Why no one talks about your brand

Yesterday, I met Sheela at a coffee shop. She runs a small homemade skincare brand that's been around for three years. Despite solid products and steady marketing, something was missing.

"Everyone likes our posts, but nobody talks about us," she told me. "It's like we're invisible outside our social media accounts."

I asked about her customer relationships. She looked confused. "We send newsletters and post content regularly. Isn't that enough?"

This conversation reminded me of my early days building my own business. I had the same problem: plenty of passive viewers but few passionate supporters.

My turning point came when I stopped treating customers like wallets and started seeing them as people who wanted to belong to something meaningful.

Here's what changed everything for me:

• I created a private group where customers could connect with each other, not just with my brand

• We highlighted customer stories consistently, making them the heroes

• We developed rituals and inside language that made members feel like insiders

• I showed up personally, putting a human face to the company

Within six months, these changes transformed our quiet customer base into vocal supporters who defended our brand in comments, brought friends into the fold, and stuck with us through product changes. This matters because:

• When people feel connected to your brand on a deeper level, they stay loyal during tough times

• Community members bring others naturally, reducing your marketing costs

• True fans move beyond passive buying to active advocacy

• People want to feel like insiders, not just customers

Sheela implemented similar changes, starting with a simple weekly coffee chat where customers could connect.

Three months later, she noticed something interesting: customers were tagging her brand in stories without prompting and defending her against negative comments.

Her engagement had evolved beyond basic likes.

The truth is that when you build genuine community, people stop seeing themselves as mere customers.

They begin to care deeply about your success because it feels tied to their identity. They bring others along because sharing valuable discoveries is human nature.

If you're feeling stuck with passive followers instead of passionate supporters, here is a tool that can get you started. It’s a custom GPT called Community Man, made by my good friend and the one and only, Deepak Kumar.

Talk soon,
— Shashank

P.S.

If you know someone who has to build a community for their business, forward them this email. And if you are the one who received it, you can subscribe here.

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