Building engaged communities on social media

Every social media manager loves to reference 'community', yet it means different things to different people.

For some it's about engagement.

For others, it's about creating a sense of loyalty, trust or belonging.

In practice – and at its most successful – it's both of these points combined. It's the moments where your audience recognises themselves, and each other, in your content and is bothered enough to make the effort to engage. (Continued below the key points).

The challenge as the curators of these channels is to know how to do that... and it doesn't begin with channels or formats, but with understanding.

Whether you’re reviewing existing social channels or building them from scratch, here are four key things to consider when it comes to community.

1. Treat shared experiences as the cornerstone of community

While communities can form around demographics, it's really 'situations' that define and then strengthen them on social media.

It's the understanding among your audience that your content and the subsequent comments and engagements relate to "people like me". This could be through shared life experiences, routines, in-jokes, fandoms or very specific lived realities.

This was my mentality when I led the digital marketing and social media output at Blue Light Card.

And why it was so high.

We took the time to understand as much as we could about the lives of our members, helped by some hugely insightful visits to police stations, hospitals, relevant events and even a prison! Our audience didn't have the same jobs, but they did share the sense of support and care for others, long working hours, little recognition and workplace stress – all the while remaining hugely humble about their incredibly important roles.

But it's not just through obvious connections or brands with a clear purpose where community can thrive on social. Almost every brand, with a little digging, can find those situations that makes their audiences feel part of something – beyond obvious and very broad data such as gender, age or location.

Something else to consider is the people from inside your business – or, at very least, connected to it. After a LinkedIn callout for great community examples, Jen Hallam pointed me in the direction of Grainger Market – a historic indoor market in Newcastle. It uses the shared experiences of the traders and customers to tell the stories of the market, connecting its physical location to a much wider online community.

I really encourage you to take a look, it's fantastic.

2. Recognition gives audiences the chance (and desire) to engage

As you grow your connections with your audience, you can start to play back their own experiences as content. This gives everyone the chance to add their own thoughts and comments, with your brand's social media channels acting as the home for these conversations. It can be as simple as acknowledging people who don't always feel noticed to recognising some of the unique quirks that come about because of your audiences' shared experiences or situations.

Recognition and, crucially, understanding of those situations creates validation. The more people you help to feel validated, the more your content will be viewed, and the more your brand will be remembered.

It is also important to remember that knowing what those situations are is one thing, but it's another thing to know exactly when you should reference them in content. That comes with time, nous – the odd mistake – but most of all, the courage to test and learn.

Remember, if you make audience feel seen, your content will be to.

3. Treat your brand as the pivot, not the loudest voice

The biggest mistake any brand can make when posting on social is thinking their audience is always ready to buy. As any marketer who's read the 95/5 rule knows, the majority aren't – but why do brands insist on speaking to them on social like they are?

The answer to that question is long and varied, with conflicting internal voices and demand often playing a part. However, it can also be down to an unclear strategy or lack of senior buy-in. Both of these will hinder even the most talented of social media managers.

But, to generate engagement from your audience, it's important you realise you don't have to constantly talk about products or services. Your content, and therefore your brand, can be the pivot for your community to get involved.

(You can also be the fulcrum, the hub, the core... whatever synonym of pivot works for you!)

Instead, learn from the real world and go back to the list at the start of this post – shared life experiences, routines, in-jokes, fandoms or very specific lived realities. Use this information to ask questions, or spark (healthy) debates – testing and learning as you go.

The social team at Monzo are particularly good at this:

By designing content for conversations, not just engagement stats, you will start to see the patterns, thoughts and interests that drive your audience to connect more purposely with your channels. Because of that connection, you're more memorable between their moments of need, and therefore more likely to be the first brand they think of when they decide they're ready to buy.

4. Community still matters on 'old' platforms

Facebook apparently dies as a relevant platform on an almost daily basis. In fact, when I started a post on r/marketing for examples of brands still making Facebook work for them, it quickly descended into a critique of my question and my general social media knowledge.

Not ideal.

But they weren't the answers I was looking for.

I wasn't claiming Facebook works as a channel for every brand, but it still does for many. So, despite news of its death being greatly exaggerated, brands such as Asda and Innocent are seeing great engagement on their content. They create spaces where their audience feels like they belong, connected by familiarity.

And this logic can apply to any social media channel where you still have followers that fit your target audience profile(s), even if that channel is not currently be used very effectively as part of your wider social output.

It even works for social media managers too! See HeyOrca's Community for example.

Successful communities show social media at its very best

In whatever walk (or work) of life, there's often nothing better than feeling like you belong.

That feeling carries through to social media communities too – and, while the shared experiences that define them aren't always obvious, they do shape how audiences think, feel, behave and respond to content.

When social media managers take the time to understand the situations and emotions that create those shared experiences, social media becomes less about broadcasting and more about genuine connection.

As a result, audiences feel more understood and part of something, allowing them to engage more naturally and remember you for longer – especially in times when they don't actually need what you sell.

So, if your social media content feels more like a one-way transaction with little engagement, it's not necessarily the time to post more – or even less – it's the time to understand better.

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About Dave Endsor and Chapter

I'm Dave, a social media strategist and founder of Chapter. I have over 15+ years of agency and in-house experience, helping hundreds of people and businesses use social media more confidently, strategically, and purposefully.

I've worked with well-known brands including Blue Light Card, Miller Homes, Bayer, The Access Group and many more.

Fun fact: I led the social media team that helped Game of Thrones star, Emilia Clarke, launch her charity SameYou.