Brands finally get

community right (with

the help of creators)

As the tide on social media shifts away from glossy mega-influencers towards smaller and more authentic communities, brands that partner wisely with creators are connecting with new audiences, earning their trust, and gaining cultural capital.

Digital communities have never been richer, more vibrant, and more impactful on our experience of daily life than they are now. And nowhere are these communities being created—and catered to—more than on social media.

Over a billion Facebook users regularly engage within groups. On TikTok, plant fanatics, witches, and rug aficionados are carving out their own spaces to share and develop their interests—no matter how obscure. Twitter has even started testing a feature called (wait for it...) Communities, “a dedicated place to connect, share, and get closer to the discussions [people] care about most.”

This should all be great news for marketers, right? Building a community of voracious customers around their product is every brand’s dream. But the most wildly successful brand communities you see online have been built over time by global brands with tons of resources. And although social media gives any business online the opportunity to gain a following, that doesn’t automatically translate into a truly engaged and active community.

“

Thriving communities on social media present a big opportunity, especially for smaller brands. You no longer have to create a niche community from the ground up—you can find a community that you fit into and if you show up for them, they’ll do the same for you.”

Maggie Lower

CMO, Hootsuite

In 2022, the key to unlocking

online communities (no matter the

size of your business) is in

the hands of digital creators.

Whether it’s chef Joshua Weissman bringing home cooks to YouTube or streamers like Tyler Blevins drawing Fortnite fanatics to Twitch streams, creators add richness and value to already existing interest groups.

50 million

people around the world consider themselves to be “creators”

Source: SignalFire

And almost every major social network has jumped on the creator train, introducing features to help creators monetize their work, or creator funds to pay them directly. Across Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat—there is no shortage of ways for creators to build and sustain their communities, or for brands to support them.

Jamie Byrne, senior director of creator partnerships at YouTube, has been watching growth in this space since 2006. “Even then, it was clear to me that creators were going to change the way we consumed content," he says. “Creators have risen to a new level of influence and power in the media ecosystem.”

Instead of trying to build a community from the ground up, the smartest brands in 2022 will tap into creator communities to learn more about customers, simplify content creation, and build brand awareness and affinity.

The trend in action

If you think commercial shelving, racking, and storage providers aren’t likely candidates for TikTok brand fame, UK-based BiGDUG is here to prove you wrong. While people were in lockdown, BiGDUG saw a boom in home renovation and organization inquiries—and took the opportunity to pivot from their typical B2B service model and target communities of DIY enthusiasts on TikTok.

They used TikTok’s Creator Marketplace to get in touch with popular home improvement creator @theP001guy, Miles Laflin, and sent him products to use in his uniquely satisfying videos. They’ve since become a regular fixture on Laflin’s feed, even showing up as recurring characters in his videos.

The boon to the brand has also been massive. The videos that BiGDUG has made in collaboration with Laflin have been viewed millions of times and garnered hundreds of thousands of impressions with home improvement and cleanliness aficionados. Not bad for a B2B racking, shelving, and storage brand.

@thep00lguy
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