7 Reasons Every Founder Should Build an Online Community

By Zach Schleien

Communities don't just grow audiences - they create lasting relationships, break down silos, and position you as a connector in your space.

I've built communities with 18,000+ members. The thing most people get wrong? They think community is about size. It's actually about connection.

Here are 7 reasons why building an online community is one of the highest-leverage things you can do.

1. Keep the Conversation Alive

The biggest challenge with in-person events is that you connect, exchange business cards, maybe add each other on LinkedIn - and then never talk again. A community gives you a place to continue the conversation naturally, without the forced pressure of direct outreach.

2. Break Down the Silos

In industries like mental health, professionals are siloed across nonprofits, for-profits, government, and education. Community breaks those walls down. You give people new perspectives and resources they never would have found in their own silo.

3. Become a Connector

By creating an online community, you become an influencer, organizer, and - hopefully - a connector in your space. I say "hopefully" because you can start a community for selfish reasons. The best community builders have a responsibility to connect like-minded people. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

4. Bring Together Like-Minded People

When you create a community, you're planting the seeds for lifelong relationships. Once your community scales, you won't be able to keep track of all the relationships you helped foster - and that's a beautiful thing.

5. Learn Your Niche Deeply

Running a community means you see the questions, the new content, the emerging trends - all in real time. You become a subject matter expert not by studying, but by facilitating.

6. Disseminate Your Message

It's far easier to spread values and ideas with 6,000 people behind you than doing it alone. In mental health, removing the stigma is a massive endeavor - but it's achievable when thousands are sharing and communicating together.

7. Support People at Scale

Community is a powerful support mechanism. At 18percent, members express the importance of connecting with people who truly understand how they're feeling. Relatability builds trust. Trust builds support.

The Bottom Line

Community is much more than filling a platform with members. When you bring people together with intention, the outcomes - collaboration, learning, support - are exponentially greater than what any individual could achieve alone.

Community building is at the heart of every growth strategy I implement. If you want help building an engaged audience around your brand, let's talk.