🔴 Is building an authentic community attainable?

Happy Friday, all! This is my first reported piece since joining Creator Spotlight, and I’m excited to explore a few ideas I’ve been reflecting on for some time: digital authenticity and sustainable community-building in today’s attention economy.

To help unpack these, I pulled in learnings from a diverse group of creators and media experts — a cozy gamer, some slice-of-life TikTok creators, a creator economy expert and an influencer manager. Maintaining authenticity online takes a toll. How are creators prioritizing intention over speed in their approach to growing their audiences and communities?

If you read this through, I’d love to hear from you! Please comment below and share your thoughts. I’m always happy to discuss these topics further with you.

Have a lovely, restful weekend :)

— Natalia Pérez-González, Assistant Editor

• How do we even define the creator economy? Our editor, Francis Zierer, gives a solid starting point (Creator Spotlight)

• Insights on building a creator career from a Webbys executive (Creator Spotlight)

• We should all relish spending more time being bored (Vox Media) 

• Wait, so the Ice Bucket Challenge is back? (NYT)

Authenticity is our biggest selling point

In our fast-paced, hyper-competitive attention economy, authenticity is a valuable currency. Inversely, inauthenticity, or perceived inauthenticity, is one of the biggest faux pas on the internet right now (perhaps worse, even, than being deemed as “cringe”).

In 2023, Merriam-Webster named “authentic” its word of the year. "Authentic is what brands, social media influencers, and celebrities aspire to be," the dictionary’s release said. Now, authenticity has been touted as the new leadership currency, and I can’t scroll through my LinkedIn feed without crossing a post about “authentic leadership,” or an ad for an “authentic [insert here] experience.” Even Mark Zuckerberg has been acknowledged as becoming more “authentic” in recent years.

Creators are certainly feeling the pressure. New research by Sprout Media in 2024 found that about half of all consumers prioritize authenticity as a top quality in the influencers they engage with. However, sustaining an authentic persona — and building an authentic community by extension — requires clear boundaries, intentionality, and a goal-setting process disconnected from the demands of an algorithm.

The performance of authenticity

Raw, unfiltered, or even amateurish content can easily go viral if it has something genuinely funny, heartfelt, or relatable to say. There’s the “influencer voice,” "off-the-cuff” content made to feel like an impromptu FaceTime with a bestie, and, depending on the creator’s vibe, the properly nonchalant or slightly unhinged videos (lest you’re dubbed a try-hard or come across as too polished).

Some creators have this down to a carefully curated performance. When I sit down with Alexandra (Ally) Dye, a Creative Lead at Vidsy and certified “yapper” on TikTok, she shares a bit about the science behind how she creates her content.

@lexandratok

this is my legacy #slack #business #corporatehumor #agencylife

Ally also tells me more about manufactured mannerisms, like what she calls the “Gen Z phone shake,” or starting the video by placing her phone against the wall to create the appearance of an impromptu, off-the-cuff thought. “I’m trying to communicate in a way the internet will find engaging, entertaining, and relatable,” she says.

But what do we perceive as engaging, authentic, and relatable? Gigi Robinson, creator economy expert and founder of Hosts of Influence, feels the definition of authenticity is too nebulous and subjective in today’s social media landscape.

Like many in this space, Gigi has also struggled to establish boundaries around her creator work, pushing herself to burnout from the pressures of being always on, and feeling like people have a little too much access to her.

The rise of private communities

To escape the polished curation, projection, and perception that come with an active social media presence, many creators have shifted their regular posting to private platforms or more private channels within platforms — Instagram Close Friends, for example. This allows them to be more authentic, nurture niche communities, and connect with their most engaged followers in environments less dictated by algorithmic demands.

More than two-thirds of internet users already participate in online communities, and one report found that 60% of people are more likely to be loyal to a brand if it offers a form of community access.

For Kennedy Rose, the creator behind the beloved @cozy.games, offering a branded space has significantly impacted community retention. Her space — both physically and digitally — is an extension of everything she genuinely loves, and it’s organically drawn an Instagram community of 440K cozy gamers and hobbyists who share her same interests.

Connection, she says, is the most important thing to her, and her weekly gaming streams are a cherished ritual for her highly engaged community, who watch her play video games like Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer, and Animal Crossing.

She spends a significant amount of time in her comments and DMs responding to individual messages, noting that this is ultimately crucial to maintaining an engaged audience and staying connected with her core community and supporters.

In nurturing a private community space, her role shifts from content creator to relationship facilitator. These spaces thrive not on rehearsed, manufactured authenticity, but on shared experiences, inside jokes, and mutual support — elements that feel increasingly rare on mainstream platforms.

For creators like Kennedy, what makes these spaces different isn't just their privacy but their purpose. They're designed mainly for connection rather than consumption — a crucial distinction that changes the fundamental dynamic between creator and audience.

Community ≠ audience

In conversation with Ally, she shared an insight about community vs. audience that really resonated with me: “A community is when you can leave, and the party goes on without you.”

This idea highlights the difference between a passive audience and a truly engaged, self-sustaining community. Alicia Kennedy and Leigh Stein, two former Creator Spotlight guests, do this well.

1. Alicia Kennedy hosts salons, weekly casual chats that her paid subscribers can participate in. They’re a themed, one-hour-long ritual that builds anticipation and builds camaraderie within her community.

2. Leigh Stein conducts expert interviews with publishing industry professionals for her audience, but limits access to the recordings by keeping them available for only 7 days. This sense of scarcity encourages people to engage while they can, fostering a more immediate, invested community.

Tactical steps to build your audience into a community:

• Creating tiered entry points: Using Instagram Close Friends, Discord, Twitch, subscriber-only chats, or membership levels to create spaces where deeper connections can form naturally.

• Establishing community rituals: Regular events, challenges, or traditions that give members a reason to engage beyond consuming content. These might include monthly book clubs, weekly gaming sessions, or seasonal check-ins.

• Developing shared language: Inside jokes, community-specific terms, or references that strengthen the sense of belonging and identity within the group.

• Setting clear boundaries: Communicating when you're available and when you're not, creating rules for interaction, and modeling healthy digital habits for your community.

• Redefining success metrics: If you’re prioritizing high intention over high engagement, the metrics you’re looking at to measure success (follower count, likes, etc.) will need to change to content resonance (saves, shares), community sentiment, and retention.

• Empowering community leaders: Identifying and nurturing engaged members who can help moderate discussions, welcome newcomers, and maintain community culture.

Redefining authenticity

Ultimately, true authenticity is not about sharing everything often, but sharing intuitively and with purpose.

This means letting your audience in without letting them define you. It means being intentional about what you share, why you share it (is it for validation or value-alignment?), and how it serves both you and your community. It's the difference between performative vulnerability designed to maximize engagement and genuine connection that respects your boundaries.

The goal isn't to stop sharing personal experiences entirely — it's to stop oversharing and start connecting in ways that respect your well-being, making for a healthier online experience and ultimately, a more fulfilling and engaged community.

What are your thoughts on this essay? Do you relate to or disagree with a point? Let’s discuss in the comments.