While the concept of connecting with customers by forming long-term relationships isn’t new, the way marketers are going about it has shifted. For years, marketers have worked to create a sense of community on their social channels or through events, but today’s marketers are leveraging online communities. Eighty-six percent of marketers believe online communities will play a vital role in their social media strategies, and 63% intend to invest more money into community-building efforts, according to HubSpot’s Social Media Trends Report.
Why online communities are taking off
With so many marketing tactics available, what is it about online communities that has brands investing time and money into them? Here are a few reasons why:
Consumers want communities
According to eMarketer, about half of all consumers have engaged with brands through online communities. Brands do engage with customers through other means, including email, texts, and online chats, connecting through online communities is gaining momentum.
Brands are interested in finding alternatives to paid ads
For the last decade, brands have pumped considerable money into online and social ads, but evolving algorithms and increased costs are pushing marketers to find more effective and affordable ways to reach consumers. Enter online communities.
Online communities can lead to one-on-one connections
Online communities allow brands to cultivate relationships with a small group and leverage personalized communication, like DMs, once a relationship is established. It’s a more natural way to earn one-on-one connections.
Consumers are willing to share more
When consumers optionally join a group, they’re more willing to share their opinions and preferences. Brands can tap into these insights and propel future marketing efforts that speak directly to their target audience.
What customers expect from a community
If your brand plans to start an online community, it’s essential to understand the customers’ expectations. Customers join groups to get:
Honest opinions
Customers often join communities because they’d like to ask for honest opinions from everyday people, which is why influencer collaborations are a natural fit.
Your brand can tap several engaged community members to become influencers who support the group and your brand through sponsored posts.
In the online reading community, for example, the publishers could collaborate with influencers to offer reviews on recently released books and offer a promo code to buy the new book. The content is in line with the community’s needs while organically promoting a product for the brand.
Value
Customers are looking to join communities and share ideas with other like-minded individuals, and they’re willing to generate branded content, provided the group has value.
Time is everyone’s most valued commodity, so brands need to give customers a reason to invest their time to encourage membership.
Consider giving your community first access to a new product, promo codes, free swag, and other rewards. Influencers can help with this. Ask influencers within the group to host a contest or promote certain rewards.
Regular engagement
No matter where it lives, an online community must be cultivated through regular engagement. Your brand should be an active participant, sharing content frequently. What kind of content should you share? Content your community wants to see. Their needs trump sales.
Let’s say a book publisher starts an online reading community. The brand might share funny memes, ask readers what’s on their TBR (to be read) list, or share lists like 10 Best Beach Reads.
Since creating consistent content is time-consuming, many brands rely on influencers to provide posts. Collaborations could task influencers with weekly content contributions, for example, to ease your brand’s production.
Two-way conversations
Building a community means focusing on two-way communication. While it’s essential for a brand to plan posts and share content, listening to members is equally important. Brands should comment on posts, answer questions, and host online events like Q&A or tutorials offered by influencers.
By encouraging conversations between community members and influencers, you prioritize the needs of your members over sales, which builds a stronger sense of community.
Online communities offer brands and influencers a new way to connect with an audience. The organic nature of these digital gathering spaces lends itself to influencer marketing and is quickly becoming an important marketing strategy for competitive companies.
How influencers can help brands build online communities
Influencers play a key role in building online communities by fostering genuine connections, creating engaging content, and driving conversations. Their established rapport with audiences makes them natural community leaders, helping brands cultivate strong, engaged groups around shared interests.
Why influencers are essential for community building
Influencers are already trusted voices within their niches, and their followers see them as peers. This trust translates well when building online communities. By collaborating with influencers, brands can:
- Create authentic engagement: Influencers add authenticity to a community, making it feel less like a marketing ploy and more like a genuine space for discussion. Their personal touch encourages members to participate, share, and engage with the brand.
- Encourage member participation: Influencers can spark conversations by posting relatable content, asking for opinions, and encouraging members to contribute their thoughts. They know what resonates with their audiences and can bring that same energy to the community.
- Foster a sense of belonging: Influencers excel at building relationships with their followers, and they can transfer this skill to your brand’s online community. They make members feel like they’re part of something special, leading to increased loyalty and engagement.
Influencers as content creators for communities
Creating engaging, consistent content for online communities can be time-consuming. Influencers, however, are experienced content creators and can provide a steady stream of posts, videos, and discussions tailored to the community’s interests.
For example:
- Exclusive content: Influencers can share behind-the-scenes looks, product reviews, or how-to tutorials that are exclusive to the community, giving members added value.
- Contests and giveaways: Influencers can organize contests, challenges, or giveaways that encourage active participation from community members while promoting the brand’s products.
Building long-term engagement
Influencers can help sustain long-term engagement by regularly interacting with the community, responding to comments, and hosting live sessions, such as Q&A events or tutorials. Their presence keeps the community lively, while their content helps keep members coming back for more.
Amplifying conversations
Influencers can guide conversations and provide feedback, helping brands understand their community members’ preferences, concerns, and needs. They act as bridges between the brand and its audience, facilitating meaningful two-way conversations.
Reach out to chat about how to leverage influencers to boost your brand’s community.
Influencers:
Looking to partner with industry-leading brands? Create your free profile today.
Marketers:
The world’s biggest brands trust IZEA’s influencer marketing software and full-service solutions. Find out which solution is right for you.
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.