Don't Build Fans. Build a Movement.

Author

April MacLean
May 31, 2023

It’s Wednesday, May 31st, and today we’re talking about the audience-community dichotomy and why protecting the term “community” is reaching DEFCON 10 (Michael Scott, anyone?).

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The Main Idea

Don't Build Fans. Build a Movement.

It's spring 2023, and we're still mistaking audience for community. I see it with social media influencers and in marketing campaigns; the term community is misused and diluted, leading to a never-ending cycle of misunderstanding.

As my brilliant friend and fellow community gal Marjorie says, "Language matters. If we don't start protecting the word, we're going to be in big trouble."

The Rise of the "Community" Buzz

Over the past decade, the word "community" has exploded in popularity, taking center stage in marketing strategies and online platforms. Its allure lies in the perception of inclusivity, engagement, and belonging. However, this overuse has led to a watering-down effect, where genuine communities are overshadowed by surface-level interactions.

At its core, a community is a group of individuals bonded by a shared interest, purpose, or common values. It is not just a gathering of people but a space where relationships are fostered, connections are deepened, and collaboration thrives.

True Communities are Built on Trust, Reciprocity, and Genuine Human Interaction

The Audience-Community Dichotomy

While an audience and a community might seem interchangeable, they are fundamentally distinct entities. An audience is passive, with individuals consuming content without active engagement. On the other hand, a community is marked by active participation, where members interact, contribute, and shape the collective experience. The shift from audience to community requires a mindset transformation from broadcasting to building relationships.

You may have asked yourself how this can be true if 90% of most audience members are “lurkers”? It’s a divisive topic, actually. I recently watched people debate this on LI (link below). If a community member never engages, and community is about many-to-many relationships, are they a community member? I land on the hot take side of this (surprise, surprise), pissing off many people with my opinion that lurkers aren't true community members. More on this later.

Community vs. Audience Priorities

A great distinction is to be made: building a community necessitates deliberate effort on building meaningful connections between others. It involves creating an environment that encourages dialogue, shared experiences, and co-creation. Great community builders prioritize authenticity and quality conversations, fostering an atmosphere where members feel a sense of welcome and ease.

Sharing your own content will almost always be met with crickets. People don’t come to the party to be regaled by your stories, they come to feel that they themselves are valuable storytellers.

Conversely, building an audience necessitates creating content to be consumed – fully fleshed-out ideas and frameworks. They can silently slip into an inbox, and the sender will never know how well it was received. That's also what makes communities so scary. It's vulnerability at its finest.

The Pitfall of Misusing "Community"

This is the part that matters most.

Businesses and influencers have often claimed to have a community without truly embodying any of its defining characteristics. Genuine communities can become overshadowed or devalued when diluted by superficial or inauthentic attempts at fostering engagement.

And this doesn’t happen in audience-building efforts. There are a striking number of communities whose leaders are simply posting their own content, phoning it in instead of taking the time to be curious about who they’ve invited in.

So Why Do They Keep Doing It?

I think it feels good. Calling your people "community" is a soul-satisfying feeling. I also think many are well-intended when they said it. They feel a certain connection with and affection for their audience. It's a harmful habit with harmless motives.

Communities possess immense power to drive change. They provide support, inspiration, and a platform for collective growth. True communities have the potential to shape narratives, influence culture, and transform lives.

If just two of you (kindly) correct the next person who misuses the word, and they correct two more, we're well on our way to honoring a word with a long history and bright future.

And I know you'll do it. You're my people. 😏

Marinade

A few things I’ve read this week that are worth soaking in:

Onward,

April

PS: You may have noticed I disappeared for a few months. I learned a valuable lesson about managing energy. Second chance, please?