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Stuck in lockdown and looking to connect with like-minded people?
- ewil0047
- Nov 13, 2021
- 2 min read
An online consumer-brand relationship might be just what you need! A relationship fueled by a sense of belonging and trust. You’ll surround yourself with like-minded people whose interests and experiences come together in a social group.
A community that has been formed around a publicly consumed brand isn’t bound by geographic restrictions and has the ability to connect in a way that was not previously possible. How do you become part of this social phenomena? Well that’s the easy part, all you need to do is...
What is a social media brand community?
In technical terms, a specialised and geographically unbound community initiated on the platform of social media, which is based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand. What this really means, a group of people who have come together through social media platforms and connected emotionally with a brand and with each other.
A community led brand.
One of the fastest growing fitness apparel brands, Gymshark is a prime example of a community-led brand who are taking the social media world by storm. The brand engage their customers online through social platforms YouTube, Instagram, Facebook,
Pinterest, TikTok and Twitter as well as offline in pop-up events and stores. Building community is at the core of what they do and people in this community feel inherently connected to one another.
A sneak peak at what life could look like after lockdown… if you were to join a social media brand community today.
Their success story.
From a one man screen printing business in a garage to one of the fastest growing and most recognisable brands in fitness, Gymshark is valued at $US1.45 billion and sells products exclusively online. Founder and major shareholder, Ben Francis pins this growth on the quality of their product, their social media presence and their community led business model. A community of more than 15 million followers on social platforms that is fueled by social media influencers and athletes.
Social media provides the perfect platform for brands to engage directly with consumers and build brand loyalty through emotional connection and social value. Gymshark has thrived in an online environment and continues to grow their community in this way.
Have you struggled through lockdown and as a result joined an online community? Let me know about your experiences in the comments below.
Written By Emma Wilmot
Hi Emma,
I think this is the only blog that actually makes out that social media communities can be a positive and healthy thing for people, thanks for shifting my perspective on this! The thing with fitness communities on social media is that it can increase body dysmorphia and confuse social media users with what the perception of a healthy lifestyle actually is. It would be good to elaborate on this further.
Looking forward to reading on!
Sarah Ramantanis @sram0052
Hey Emma! This was a great post, I never knew GymShark had such a great online community. I'm in a couple online communities and have found them really comforting during lockdown, to connect with people who are sharing your same experiences and feelings, from all over the world.
I used to be a part of the Shameless Podcast Community Group, before it was shut down. It was a great place to chat about pop culture, politics etc, and was often a place for supportive, educational conversation. However, the group got so large in size that it also got nasty quite often, and with such a large group it became too difficult to moderate and was ultimately shut down.
Do you…