Using 'Community' Over 'Followers'...But Why?

In the world of social media, the words we use to refer to our audience hold significant meaning. While the term ‘followers’ has long been the standard, there is a powerful shift happening towards a more inclusive and meaningful signifier: ‘community.’ In ‘Build You Digital Community’ Episode 2, our host Kristina explains why she chooses to use one term over the other. 

Our Mindset Around Social Media

One of the biggest discouragements we hear from potential clients and our community is regarding the size of their social media following. The reality is that these numbers are vanity metrics that don’t mean very much, but can cause us a ton of stress.

There is something to be said for wanting more people and eyes on your content. We certainly want to be showing up more to reach more people with our message. However, this shouldn’t be at the expense of our whole business. As a business owner, social media likely isn’t your top priority - sales are!

The reason why we launched The Social Snippet is to help business owners get past their fears of what social media can hold for them.

'Community' Over 'Followers’

Many business owners believe that followers equal customers. We’re here to tell you that this is not the case. You can have a massive following with few sales. The thing is, if you don’t have an engaged community, your followers won’t be compelled to interact with or buy from you.

Remember: An engaged community of 500 is worth more than a disengaged community of 5,000. 

The reason we focus on building a digital community versus amassing a certain number of followers is that you want engaged followers who are excited about what you’re doing. Those engaged followers become your community and your loyal customer base. 

Buying Followers

Buying followers is easy. We would never recommend it. They are cheap, but so is your return. Your engagement rate will be low, it diminishes your credibility, and it’s simply not an organic way to grow a following. 

Who Is Your Community?

Your community is not just your following on Instagram, they are also on LinkedIn, your email list, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. Whoever you are generating excitement and leads from, on all forms of social media, is your community. 

If you added up all of those numbers, your full audience, you would be surprised by the number of people in your community. Ask yourself: If you could have all of these people in a room, is that something you would be happy with? 

Pour into those you are already with you and inspire them to become members of your community. They are the ones who will re-share your value and amplify your message. 

Funnelling Into Your Email List

Ideally, you should be funneling your followers into your email list. Instagram could shut down tomorrow, whereas emails are fairly consistent. Focus on bringing hot leads right to your inbox.

To do this:

• Show up on stories and talk about your offers: opt-ins, freebies, and more. 

• Offer a consistent email newsletter, whether that be weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly, to provide high value, plug your offers, and build know, like, and trust with your community.

Email marketing is an inexpensive and efficient way to reach your community and stay top of mind. To start, figure out what your opt-in will be, along with a way to get people to opt-in. Find the medium of selling that works best for you, is within your niche, and that you can provide high value with. Then, build your email sequence around it.

Tip: For email marketing, we recommend using Flodesk!

Don’t Fear Providing Too Much Value

Many people fear that they are providing too much value to their communities. They believe that if they share too much, people won’t buy their products or services. We aren’t those people. 

We know that offering free advice will only strengthen your community, not diminish it. When we pour into our community in such a big way, potential clients are thrilled at the prospect of paying for something even greater.

By recognizing and valuing the people who engage with your content, you too can cultivate meaningful connections and sales. Remember, a community is built on trust, collaboration, and shared values, while the term followers may inadvertently imply a one-sided relationship. 

Join us as we strive to build spaces that prioritize connection, authenticity, and mutual growth!