Come for the Content, Stay for the Connection
What’s a Community?
At my grandma’s house for my aunty’s birthday. My cousin was complaining about how Covid-19 has affected his business. “Motorbike accessories are a tough business now. I may start importing pet accessories from Taiwan to sell instead.”
I asked what he has been doing to grow the business.
He went on to explain the marketing methods he has previously tried. From creating videos to hiring ‘influencers’ in the motorbike scene and taking part in motorbike events (pre-Covid).
Fresh from reading a Twitter thread about communities, I proposed this idea: “You should try to start a community for bikers.” His interest was piqued.
I’ve seen the future of business and it’s not what you think. No code, no crypto. You don’t have to like what I’m about to tell you, but I’m confident it works. I’m not keeping it to myself either.
To be in the business of people you have to do two things:
Give your most valuable asset... For free.
Help people build connections.
That’s it. You’re in the business of people. You’ve just built yourself a community.
Write of Passage
I reopened Twitter after several years to look back and what I tweeted in 2013 (don’t ask). I scrolled through my feed and I somehow chanced upon David Perrel’s account. He was giving out writing advice and insights on education and the world. For free! I was taking screenshots of all the tweets (I didn’t know how to bookmark tweets then). I went to his website, saw his articles (free), podcasts (free) and email writing course (free). No one gives out this much free stuff and I was ready to take advantage of it. Then I found out he had a writing course the Write of Passage (WoP). I frantically tried to find out how to sign up.
Fast forward to the end of WoP and I found the concept of community bubbling in my head. Everyone was talking about how great the community of learners were and the connections that were made. I agreed.
Come for the Content
Humans we love getting free stuff, it's a dopamine hit. David’s Twitter account was a rabbit hole of actionable information and tips that enabled me to be a better writer almost instantly. A business’s insight, experience and advice are one of its most valuable assets. Package it into content and give it to your audience. Other accounts were in on it too. Twitter was the arena and the competition was to bring the most insightful information to the reader.
The audience were the winners, the businesses built trust and gained our attention.
But wait. If you’re already giving away your most valuable asset, why would people want to pay?
Stay for the Connection
The community has always been integral to social networks that are both physical and virtual. We are psychologically wired to work in groups. We yearn for a sense of belonging. This connectivity is why we’re drawn to family and sports. They are our tribe with a shared purpose.
WoP had a group of people from around the world coming together for one purpose: To be better. That purpose created an atmosphere in the community which wanted to help each other be better.
That atmosphere manifested itself into a culture of learning and sharing.
What I thought would be an online course about writing has instead turned into an exercise in world-wide connection through the internet. I’ve met people from all over the world and even speak to some more than my family. I even paid extra to be part of future cohorts just to be able to take part in the community that existed.
Intellectual Attraction
Content and connection are the two main factors that attract the people you want to your community. When people find an authentic community that they love, they’ll stay around even when there are cheaper or more prestigious options. You are well placed to have a competitive advantage.
In my next essay on communities I will show you how a business can use community to it’s advantage.