn’t work as well, anymore. Consumers are overwhelmed with ads and information, both online and offline. With approximately 100 million new businesses starting each year worldwide (Moyak, 2024), it's harder than ever for brands to compete for their attention. Not to mention that the customer acquisition cost (CAC) getting higher, so in order to stand out, companies must build trust and foster a sense of belonging (Jocz and Quelch, 2009; Schaefer, 2023). 2. As our society evolves, so does the internet. Innovations like Web3, crypto, and NFTs create decentralized, boundary-free ways to connect. Community gatherings—whether in person or online—are now possible anytime, anywhere, with just a smartphone and Wi-Fi, breaking down geographical barriers. 3. Loneliness is on the rise. As the after-effects of COVID-19, consumers value authenticity, accountability, and connection (Chillingaryan and Grace, 2022). A recent Gallup survey found that 1 in 4 adults feel "very lonely." As Schaefer said in the episode “Community-Based Marketing: The Future of Business” on Social Media Examiner, “51% of Americans aged 18-24 have received medical treatment for their mental health. People are desperate to find connection and community—not to watch more ads or to buy products without purpose.” "People need communities to belong to and brands need communities to help them cut through the noise." - Schaefer (2019) But no as in, it doesn't mean every brand/product is ready for community-led growth or requires a dedicated community for growth. - Ben, former Head of Community at Notion, suggested that products with an element of user-generated content, like Notion or Figma, have greater potential for community building. For more rigid products, he said to consider creating communities around ideas or themes related to your product. - Naomi, former Product Director at Evernote, explained the sole reason she believed Evernote didn't reach the same heights as Notion even though it was kind of like Notion before Notion was because Ever was philosophically "anti-social", it was meant for your second brain, your personal tool, rather than a collaboration-first tool that can be used across teams, and grow organically through referrals and shared workflows. Plus, growing a following on social media and focusing on building relationships with your followers can be quite beneficial, especially if you are starting out, or you are a small business. It's still fostering a sense of belonging but it does not require resources to build and nurture a dedicated community. So the answer really depends on your product's nature. Consider what is best for you. FYI, the answer is part of my Community-led GTM Newsletter (launching soon this month). If you feel like learning more about how the big guys like Notion, Figma and other consumer product startups did what they did, you should totally subscribe. Hope it helps! 😊

I think yes. Numbers do not completely say how engaging followers are. Engagement matters more for me. I need to know that community is vivid and responsive.

Absolutely, building a community holds more value than just growing followers these days. A community is about real connections—people who genuinely care about what you’re creating and are willing to engage, share ideas, and support each other. Followers, on the other hand, might just be numbers with little interaction.

Both are necessary for influencers.

In my opinion, Yes.

I don't think so. The product itself is more important

Absolutely! it is more valuable than just growing followers because a community fosters engagement, loyalty, and trust. Engaged community members are more likely to become loyal customers and advocates for your brand, driving sustainable growth.