“Community first!” – that’s the motto of many creators on Instagram and other social media platforms this year. Follower numbers no longer tell the whole story when it comes to success on social media. What is becoming increasingly important this year and in the future is building and maintaining a genuine and strong community. In a digital world where one trend follows another, communities offer stability and closeness.
"Community and connection will be more important than ever in 2025. People crave authenticity and want to feel part of something – they will seek genuine relationships with brands, creatives, influencers, and others, both online and in the Internet of Things."
Community ≠ follower
It all started with the Facebook group. Nowadays, niche communities can be found on all popular social media platforms: Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, other streaming platforms, Reddit, and even TikTok (keyword: #Booktok).
Reading hype on TikTok: Users share their favorite novels under the hashtag #BookTok.
They all have one thing in common:
Members are connected by shared interests, values, or goals, usually related to a specific topic.
They are “safe spaces” for like-minded people to exchange ideas and network
There is a sense of loyalty and a high level of engagement within the community
But how do these communities actually come about? A community does not arise by chance as soon as a brand or creator starts to generate reach and follower numbers increase. Not every follower immediately feels part of the community. It is the result of lengthy work in the form of:
Dialogue and exchange in comments and messages
Active involvement of followers in surveys, decisions, and processes
Building trust through authentic recommendations, for example.
Why an active community is crucial
The basic psychological background is that people feel more connected to groups in which they feel seen and understood. Feeling part of a community creates trust and emotional bonds, both in real life and in the digital space.
An engaged community is essential for brands and creators. Below, we outline the advantages of strong community ties.
1. High engagement
A 2024 study by Influencer Marketing Hub analyzed over 100,000 influencer profiles across all popular platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter and found that micro-influencers (10k-50k followers) have on average about 60% higher engagement rates than large accounts with millions of followers. For influencer marketing, this means a paradigm shift away from accounts with a large reach toward small creators with niche communities.
2. Brand loyalty
Sales psychology tells us that people don’t buy products, they buy the emotions and feelings associated with buying that product. When a creator recommends a product to their community, members are more inclined to buy it because they trust the creator and want to belong. According to Nielsen, 88% of people trust recommendations from people they know (or at least feel they know well).
3. Direct feedback
Companies receive first-hand feedback on products – in real time and without any detours. The community can be actively involved right from the initial idea development and prototype testing stages. This allows a product to be developed and optimized to meet customer requirements and therefore sell well.
4. User Generated Content
UGC (user-generated content) refers to content that is not created directly by the company or creator, but by the community. This content is particularly authentic and valuable. Reviews, testimonials, or creative input of any kind—the brand message is reinforced all by itself, without the company or creator having to do anything. Particularly active followers within the community can become ambassadors, who in turn attract new members.
5. Long-term investment
Social media users are confronted with a multitude of advertisements, messages, inspiration, and new trends every day. Advertisers compete for users’ attention spans, which are only a few seconds long. A loyal community helps to form a stable and long-term basis, regardless of trends or platforms.
“Community First”: Best practice examples
There are now many examples of best practices showing how brands and creators are prioritizing community building in their overall social media strategy. We have selected three relevant examples here:
NOLES Community Trip
Ann-Katrin Schmitz analyzes the impact of the NOLES Community Trip.
Farina Opoku is one of Germany’s biggest creators. Together with her manager and social media expert Ann-Katrin Schmitz, they founded Noles, a brand offering luxury home and spa products. For the launch of their second perfume, they didn’t send PR packages to fellow influencers, as is often the case, but instead selected 10 women from the community and the 3 top customers of the online shop and invited them on an exclusive trip to Greece to celebrate the launch of the product in a private atmosphere. The result: authentic stories, a stronger sense of community, emotional connection, and an enthusiastic community.
Vetain product development
The Vetain Community is actively seeking volunteers who would like to test the new product.
Vetain is a start-up from Munich that has set itself the task of producing vegan protein powders and dietary supplements without additives, using organic ingredients and 100% natural ingredients. The “cleanest supplements in the world” advertised on the website include protein powders, bars, and nut butters. Vetain’s growing community is actively involved in product development through brand ambassadors such as marias.kitchenstories. On Instagram, she is looking for 20 volunteers from the community who would like to test a new product in advance for free. This exclusivity increases both engagement and brand loyalty. Followers feel not only like consumers who are being presented with the finished product, but also like part of the development process, where they can provide genuine feedback and participate in decisions.
Püntis community reward
Vacations in the most beautiful luxury hotels are not uncommon in Pünti's community.
Benjamin Beyer, aka David Puentez or “Pünti,” is a German DJ and content creator. In recent years, he has built up a successful presence on Instagram with a community of almost 400,000 people. His “Community Gönnung” posts, in which he gives away luxury vacations or products to his community, achieve particularly high engagement and reach. His motto is undoubtedly “community first.”
The giveaway for the luxury hotel Forestis Dolomites listed here received 69,800 likes and 304,000 comments, representing an incredible engagement rate of over 95%.
Community management — but done right!
Community management is the new currency in marketing. By 2025, almost a third of marketers (30%) believe that building a social media community will become more important. Community management should not just be something that happens “on the side,” but should be firmly anchored in the marketing team. According to the Hub Spot Report, 64% of the companies surveyed have their own community manager. 93% of companies will maintain or increase their investment in the community this year.
Several factors are crucial for good community management:
Rapidity
Response time is crucial. Users expect quick answers, especially when it comes to support requests or critical comments.
Target group-specific communication
Each platform has its own dynamics, target groups, and language. While Facebook tends to see more critical service requests, the mood on TikTok, for example, is much more relaxed and direct. Community managers need to adapt their communication to the respective platforms. Of course, the rule of thumb is always to be respectful and customer-oriented.
Proactive engagement
Simply responding is not always enough: if you want to build a genuine community, you need to engage in proactive communication. Asking questions, listening, and providing feedback are crucial here.
Crisis management
Sooner or later, every company or creator will have to deal with critical voices. Constructive dialogue on equal terms can offer great potential for improvement. However, constructive criticism usually ends when it comes to hate, insults, and internet trolls. Read our blog post “Dealing with online hate as a company” for more information.
Conclusion: Community management is essential
Communities are no longer just a nice bonus; they are a decisive factor for success in social media marketing. They strengthen brand loyalty because users identify with a brand when they are part of a community.
In addition, communities provide valuable feedback and act as a co-creation hub: products, campaigns, or ideas can be tested and reviewed directly with the community. Another advantage is the resulting free user-generated content. Members share their experiences, post pictures, or write reviews—and thus become authentic brand ambassadors.
