Issue #93: Building Community Is A Necessity, Not A Luxury
And why social media is no longer the place to do it.
Yesterday, “Zuck” made an announcement about upcoming changes happening inside the METAverse. You can read the full list of changes on Instagram but here are a few quick points that he mentioned:
Fact checkers will be replaced with Notes, much like X.
Restrictions around certain content types like immigration and gender will be removed.
Their current policies around censorship will be changed.
And of course, he will be working with the orange guy.
While many are congratulating Zuck on this huge move towards protecting freedom of speech, I believe that these changes will undoubtedly turn Instagram, Threads, and Facebook into a breeding ground of ignorance, false claims, and hatred.
As if we don’t already have to avoid stupidity on a daily basis.
Social media as we know it, is becoming a space that is not safe for most minorities. Which is why, more than ever, it’s time for us to shift our focus off of these platforms that are being leveraged by billionaires and begin building intentional community in our own, owned spaces.
As they continue to show us year after year, the minds behind these platforms can’t be trusted. By allowing more rage bate, engagement numbers will continue to increase. And when engagement increases, so does ad revenue. Which is the complete opposite of what it means to build community.
I fully understand the right to have freedom of speech and to be able to share your thoughts and opinions wherever you desire, but what happens when lies and hate begin to outweigh what is factually correct?
Social media as it stands today is a never ending game that we have all unfortunately been forced to play.
Communities are meant to be safe spaces…social media is not that.
Communities are thoughtfully curated spaces of like-minded people who have a shared goal…social media is not.
Communities have rules and a shared interest of protecting each other...social media could never.
See where I’m going here?
Now is the time that we all get serious about building and being a part of communities outside of these spaces.
But how?
As creatives, we have so many resources available to us that would allow us to not only use our strengths but also build community.
PUBLIC NEWSLETTERS
Platforms like Substack, Beehive, and Kit are making it possible for us to bring the intimate letters that we write to our audience and share them publicly. Like the old school blogging days, writing whether it be through a public newsletter or a site like Medium is a great way to bring your people together for a common purpose.
PRIVATE COMMUNITIES (FREE OR PAID)
Building a private community on a platform like Circle or Mighty Networks gives you an opportunity to bring people together and give them that social media feel without being subjected to the crap that comes along with being on social media. You can set the tone, create the rules, and moderate your space as little or as much as you need. And not every private community has to be centered around coaching or learning. You can bring people together who enjoy talking about the same topics and let that be the main focus.
IN-PERSON EVENTS
In-person events like conferences and retreats have always been around but I truly believe in the upcoming years, we’re really going to see in-person experiences ramp up. People are lonely. And while online communities allow people to join in from all over the world, there is something special that happens when you are in a room full of people who get it. You vibe off of each others energy and magic is made.
Please, just move your people off of these platforms that don’t give af about you.
I’m not telling you to quit social media for good. I’m still on it and fully understand the power it holds for many entrepreneurs who are trying to grow. What I’m encouraging you to do is stop putting all of your eggs in Zuck or Elons baskets. Have a backup plan and put your energy in the spaces that you can control.
Let me know in the comments how you’re planning to build community off of social media this year! Maybe we can brainstorm ideas together!
xoxo, Alisha
DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE
This is so good... and as a social media marketer (and content creator) I'm at a loss for how this is all going to radically shift people, how they engage (or disengage) with the good content and good work people are leveraging social media channels for. But all of your points were so good and reinforce a better way to think through strategy for social media & community building.