Understanding the Difference Between Audiences and Communities

As the internet has grown into the most influential and powerful tool for communication and commerce ever known, brands have had to adapt their strategies for reaching customers. Over the past few decades, as the internet made publishing tools more affordable and accessible, content marketing emerged as a highly effective means of engaging with customers, building brand reputation, and driving traffic to websites.

The Rise of Content Marketing

Simply put, content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content in order to attract and retain customers. Rather than blatantly promoting their products or services, brands use content marketing to provide something of value to their potential customers, establishing themselves as a trusted authority in their field and building a loyal following. With the rise of social media and online search, content marketing became a crucial aspect of any brand's digital marketing strategy.

Too Much Content

But with so many individuals and businesses creating content, it's becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. While content marketing can be effective, the sheer volume of content being produced means that it's harder than ever to cut through the noise and capture the attention of your target audience.

As a result, many marketers are finding that their once successful content marketing strategies are starting to lose their impact. In order to succeed in today's overcrowded digital landscape, businesses need to find new ways to connect with their target customers.

One solution that's increasingly gaining momentum is the creation of brand communities. By building a space where customers can come together, share their experiences, and engage with the brand, businesses can develop stronger relationships with their fans. These communities offer a more personalized and authentic way of connecting with customers, which can ultimately lead to increased loyalty and sales.

What is a Community?

Carrie Melissa Jones and Chales H. Vogl, the authors of Building Brand Communities: How Organizations Succeed By Creating Belonging, define a community as “a group of people who share mutual concern for one another. Communities convene around at least one shared value, usually more.”

They draw a distinction between communities and “mirage communities”:

“When building any community, mutual concern among members remains both fundamental and critical. Without it, there is no authentic community to support an organization. This is why mutual concern is often missing in what we call ‘mirage communities.'

“For example, if you have a newsletter reading list, subscribers may respond back and forth to your emails. That's great. But if those subscribers don't yet care about one another's welfare, there isn't community (yet).”

“What you have is a list of readers or followers, and there's nothing wrong with this. Community building takes different and far more investment toward creating something richer and more powerful, and offering different possibilities.”

Vogl outlines the principles for bringing a community together:

1. Boundary: the line between members and outsiders
2. Initiation: the activities that mark a new member
3. Rituals: the things that we do that have meaning
4. Temple: a place set aside to find out community
5. Stories: what we share that allows others and ourselves to know our values
6. Symbols: the things that represent ideas that are important to us
7. Inner Rings: subgroups in a community that together present a path to growth as we participate

The Difference Between Audiences And Communities

When you're focused on building an audience, your primary goal is to create content that resonates with your target demographic in order to attract more followers, subscribers, or customers. On the other hand, building a community requires more than just creating engaging content - it's about creating a space where people can connect, share ideas, and feel a sense of belonging. While building an audience can fuel growth and reach, building a community is essential for fostering deeper relationships and establishing a loyal following. Understanding the distinction between these two approaches can help you develop a more effective strategy for growing your brand and building a lasting connection with your customers.

The Benefits of Community Building

Creating a community around a brand can have significant advantages that go above and beyond just an audience-building approach. One notable advantage is the ability to receive feedback from community members that can help to shape product development. Brands can use the community to gain insights into the features that are most important to their customers, saving them significant amounts of money in expensive research. Community members can be helpful in the recruitment of new employees, as they are often familiar with and enthusiastic about the brand's product or service. Additionally, community members can act as a valuable customer service resource by assisting each other in troubleshooting issues and answering questions. Building a community can not only increase a brand's customer base but also provide benefits that can enable growth and success.

Creating a Space

The space you create for your brand community can take on many forms, including in-person events, virtual events, or a combination of the two. In-person communities offer the opportunity for face-to-face interactions, which help build deeper connections and trust. Virtual communities, on the other hand, allow for access to a wider audience and can be more accessible for those who may not be able to attend in-person gatherings. Finding the balance between the two can create a dynamic space that fosters connection and belonging. Ultimately it's about finding the space that works best for your goals and customers.

Community Building Tools

As technology evolves, new tools have constantly transformed the online landscape. The emergence of publishing tools like Wordpress, YouTube, and TikTok in the first few decades of the internet gave rise to a new era of content creators.

Now, however, we’re witnessing the rise of a new class of digital platforms: "space building" tools like Zoom, Slack, Facebook groups, and Discord, which have greatly enhanced online connectivity and collaboration. These tools have made it incredibly easy to come together with people from all around the world, share ideas, and build communities centered around shared interests. As a result, brands have more opportunities than ever before to collaborate with others, engage with their customers, and interact with people on a personal level.

Community Building Skills

Just like hosting a party, building communities requires a unique set of skills and talents. First and foremost, it requires a strong sense of leadership and the ability to bring people together. This means understanding the individualistic needs of your community members and finding ways to connect with them on a personal level.

Notably, unlike  it's not just about creating more online content. It's also about providing a space where people can express their opinions freely and openly while also respecting the feelings of other members within the group. Therefore, creating and nurturing a community takes time, effort, and a lot of hard work, but the rewards can be invaluable. The feelings of togetherness, support, and belonging that come from being part of a community are second to none.

The Revenue Opportunities From Community Building

When it comes to monetizing your online presence, it's important to understand the different opportunities that community building can offer compared to solely creating content. While traditional content creation is usually monetized through advertising or by putting it behind a paywall, brand communities offer a unique avenue for generating revenue. One way to do this is by hosting virtual or in-person events, which can be sponsored by companies looking to reach your audience or by selling tickets to attendees. This can not only generate income, but also deepen the connection between your brand and your community.

For more ideas about how to monetize a community, download my free guide: “50 Ways to Monetize a Community.”

In today's interconnected world, understanding your customers is more important than ever. While traditional marketing approaches focus on making a sale, building a community around your brand can help foster long-term loyalty. Brands that focus solely on the audience miss out on the opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level. When brands take the time to truly understand their community, they are able to create products and services that meet their needs and build an emotional connection. To succeed in today's market, it is crucial for brands to understand that a community is more valuable than a simple audience. By building a community, brands can create a loyal following that will champion their products and services for years to come.