TUTORIAL ARTICLE

Beginner

4 min

The rise of small communities on social media

An exploration into how online micro-communities have become a prominent sector of the social media landscape

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The year is 2008 — Facebook has surpassed Myspace as the most visited social media network, and a large portion of the population is using the platform to publicly express their every thought, action, or emotion. Fast-forward to 2023, and the majority of people are using social media in a very different way (and are using a whole lot more than just Facebook to do it).

Online communities — whether in the form of Facebook Groups, Subreddits, X Communities, or even LinkedIn Groups — are slowly but surely becoming a prominent part of the social media experience, with 76% of internet users saying they participate in an online community in some form.

All of this begs the question: when did social media become so... siloed? Join us as we explore the small community trend — where it all began, why it’s gaining speed, and what this could mean for the future of social media.

Why are small communities an important part of social media?

Social media, whatever your platform of choice, can be a fantastic place to form meaningful connections, which are significantly easier to find within small communities aligned around a particular topic or interest. These spaces provide opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals as well as have a voice on the topics you care about most, without feeling drowned out by the noise of other social media users in the feed. Small communities not only give you a better chance at feeling “seen” but also remove the anxiety of publicly expressing oneself to a huge and unfiltered audience. Furthermore, they allow for more raw and authentic conversations, with 36% of users indicating that they prefer online communities because they can have more meaningful conversations. It seems the social media users of today are placing greater value on quality conversations versus quantity, preferring to find their people rather than sharing and interacting with the masses.

Social media in recent years: the COVID effect

A big part of this shift towards online communities was most likely caused by the advent of the COVID-19 virus, which had the majority of the global population in and out of lockdowns or under restrictions for socializing from late 2019 until mid 2022. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an 81% uptick in online community engagement, while 91% of people said they have given some form of support through an online group or community during the pandemic.

Small communities may have risen in popularity due to a craving for more intimate interactions to replace in-person socializing, to seek support during hard times, or to interact with social media in a less overwhelming fashion due to an increase in mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression during quarantine periods and beyond.

Connecting the dots: other influences on small community usage

Let us not forget, influencers are another prominent element of the greater social media experience — their primary goal being to build a community over which to exert their influence. With influencers taking up so much space on platforms and publishing content within specific niches to attract specific audiences, is it any wonder that small communities soon began to form without the concentrated herding of influencers to bring them together?

This shift towards smaller online communities could also be an indication of the widespread desire to interact with others regarding common interests, instead of simply consuming content around the area of interest, as one might do when following an influencer. Therefore, the development of small communities could be seen as the natural next step for those who enjoy using social media to keep up with said interests.

Naturally, many brands and businesses have picked up on this trend and are using this micro community format to their advantage as a way to peddle their products and services. Many companies, such as Lego and Glossier, have formed their own online communities as a way to gather their target demographics and serve up content about their products and brands as a way to maintain customer loyalty and sell more items. Additionally, others choose to form online communities as a source of revenue itself, by charging for entry to the group and the exclusive content within.

The bigger picture

It is within the best interest of any social network to release new features and improvements that are aligned with how users are using their platforms, and we can certainly see how the small community trend has influenced social channels and their development thus far. Even recently, Facebook unveiled the ability to post Stories as a Group, while X (previously Twitter) added membership questions to qualify those who wish to join a specific community.

Not only have we seen Instagram morph more and more into TikTok in response to the massive (and still growing) popularity of short-form video content, it is also possible that we may see some of the top social media networks taking a leaf out of the books of more community-based platforms like Reddit or Discord over the next few months or years.

Regardless of where it came from or why, the small community trend can be considered in many ways a positive shift in user behavior, with 98% of people who belong to an online group saying that they feel a sense of kinship with that group. With social media platforms noticing the opportunities to establish more meaningful connections within their networks, the future of social media could yet be one of greater authenticity, acceptance, and belonging.


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March 4, 2024

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