From feeds to fandoms: The shift to niche community marketing

From feeds to fandoms: The shift to niche community marketing.

Communities make brands feel more human. It creates a sense of belonging. However, like everything else in the marketing world, communities have evolved. The focus has shifted from trying to reach as many people as possible through social media to building niche, intimate, theme-based communities.

As social media became increasingly ad-ridden and noisy, users began to crave the opposite: genuine connections and engaging experiences. Here’s where niche communities come into the picture and why some of the most innovative brands are building out spaces for their superfans to gather.

Back when social media WAS the community

With the rise of the Internet, community became synonymous with social media. The bigger the social media following, the stronger the community. The job was to post into a social media feed and hope the algorithm gods smiled on you. Community managers were supposed to reply to comments and keep conversations moving. On-platform engagement was the name of the game.

Over time, social media feeds have become noisier. Organic reach declined as platforms prioritized paid posts, and comment sections became harder to moderate. People began creating their own spaces and fandoms using WhatsApp groups, unofficial subreddits, and Discord servers, where they could engage in discussions without being exposed to advertisements.

For brands that keep a pulse on their audience, this was a clear sign that loyal customers (see also: fans) were craving more authentic, less promotional content. Social media had become a place for ads, rather than a space for genuine, meaningful conversations.

Smart brands sprang into action. For example, when hearing protection brand Loop Earplugs noticed that customers used Reddit to ask questions and share opinions with other users, they began using the platform to answer questions and host AMA sessions with key employees, allowing them to communicate directly with an interested audience.

By showing up in spaces outside of traditional social media, they were able to connect with audiences in high-intent areas where they were already asking questions and join in the conversation organically.

“If people are already asking questions about your brand on Reddit, you should be part of that conversation,” said Krista Doyle, an AI search strategist & consultant. “A thoughtful, authentic Reddit presence lets you show up at the moment of intent, build trust with real customers, and shape the narrative instead of letting others answer for you."

From social media to fandoms: Community is becoming more niche

The internet and social media propelled fan culture, making it more widespread and accessible.

According to Ipsos, 92% of Americans claim to be fans of something. What makes the fandom culture so different from other community approaches, however, is that it is niche, and people want to participate in and co-create content, rather than just consume it. This aligns with the theory of participatory culture, where fans are viewed as active content producers.

Where does this need come from? Parasocial relationship building is a piece of this equation.

Need proof that this type of fandom is on the rise? Well, look at the fact that ‘parasocial’ is Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year for 2025.

Parasocial relationships are one-sided emotional bonds people form with celebrities, influencers, or even AI chatbots. In simple terms, it’s the kind of excitement Taylor Swift’s fans felt when she got engaged.

However, this type of relationship is not exclusive to Hollywood stars. According to Deloitte, around 50% of Gen Zs and millennials say they feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators than they do with TV personalities or actors.

Why brands need to capitalize on superfans

Why is this important for brands? Fandom culture has also taken over the marketing world. Brands have realized that fans are not just consumers, they are content creators: They generate fan art, memes, videos, and blogs that celebrate their favorite influencers, products, and brands.

As a result, brands get oodles of free user-generated content (UGC), which already feels far more authentic and trustworthy than promotional, branded content. Providing customers with the space they need to build a tight-knit fan base is the foundation of modern community marketing.

By embracing niche communities, brands like Nike have turned themselves into “brandoms,” attracting fan-level devotion. Take, for example, the Nike Run Club App, which is a community where Members can stay on pace with run challenges, training plans, and guided runs.

Nike also offers other apps, such as The Nike Training Club app, SNKRS, and The Nike app, with the goal of cultivating strong connections with very specific audiences rather than trying to appeal to everyone.

Another brand known for its strong community is Sephora, whose Beauty Insider community has become a hub for loyal, highly engaged members. It’s a place where shoppers swap reviews, share looks, and stay connected to the brand. This is Sephora’s goldmine for UGC content.

Another brand that can testify to the power of community is Glossier. Born from a community blog and website in 2014 called Into The Gloss, this beauty website and community is rooted in being informative and conversation-oriented. And more than a decade later, Glossier continues to rely heavily on UGC as a sales tool, the core of its affiliate program, and more.

There’s no doubt that UGC is now a key touchpoint in the buyer journey. In fact, data shows 80% of consumers seek authenticity, looking for it in the form of customer photos, real-life videos, and honest reviews before making a purchase.

Meeting niche community members offline

Niche community-building isn’t just about online forums and platforms; it’s also about offline experiences. Creating exceptional experiences where you can meet with fans face-to-face is another key to engagement and keeping fans locked in with your brand.

Prebiotic soda brand Olipop understood the assignment when they created a “Time Travel Agency,” which took over the Austin Motel, offering fans the chance to win a stay in one of three immersive suites inspired by different product flavors and decades.

This in-person experience takes the online connection and roots it in something real, tangible, and ripe for content creation, thus keeping the UGC flywheel moving all along the way.

Your blueprint to building a niche community

If building a niche community is on your list of goals, you can approach it in three ways: partner with a creator, create unique experiences, and empower members to contribute and shape the community themselves.

Partnering with a creator

There are so many brands that capitalize on influencer partnerships to access their communities. JCPenney partnered with Ashley Graham, the supermodel and body-positive icon, to launch its new collection, designed to bring affordable fashion up to size 5X without compromising on style.

An influencer partnership is one of the fastest ways to go viral. It’s also one of the fastest ways to build a community, as it allows you to tap into a loyal community that a creator has already built over the years. However, when using this approach, while you can reach more people (and get more sales) instantly, the audience can still feel like “rented,” and you’ll have to invest more time and effort into turning them into your brand fans.

Create unique experiences

Another way to build a community is to focus on creating niche, tailored experiences that resonate with your audience and provide them with a space or platform to express themselves, thereby connecting with your brand.

The sport and leisure brand, OYSHO, achieves this through a community that offers members access to gym classes, training sessions, events, and running clubs in more than 15 countries. They also have a digital community, where members can use the Oysho Training App to access training classes from anywhere.

This requires a lot of effort and dedication. Still, using this approach, you can build a very niche community that thrives on the sense of belonging, where customers inevitably become brand ambassadors.

Empower members to contribute and shape the community themselves

Some communities become so strong that they continue to move the community forward even when there’s no additional push from the brand. Take Duolingo, for example. The brand had a forum where people shared tips, experiences, and updates on their progress. However, Duolingo decided to shut down the forum in 2022.

Despite this, the community remained very dedicated, and they even created a new forum, Duome, where they keep the conversation going and share community-based advice. However, aware of the importance of niche communities, Duolingo is still present on platforms such as Reddit, where it hosts AMA sessions and supports the Duolingo community.

The new era of brand-building is niche

Niche communities are taking over the marketing world by storm. As we become increasingly overwhelmed and overstimulated by ads, we’ll value dedicated spaces where we can connect with like-minded people.

There’s no doubt that moving forward, innovative brands will focus more on niche community-building, connecting with their superfans, meeting them where they are, or even creating the experiences and spaces where they can find the brand offline to deepen those relationships, retain audience members, and capture increasingly elusive consumer attention.