Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Are Using Social Media to Build a Community
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, I've been noticing something in the social media world lately. Brands are starting to realize that having a million followers is not the same as having a community. Luna: Oh, interesting. Like the difference between just broadcasting to people and actually having conversations with them? Lucas: Exactly. And that distinction is becoming a real strategy. We're seeing brands shift from just posting content to actively fostering conversations between their audience members. It's community building, not just audience building, and it's changing how they measure success. Speaking of things that are worth your attention, if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own work, we'd love it if you showed your support. It's a small gesture, but it genuinely keeps this show running without ads. Luna: Yeah, and it's like a coffee on us. If today was worth that to you, the link is at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a thought. Lucas: Right, so back to communities. I was reading about this fitness brand called 'Kettlebell Kings' – they've got maybe fifty thousand followers on Instagram, which is nothing compared to the big gym chains, but their engagement is insane. People are posting their own workouts, tagging each other, sharing progress photos – they're not just talking to the brand, they're talking to each other. Luna: So what's the secret? Is it just that they're a niche brand, or are they doing something specific? Lucas: I think it's a combination. They've got a dedicated community manager who's not just posting content but actually responding to comments, asking questions, and creating these weekly challenges that get people interacting. And they've structured their social media to encourage user-generated content – they have weekly hashtag features where they highlight a member's workout, which makes people feel seen and valued. Luna: That's interesting because a lot of brands say they want engagement, but then they just post a photo and a caption and expect people to jump in. It's like they want the community without putting in the effort to be a host. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the core insight – community is not a feature you can just turn on. It's a practice. You have to show up consistently, ask questions, and create moments for people to connect with each other. I read a study that said communities where members interact with each other, not just with the brand, see a thirty percent increase in customer lifetime value. Luna: Thirty percent? That's significant. But does that hold up for bigger brands? Like, can a mass-market consumer brand really create that same sense of belonging? Lucas: It's harder, but it's not impossible. Take a brand like LEGO – they've built an entire community around user creations. They have platforms like LEGO Ideas where people submit designs, vote on each other's work, and even get their designs turned into official sets. That's community building on a massive scale, but they've made it feel personal by empowering the community to shape the product. Luna: So it's about giving people a stake in the brand, not just a feed to consume. That reminds me of how some smaller brands create 'insider' groups on Facebook or Discord where they share early access and have direct conversations with their most engaged fans. Lucas: Right, and that's a great way to start. You don't need a huge platform to build a community. You need a clear purpose for why the community exists and a commitment to showing up. I've seen brands with just a few thousand followers create incredibly tight-knit communities that drive most of their sales through word of mouth. Luna: But what about the metrics? How do you know if your community building is actually working? Is it just likes and comments, or is there something more meaningful? Lucas: The thing is, you have to look beyond vanity metrics. Sure, likes are nice, but the real indicators are things like repeat purchase rate, time spent on your social channels, and the number of user-generated posts. If people are creating content about your brand without being asked, that's a sign your community is thriving. Luna: And I'd add that sentiment matters too. You can have a lot of comments, but if they're all complaints, that's not a community. It's a customer service nightmare. Are you seeing brands use social listening to gauge the health of their communities? Lucas: Absolutely. There are tools that can analyze the tone of conversations and even identify key influencers within your community. Those influencers – not the big celebrities, but the everyday people who are consistently helpful and engaged – they're your brand's best advocates. Nurturing them can amplify your reach exponentially. Luna: So what's the first step for a brand that wants to build a community but doesn't know where to start? Do they just start asking questions in their posts? Lucas: Actually, that's not a bad start. But I think the better advice is to pick a niche within your audience and create a space just for them. For example, if you're a coffee brand, maybe you create a sub-community for home brewers. Then, you actively seed conversations by sharing your own experiments and inviting others to share theirs. Over time, people will form bonds over shared interests, not just with your brand. Luna: That makes sense. And it kind of flips the old model of social media as a broadcast channel on its head. Instead of talking at people, you're creating a space for people to talk with each other. Lucas: Exactly. And the payoff is real. When people feel like they belong to a community, they become more than customers – they become champions. They defend the brand in comments, they help answer questions from other members, and they bring in new people organically. It's like a flywheel of engagement that keeps spinning. Luna: I've also seen some brands use community to crowdsource ideas, like Lays with their 'Do Us a Flavor' campaign. People submitted flavor ideas and voted on them, which was a huge engagement driver. Is that kind of co-creation essential to community building? Lucas: It's one powerful tool, but not every brand can do a large-scale campaign like that. The key is to find small, meaningful ways to involve your community in your brand's decisions. It could be as simple as asking what product color they'd like next, or which topic they want your next blog post to cover. The goal is to make them feel like their voice matters. Luna: So is there a downside? I mean, building a community takes time and resources. Is it always worth it? Lucas: That's a fair question. It's definitely not a quick win. You're investing in long-term relationships, not short-term sales. And if you're not ready to commit to showing up regularly, it can backfire. An ignored community is worse than no community at all, because people feel neglected. So it's about being honest about whether you can sustain it. Luna: Yeah, I've seen brands start a Facebook group and then abandon it after a few months. That doesn't build trust. But when it's done right, it can really differentiate a brand. I'm thinking of a local bookstore that has a book club on Instagram – they have a few hundred participants, but those are some of the most loyal customers you'll ever see. Lucas: That's a perfect example. And I think that's the future of social media marketing – not chasing the algorithm, but building real connections that transcend any platform. As the algorithms change and new platforms emerge, communities are the one thing that remain constant. Luna: So how do you see this evolving in the next few years? Are we going to see more brands hiring dedicated community managers, or perhaps even creating a C-suite role for community? Lucas: I wouldn't be surprised. We're already seeing job titles like 'Head of Community' becoming more common, and I think that trend will continue. The brands that treat community as a strategic asset, not just a support function, are going to have a real competitive advantage. It's almost like the new customer relationship management – managing a community is managing your most valuable asset. Luna: Well, it's an exciting shift. It feels like we're moving from a world of 'how many followers' to 'how many true advocates'. And I think listeners can start today by analyzing their own engagement – are people talking to each other, or just to you? Lucas: That's a great point, Luna. So here's a little homework for our listeners: look at your last five posts. Count how many comments are from users responding to other users, not just the brand. If that number is close to zero, you have an opportunity to start facilitating those connections. Let us know how it goes on social media. Luna: And if you enjoyed this conversation, we'd love to hear from you. That's it for today's episode. We'll catch you next time.