Let’s be real having 10K followers on any social media platform can feel good. Really good. But if only 10 of those people engage with your posts, buy your products, or give a hoot about what you’re saying then what’s the point? (Unless those 10 sales equate to £1K a pop, in which case good for you gal!)
The cold, hard truth for many is that a big social media following is just a number, an impressive number, but that number won’t be what makes a difference to your bottom line.
A digital community, on the other hand?
That’s where the magic happens and what we at Heyday live for.
What is a digital community?
A community is an engaged, connected group of people who actually care about your brand.
These guys aren’t just numbers on your follow list, they’re your biggest cheerleaders, your word-of-mouth marketers, and can be enthusiastic content creators and brand reps.
A community means:
- Real connections. They comment, DM, and show up for you. They’re in it for the long haul, not just the occasional like and leave.
- Brand advocates. They don’t just consume your content; they share it, hype it up, and show new people your content.
- Making sales that don’t feel salesy. Because when you nurture a community, selling becomes a natural part of the relationship, not a plea to buy products and services.
3 ways to build a digital community
Now that you know why a community is better than just a following, let’s get into the juicy stuff, how to build one.
1. Share content that gives people a reason to stick around
A community focused content strategy is more than aesthetically pleasing pics and sales posts. It’s content that provides value to your ideal audience (now I KNOW there are loads of you eye-rolling at the sound of value content but hear us out). That doesn’t necessarily have to mean giving away free stuff. It means providing your insight, humour, your big lovely brain and providing exclusivity for those who will come back for more.
2. Have a two way, real life, human conversation
At the end of the day what are our audience? Human (unless they’re dogs then I guess this advice may differ) Reply to comments, comment on their content and engage in real conversations to open a dialogue, if you’re monologing then I hate to break it to you but you’re not a business…you’re a super villain.
3. Show up consistently, and authentically
Whatever that means to you and your brand on a weekly basis, nobody likes to engage with a brand who has ghosted their socials for 6 months let’s be honest. Be there and be yourself.. People connect with people, not faceless logos.
The choice is yours
Building a community takes time, effort, and actual human interaction (trust us when we say folks can tell when it’s AI leaving comments on social – don’t do it!) It’s hard work but it pays off in ways that follower count never will.
So, are you going to be just another brand whose approach to socials is as impactful as a fart in the wind, or are you going to create something that’s going to blow them away?
If you’re ready to stop chasing vanity metrics and start creating something real, Heyday Digital Agency has your back and we’d LOVE to help, so drop us a line and let’s get to work on building you a community!
The Heyday Team