Building and maintaining an online community

From: nikhil.kamath

Building and maintaining an online community is crucial for creators and entrepreneurs. Community is the foundation that sticks with a creator, regardless of external challenges like “cancellations” or shifting brand relationships [00:56:51].

Why Build a Community?

• Sustainability: While brand deals and advertising revenue can be significant, they are often seen as “renting your time out” [02:39:03]. Building a community allows creators to own their audience and generate revenue directly, offering a more stable and diversified income [02:39:01], [02:29:07]. In the US market, creators often earn more from their community than from brands [01:03:08].
• Impact and Connection: Beyond monetary gains, creating content and fostering a community can fulfill a desire for impact in people’s lives [00:15:32] and allow for more heartfelt engagement [01:13:20].
• Resilience: A strong community provides a loyal base that remains engaged even if a creator faces criticism or a dip in views [00:56:51], [00:44:00].

Strategies for Community Building

Leveraging Content Formats

• Short-form for Discovery, Long-form for Depth: Short videos (e.g., YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels) are effective for gaining initial reach and discoverability [01:11:00], [01:17:04]. However, long-form content, such as podcasts, is crucial for building trust and a deeper connection with the audience, as it allows them to “get to know your heart and not just your vision” [01:13:20].
• Storytelling: Regardless of length, compelling storytelling is a fundamental human need that helps build a connection [01:32:11].
• Emotional and Raw Content: Particularly for younger generations, who may experience more loneliness, emotional and raw content, such as podcasts, resonates deeply as it provides a sense of companionship [01:32:01].
• Niche and Identity-Based Content: Speaking to specific identities (e.g., national, linguistic, professional) generates higher engagement rates. Content that addresses shared experiences or interests can foster strong communities [01:58:39], [02:00:01].

Engagement and Growth

• Consistency: Regular publishing is key to maintaining audience engagement. Meeting self-imposed deadlines for content creation, even if the content isn’t “perfect,” is vital [02:21:27], [02:25:27].
• Listen to Your Audience: Online audiences are brutally honest. Their feedback, whether positive or negative, provides invaluable insights into what resonates and what needs to change [03:01:41]. Declining engagement indicates a need for reinvention [03:01:58].
• Co-creation and Collaboration: Engaging with other creators and building alliances within the creator community can be very powerful [02:08:01], [02:09:03]. Networking at industry events can help find potential collaborators [02:10:04].
• Non-Consensual Collaboration: A strategy where a creator talks about wanting to collaborate with another, encouraging their followers to spam the target, which can lead to algorithmic recommendations for those who follow the target [02:10:31].
• “Spikes and Waves”: Maintain consistent content (waves) while also planning for “spikes”—experimental content that brings in new users [03:02:53].
• Relatability: Showing an authentic side, even if it means appearing in pajamas without makeup, can make a creator more relatable and resonate deeply with the audience [02:59:01].

Monetizing Your Community

• Direct-to-Audience Sales: This involves selling products or services directly to your followers, rather than relying solely on brand deals. Examples include:
  • Group trips [00:57:01]
  • Digital courses or educational content (e.g., finance courses) [01:05:57], [02:51:11]
  • Memberships [02:40:07], [02:53:08]
  • Physical products (merch) [01:07:49], though these can be harder to move [02:52:19].
• Owning Your Audience Data: Crucially, collecting audience emails and phone numbers allows direct communication, bypassing platform algorithms. This ensures long-term reach and monetization potential. Nas Daily, for example, funnels 20,000 people from a million views to get their email and phone number, with 80% of current revenue coming from these contacts [02:49:19].
• Leveraging Platforms: Tools like Nas.io are designed to help creators convert their community into a business by facilitating digital course sales and memberships [02:40:01].

Challenges and Considerations

Industry Dynamics

• Algorithm Shifts: Social media algorithms constantly change, sometimes surprising creators with new rules that affect content performance [01:58:54]. Staying informed by listening to CEOs of major platforms can offer clues about future trends [01:14:00].
• Audience Fatigue: Viewers can become fatigued with a creator’s content, leading to attrition rates. Creators may need to reinvent themselves every few years to stay relevant [01:19:05].
• Competition: The creator economy is growing rapidly, with a projected value of $250 billion globally as of 2023 [01:01:06]. This means more creators are vying for attention.

Personal Challenges

• Shelf Life of Creator Life: Creators should have an exit strategy or plan for reinvention, as fame can saturate and decline [01:07:07]. This might involve transitioning to entrepreneurship, acting, or writing [02:02:00].
• Mental Health: The constant exposure to criticism can be challenging. Creators learn to “block negative comments” and compartmentalize emotions [03:29:51]. While “cancel culture” is debated, pushback is a sign of relevance [00:44:00].
• Authenticity vs. Persona: While it’s impossible to be 100% authentic publicly, creators should project attributes that are genuinely true to themselves. Too much authenticity can lead to trouble [03:32:00].
• Work-Life Balance: Content creation is often a full-time job. It’s difficult to succeed if not fully committed, though the “and economy” allows for multiple vocations (e.g., doctor and creator) [02:26:21].
• Relatability vs. Production Quality: While high production quality can matter for certain platforms/formats, sometimes raw, relatable content (e.g., phone footage over SLR) performs better, especially on platforms like Instagram Reels [02:11:15].

Financial Aspects

• India Market Nuances: While audience numbers in India are high, the revenue per user (ARPU) is significantly lower than in Western markets [01:04:22]. Monetization in India thrives on products that address specific needs like education, financial growth, or social status, rather than just convenience or luxury [01:05:30].
• Branded Content: Brands are not always reliable partners; they may pull out during controversy. Building direct community monetization reduces reliance on brand deals [00:54:38]. Building long-term relationships and over-delivering with brands can be beneficial [02:42:01].
• Investment in Team: Hiring an editor is often the first and most crucial hire for a creator, freeing up time for other activities [02:55:42]. Sharing profits or bonuses with the team can improve morale and retention [02:56:23].

Conclusion

The path to building influence as a creator and maintaining a successful online community requires adaptability, strategic content creation, a focus on direct audience engagement, and a realistic understanding of industry dynamics. Creators should view their journey as long-term, prioritize building deep connections over fleeting virality, and continuously seek ways to reinvent themselves and their offerings.