5 tips on how to build a social media community

Social media communities provide connections and support that people find difficult to find offline. Additionally, these groups provide valuable information and insight. And you’re always hearing professionals say that having an engaged community on social media is what makes or breaks a brand. But, no one is telling you exactly how to build one.

The community is part of the audience, but not all of your audience is necessarily part of the community. The main difference between the two lies in the relationship and communication flow. The audience has a one-to-many relationship, and information is typically sent in one direction from the primary speaker (brand, creator, celebrity) to the audience. In a community, many-to-many relationships exist (not only between the dominant voice and members but also between members themselves). This makes the flow of information multidirectional.

Building a community takes effort, but it can also be rewarding and fun. So, here’s how to build a social media community:

Provide value

When building a social media community, it's important to provide value. This could mean sharing helpful information, starting an interesting conversation, or both. For example, if you have a real estate agency, you can add value by sharing tips and tricks from your experience on how to increase your agency’s success. Or you can start a conversation around topics like, "What was your favorite house we sold so far?" and push the audience to give their response.

If you truly believe that social media is a community, treat social media as a community from the perspective of your followers. You should share the stories of your followers, even if it takes time. Ask them questions. Share the video. Invite them to partner with your company to create content that focuses on why they love your brand and how important it is in their lives.

Engage and be active

If you want to grow your social media community, it's important to be an active participant. This means responding to comments and questions, starting conversations, and sharing relevant content. The more active you are, the more likely people are to stick with you. Engagement is important on social media. And it happens when it's fun. People want to meet people. They want to support their friends. They are interested in human stories.

If something inspires you, it will probably inspire others too. Don't be afraid to share quotes, artwork, stories, or anything else that inspires you, even if you didn't create it yourself. Don't forget to give credit to content creators and use your platform to promote different creators though.

Be authentic and genuine

When building your social media community, it's important to be honest and authentic. This means being yourself, sharing your experiences, and being open to hearing the opinions of others. People like to be heard, so always tune in and make sure they have your undivided attention even if it’s for 5 minutes. Especially if you’ve asked them to provide their opinions on something. Don’t just ask and ghost.

And most importantly, don’t try to be like everyone else. If the latest trend doesn't align with your brand's purpose, don't jump on it. To inspire your followers, you need to stay true to your premise and choose trends that will help resonate with them. Finding this balance can help you inspire your followers and grow your audience, thus building an engaged community.

Host event and giveaways

Hosting events and giveaways is a great way to grow your social media community. Events give people an opportunity to connect with you and your brand. And giveaways give people an incentive to follow you and participate. Everybody wins ;)

Of course, social media users are fickle these days, following a brand one day, then immediately unfollowing it when it posts something they're not really interested in, in favor of more engaging content from elsewhere. So, the main challenge is to keep them coming back for more. And it is done by channeling your marketing efforts with them in mind. This helps you understand people's demands at the highest level. As a brand, you can only help your customers when you know what they want. Things like this are critical to increasing engagement and generating leads that lead to further conversions. Are you ready to build a strong & engaged social community? We’re just a call away: