“Ugh, another vlog posted into the abyss,” sighed travel influencer Alicia after sharing her latest tropical destination guide.
The likes trickled in from her modest following. But Alicia longed for a way to deeply engage with fellow travel enthusiasts as passionate as herself.
Across town, edtech entrepreneur Ryan was struggling too. “I wish collaborating and sharing ideas didn’t feel so isolating,” he complained to his business partner.
Ryan dreamed of connecting with fellow e-learning creators who could help him take his online courses to the next level—a place where he belonged.
Sound familiar? If you’re a creator craving deeper connections beyond the noise of social media, it may be time to build your online community.
Take it from Myra, a photography instructor who launched her community for students last year.
“It was the best decision I made for my teaching career,” she said. “Now I have a group of loyal learners to collaborate with and keep me motivated. I only wish I had done it sooner!”
Now more than ever, online communities are becoming a vital lifeline for creators looking to engage with supporters, collaborate, get feedback, and take their work to the next level.
Here’s why you should follow in Myra’s footsteps…
Now More Than Ever, Creators Need Community
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased isolation, especially for creators. Research shows that perceived social isolation heightens health risks like depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.
At the same time, digital content consumption has exploded, with consumer time spent online jumping 40% during the pandemic, according to Insider Intelligence.
This collision of factors makes online community-building more crucial than ever for both the mental health and business success of creators worldwide.
As author Adam Alter writes in Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked:
“Humans have an intrinsic need to connect. Online communities tap into our social wiring and fulfill our yearning for belonging.”
It’s Time for Creators to Build Their Online Communities
When Nas Daily first conceived his vlogs back in 2016, he craved a way to connect with people who would be as passionate about the power of travel and stories as he was.
Traditional social media felt too noisy and impersonal. So he decided to carve out his little corner of the internet—a comfortable home for him and his faithful fans.
He launched a community; it’s become his creative lifeline over the years. The rewarding relationships he has built with members provide endless inspiration to keep creating.
If you’re on the fence, here’s why every creator benefits from the community-building movement:
Craft a Personalized Home For Your Fans
It’s impossible to cultivate intimate connections around shared interests on massive public platforms. But your community space allows you to create a niche hub that feels tailor-made for your supporters. 63% of creators say online communities are their primary source for making connections.
Design your community to reflect your personal brand and values. Foster the culture you want with guidelines and member perks. This level of creative control is so fulfilling.
Most importantly, your members will feel right at home engaging in a community customized just for them.
Deepen Bonds Through Exclusive Access
Imagine chatting with fans in a private forum or offering members-only content they can’t get anywhere else. This exclusive access helps cement their loyalty to you and your work.
Nas often invites his community before his social media followers to be executive producers of his videos. They love getting a VIP pass!
Providing insider access gives your biggest supporters a sense of status and community identity. And they’ll become increasingly invested in your success.
Crowdsource Feedback to Improve Your Craft
It can be nerve-wracking sharing works-in-progress publicly. But within your own community, you can get trusted feedback from fans who know your work best. For example, “70% of podcasters rely on online forums to improve their content based on listener comments.”
Think of your community members like a personal creative advisory board! This direct line of communication will elevate your craft.
Collaborate with Passionate Fans
Here’s a fantastic community perk—getting to collaborate directly with supporters who have complementary skills.
Imagine this—you get a talented member who volunteers to create original music for your webcomic. A collaboration that is a dream come true, blending our shared passions into an exciting creative union.
When your work resonates, you never know how community members may offer their talents and partnerships that can take your projects to the next level.
Turn Followers Into Advocates
Here’s the best part—an invested community will eagerly promote your work and expand your reach. They want to share your content and spread the word.
Your members become your micro-influencers.
A community multiplies your impact exponentially. And it’s a springboard to take your career and content to new heights.
Bringing People Together Fuels Creativity
In our increasingly disconnected world, we crave communities’ bonds and support systems. For creators especially, the social element is critical in combating isolation and bringing fresh inspiration.
Online communities remove friction and barriers to make those connections happen across the internet. Joining a community amplifies everything you do as a creator. Your work gains more eyes, advice, and encouragement to keep pushing your craft into new territory.
Take Your Community-Building Into Your Own Hands
To sum up, while joining an existing online community comes with many perks, creators shouldn’t shy away from building their own groups either.
Starting your own community allows you to:
- Create a space that’s tailored exactly to your niche, vision, and needs as a creator. You make the rules!
- Form deeper connections with your fans by giving them a home base and gateway to engage with you and each other.
- Position yourself as an industry leader and subject matter expert by cultivating a community of people who share your creative passion.
- Monetize your influence by offering exclusive content, products, and access to members.
- Grow an organic fanbase around your work and amplify your reach as members share your content.
Just make sure you have the time and resources to nurture the community. The initial effort is well worth it to facilitate more meaningful supporter interactions over the long term.
With the right tools like Nas.io, launching your own online community is totally doable. You’ll gain so much from bringing fellow creators and fans together under a shared vision. It helps cement your personal brand and credibility in your field.
Remember Alicia and Ryan from the introduction? Here’s how Nas.io helps them as a platform designed by creators and for creators.
Build Custom Communities With Full Ownership On Nas.io
Email: She can send unlimited emails to her community, ensuring that every update reaches her audience without fail.
Post: Alicia can create a feed—much like the feeds we’re used to, but with a twist. No more are her posts’ visibility decided by the whims of an algorithm. Her entire community is notified whenever she shares a new destination guide or travel tip.
WhatsApp DM: For her most dedicated followers and fellow travel enthusiasts, Alicia can reach out directly, offering a more intimate channel for communication.
Ryan, our edtech entrepreneur, was no stranger to the struggles of using community-building platforms, which he found complicated, especially with its tricky white labeling and course-building capabilities. But Nas.io offered something more.
With Nas.io, Ryan could simplify his edtech journey. Instead of producing lengthy courses, he could start drip by drip, building content incrementally. From a simple PDF to a slideshow, Nas.io recognizes that education isn’t one-size-fits-all. This approach, known as community-based education, is reshaping the way creators teach. Cohort-based courses, according to Nas.io, have proven more effective than MOOCs.
Furthermore, Nas.io is not just about teaching—it’s about fostering relationships. Ryan can build his community, teach them, and then find ways to monetize even further. He can organize events, challenges, and masterclasses. He could even bring in guest speakers for a premium charge.
Here’s the best part: Nas.io consolidates everything. It hands creators their very own website where every action taken within the community is collated in one place. It’s a one-click overview, well-structured, optimized, and properly placed.
For those looking to expand their reach, Nas.io comes equipped with tools for lead collection. Users can view forms and submissions directly in the app.
And with Magic Reach, if someone starts to sign up but abandons midway, you can reach out to them with one click—a dream for boosting conversions. Want to refine your outreach further? Filter your audience based on parameters like WhatsApp group membership, age, gender, or country.
If you’re ready to take that step, head over to Nas.io to join or build a thriving community of your own. Because creativity is, and always has been, a collaborative process. Surround yourself with supporters and creators who will fuel your passions and aspirations.
Of course, spearheading your own community takes significant time and resources. For creators seeking community engagement without building from scratch, the good news is that joining existing online groups can also be hugely rewarding.
Foster Connections and Fuel Your Creativity with Community
At the end of the day, we all crave human connection. And creators especially thrive when they collaborate and engage with people who share their passions.
Whether you join an existing community or build your own from scratch, surrounding yourself with a tribe of like-minded peers and fans will enrich your work and career immensely.
You’ll discover collaborators, mentors, and cheerleaders – a support system to provide feedback, inspiration, and encouragement every step of the way.
The creator journey can feel lonely sometimes. But it doesn’t have to be. Now more than ever, online communities empower us to find each other, uplift each other, and turn creativity into a celebratory, collaborative process.
So take that first step – join or build a community tailored to your niche today. It could be the most rewarding decision you make as a creator looking to take your craft to new heights. Your people are out there, waiting to welcome you home.
Start today on Nas.io, for free.
