Build a Community that Has Your Back!
Often, people on social media will bring up the idea of community. They’ll talk about how important it is to build a community.
But there’s something they don’t talk about.
It’s IMPORTANT to have a community that FULLY supports you!
You might be asking, “but I thought all communities support the person?”
No! This isn’t the case!
Frequently, the community is set up for the individual to gain some benefits, but the main goal is to support the group.
The community is created to mitigate unforeseen risks. This could even make a scenario where you’re the sacrificial lamb for the group to survive. Even though the solution may be detrimental to you, the community is planned to emerge into a better situation.
It’s not personal.
This is why I’m saying that it’s crucial to build a community that’s there primarily for you. Your community may hang out and make friends with one another, but the common interest is to ensure you succeed.
Isn’t that unhealthy?
People often talk about the negatives of having Yes-men. How it’s good to have people who might disagree with you so that you’re aware of future problems before they occur.
The issue with this is that even if your entire community just supported whatever crazy/foolish idea you have, there are FAR more people out in the world that aren’t part of your community — who have no issue with crapping on your idea.
There will always be more people who are either apathetic toward your situation, antagonistic toward you or think an idea is stupid.
A community that fully supports you is just giving you a slight edge. It’s not going to solve every problem in your way.
But think about how nice it is to have people say, “we think you’re awesome.”
or
It’s tough now, but we’re here for you if you need us.
A strong community is overpowered.
In a world where attention and interest open doors, whether on social media or in the real world, having people who are there for you is practically a cheat.
Jobs are often all about synergy, even more than competency. Think about a traditional job. Ten (or more) people think you’re fantastic at your job. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, those ten people say at least one (or more) positive thing about you. That’s a game-changer.
A person who gets along with people will be given more opportunities.
Even think about what happens if you make an accidental error.
Depending on how people think about you, even something minor can be a big deal.
But imagine if your community surrounds you.
Not only do you have people that are understanding, but they’ll also even help you, so you succeed instead of fail. Think about having people who want to do whatever they can to ensure you succeed and are happy to help you.
Now think about social media.
Imagine every tweet got at least a hundred likes and shares. Even imagine that for YouTube videos. It doesn’t sound like much, but there are plenty of channels that can’t even get a single view, let alone a like and share.
Think about those hundred people who become your patrons, giving you just $5 monthly for 30 years. Each month that would be $500 you’d earn just because your community thinks you’re fantastic. That’s $6,000 each year.
Throw that yearly $6,000 into a fictional portfolio with a 6% interest rate for 30 years.
Of course, that amount is hypothetical, and I’m not giving you financial advice. But I think my point is made.
That’s from just a hundred people who receive value from you.
You might think, “how can people give an artist $5 a month for 30 years?”
Here’s a hypothetical, an individual spending $500 each month while RESPONSIBLY using a 1% cashback credit card to pay the amount would generate $5 a month.
Think about Twitch.
Imagine if your dedicated super community of a hundred people shows up to every one of your streams.
I wouldn’t think it difficult to start being able to monetize your content on the platform.
A Twitch Prime Subscription generates $2.50 for the streamer.
Imagine each of your fans uses their Prime Sub on you every month.
That’s $3,000 a year!
If you factor in the $5 a month on Patreon, that’s $9,000 each year.
But that’s just on the financial side, and of course, Patreon takes a cut for their fees. This is merely a hypothetical to make a point.
When you feel hopeless…
While most people tell you that what you’re working towards is a waste of time, think about how it’d feel to have a hundred people saying that you can do it. Those hundred individuals tell you that they think you bring value to the world.
Often, people struggle with starting a project because they don’t think there’s an interest in it.
Imagine that for every project you work on, you know you’ll have a hundred people excited about it and eagerly wait to see you release it.
That’s a game-changer!
Success on social media is all about community.
Regardless of the platform, having only a hundred people actively supporting you and eager to see you succeed is the ultimate winning strategy.
It doesn’t matter what your content is.
If you have a hundred people, you’re on the path to becoming a full-time artist.
No one lives on an island by themselves.
Sure. It’s BEYOND EXTREMELY possible that you don’t take off immediately, even if you have a hundred super fans.
But imagine the possibilities if you always have a hundred people willing to show up — every time. Even if you fail at first, you can keep trying to see what works.
And you’ll start with a hundred people telling you they believe in you each time.
Many have talked about the value of having a community. There are articles like “1,000 True Fans” and “100 True Fans.”
But many of those articles talk about only the financial benefits. While I did touch on the money part of having a dedicated community, I think it’s essential to mainly talk about the psychological advantage of constantly feeling like you have the home-team advantage.
It’s challenging to navigate life when most people we’ll encounter feel pretty “meh” about us.
There’s something special about always having a dedicated cheer squad — rooting for you and telling you that you’ll succeed.
If you have a dedicated community, collaborating with other artists will likely be easier. This would only help to expose you to new people.
What kind of artist on social media wouldn’t love to invite someone with a dedicated community who always shows up?
Though my examples have been extreme and optimistic, I hope you understand the message.
It’s important to cultivate a community that shows up just for you. This doesn’t just apply to social media. Many people succeeded, with less than a hundred dedicated people following them.
Don’t worry about growing a community quickly.
Focus your attention on growing a community that’s excited, passionate, and loves your art. Have a community that’ll always show up.
I hope you’ll check out the other wonderful articles on VTuber Life.
I’d also like to ask you to check out the web novel series I’ve been writing since 2017 — the longest original narrated web novel series on YouTube. Consider listening to the chapters, subscribing to the channel, liking the videos, and leaving a comment about your thoughts on the story.
