Many businesses and creators are turning to community building as an important part of their business strategy. Community building is the process of bringing people together towards a common goal. Whether that is geared toward learning or fun, community is becoming an essential part of our online lives, and social media sites are starting to reflect this interest. In 2023, Instagram launched its broadcast channel feature for creators to connect with their followers on a more intimate level. In 2024, X (formerly Twitter) launched its community feature. Everywhere you turn, brands and individuals are honing in on being relatable by organizing events, building newsletters, and creating content that is relatable and engaging. 

As a creator or entrepreneur living in Kenya, building a thriving online community requires a blend of creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of your audience’s needs and preferences.  Your content should be valuable, engaging, and infused with an understanding of local trends and cultural nuances. Afterall, in order to touch the hearts of people, you should be able to speak their language. 

In this article, we will be sharing practical and creative strategies for fostering a vibrant online community as a creator or business owner living in Kenya. By using these tips, you will be able to grow your online community in Kenya. 

Why is content important for growing a community? 

Content is the bedrock of a growing a vibrant online community. People connect with you based on what you can provide for them. When you consistently deliver valuable and relevant content, you will be able to keep your audience engaged. Content does not only strengthen your community, it also helps you establish your business as an authority in your niche, which is great for building trust and credibility.

Beyond engagement, content is a great way to provide value to your community. Carousels, videos, how-to guides, etc. can be excellent tools for catering to the specific needs and interests of your audience members. They also create a shared identity and sense of belonging. This connection helps you maintain a loyal community, and draw in new members who resonate with your message and are looking for the solutions or insights you can provide.

Content also helps you grow your community. Whether by user-generated content, exclusive offers, or campaigns, your content strategy helps mobilize your community around shared goals and values. In essence, content is not just about communication—it’s about building a sustainable and dynamic community that continues to grow and evolve.

READ: How to Build a Community Around your Brand as a Creator

What content ideas can one implement for growing an online community in Kenya? 

1. Storytelling content

Stories are a powerful way to connect with your audience on a personal level. They are a great avenue for fostering audience engagement, forming emotional ties with your audience by revealing layers of your journey with them and sharing use cases for your product. As a person looking to grow your online community in Kenya, you can choose to tell the following stories: 

1. Success Stories: Highlight your story, or those of local entrepreneurs, influencers, or community members who have achieved something significant through their connection to your product, or community. 
2. Relatable Stories: Share stories that reflect Kenyan traditions and events. For example, during Jamhuri Day, you can share stories of independence and national pride. Your stories don’t need to be super serious, a 90-second reel is enough time to build an interesting premise. 
3. Drip Content Series: A good way to build engagement is by starting a storytelling series that carries the audience from video to video, learning details about your work, experiences, and more. 

READ: A Beginner’s Guide to Crafting Compelling Posts

2.  Educational content

Beyond providing value, sharing educational content positions you as an authority in your niche and adds value to the members of your community. People typically respond favorably to creators who teach them ideas that they can explore. They will appreciate you sharing the how behind your success as a creator or business owner. 

Educational content can be made in so many ways. You can create how-to Guides and tutorials on relevant topics. For instance, a tutorial on how to start a small business in Kenya will be helpful to followers seeking to build businesses. Beyond carousels and images, you can also use videos to break down complex topics. For example, if you are a hairdresser, you can create reels videos explaining how to make box braids, or bohemian braids. 

READ: How to Become a Beauty Content Creator

3. User-Generated content

User-generated content (UGC) content is rapidly becoming an important way for creators and businesses to reach their audiences. This type of content entails using media that has been created by members of your audience or target audience. By encouraging your community members to create and share, you develop a sense of belonging and engagement. People want to see real people use the products they are interested in. It adds a layer of authenticity to your business. 

If you are the author of an e-book, you can tell community members to send in photos of them reading the book, along with specific things they learned. You can also organize photo contests where members share photos related to a specific theme. For instance, “Show Your Hustle” where members share photos of their daily work. Testimonials and reviews also make great UGC content. Ask your community members to share their experiences with your product or service. Feature these testimonials on your social media platforms.

4. Collaborations and takeovers

Collaboration is a great way for businesses to connect with new audiences. There are many ways in which collaboration can be achieved, and it all depends on your ability to think outside the box as a creator or business owner. In this twitter post, we share some iconic collaborations that you can get some ideas from. As a business owner, you can collaborate with other businesses or creators to increase the value that your audience get from you. 

You can also get influencers on your platform and allow them to take over your stories for a day. By doing this, you boost engagement and attract new accounts to become part of your community. The influencers that take over your account can share their daily routines, and tips, and engage with your audience. If these ideas are not up your alley, you can also partner with industry experts to create guest posts or host webinars on topics of interest to your community.

5. Local events and meetups

Post-pandemic, virtual events have become a popular way for getting people to connect with others. Webinars have gone mainstream, and many businesses have taken to livestreams on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms as ways to connect with their audience. As a creator, you can take advantage of online virtual events as a way to connect with members of your community. Beyond captions, and comment sections, these spaces give them an opportunity to interact more with you, get real-time answers to their most pressing questions, and build and nurture a relationship with you and your brand. 

Offline events are still the best way to connect with people. At least, this article says so. Organizing local events and meetups can strengthen your community by fostering connections in person. Plan a small meetup in your community and send invites to some members of your community to attend. You can screen them, and start small, then build up these meetings as you gain more capacity and trust with them. Share live updates, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content so more followers get a feel of who you are and what you’re about.

6. Challenges and campaigns

Launching challenges and campaigns can boost engagement and encourage user participation. Especially when the community you’re building is skill-based, creating a challenge that is centered around developing a skill for a specific number of days is a great way to build community. 

As a copywriter, a 30-day copywriting challenge can help your audience build their confidence in their copywriting abilities, get help from more experienced copywriters within the community, maintain their consistency, and develop themselves. 

You can also run campaigns on social issues, like mental health awareness, PCOS awareness, and other issues that matter to you and your community as a way of encouraging community participation.

7. Exclusive content and offers

A great way to grow an online community is by providing exclusive content and offers. This will incentivize people to join your community and stay active. You can offer exclusive one-on-one calls, course modules, webinars and meetups for members of your community.

By providing special perks, you will be able to encourage loyalty among your community members and draw more people to stay active within your community. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, growing an online community in Kenya requires a mix of valuable, engaging, and culturally relevant content. By leveraging storytelling, educational content, user-generated content, and interactive elements, you can foster a vibrant and engaged community. Collaborations, behind-the-scenes content, local events, challenges, and exclusive offers further enhance your community-building efforts.

Start implementing these content ideas today, and watch your online community in Kenya flourish.