Let’s talk about the heart of social media: community. Back when the “book of faces,” Twitter, and even the shadowy corners of the early internet popped up, social media was all about bringing people together. It wasn’t just about customer care tickets or endlessly scrolling ads—these were places where passions thrived, conversations bubbled, and connections formed over shared interests and stories.
But as social media evolved, something shifted. Brands latched onto these platforms for advertising and support channels, seeing them less as communities and more as direct lines to their segmented target markets. In this race for efficiency and scale, the old idea of authentic community management gradually faded away, replaced by one-way broadcasts or impersonal customer service exchanges.
Yet, as we look around today, that original spark of community is making a comeback, and it couldn’t have happened soon enough.
The New Age of Community Creation
We’re seeing a resurgence in what I call “cloistered communities.” Think Discord servers, Facebook Groups, subreddits. These are online spaces where people self-select for shared values, interests, or goals. For brands, that means getting back to basics: creating places customers want to visit, not just to be talked at, but to share feelings, connect with fellow fans, and enrich their purchase journey.
Community building now is about much more than just responding. It’s about curating safe, validating spaces. No matter your background or politics, we all want to participate in environments where we’re heard, not harassed. And that’s only possible when you have teams ready to set guardrails, nurture positivity, and step in to run interference when conversations take a dark turn.
Automation Alone Can’t Get Us There
Let’s be honest: tech and AI have their place. Meta, X(formerly Twitter), and the big platforms tout their automated filters and AI-powered moderation. It sounds great on paper, especially when you’ve got a CFO eyeing cost savings through automation. But reality paints a very different picture.
Scroll through the comments on any major brand’s post. Amid the likes and emojis, you’ll uncover spam, off-topic rants, blatant bullying, and emotionally charged noise that muddies any meaningful interaction. AI bots are fantastic at creating negative threads, doing work that is quick, cheap, and often invisible. Bots are far less effective at defending the space, understanding context, or cultivating positivity.
When it comes to moderation and relationship-building, humans simply do it better. We see the whole picture, recognize sarcasm, spot subtle bullying, and can redirect or elevate conversations in ways no algorithm can match.
The Power of the Human Touch
Human moderation isn’t just about deleting the ugly stuff. It’s about making spaces feel safe and welcoming, encouraging authentic participation, and highlighting voices that drive positive, relevant conversation. When your community sees that real people are paying attention, and they can see the difference from just bots or scripts, it deepens trust.
Authentic human interaction drives loyalty. For customers, having an actual person acknowledge their typo, laugh at a joke, or provide a genuinely helpful answer feels remarkably refreshing. It’s how you replicate the “in real life” experience that so many crave, especially as more interaction moves online.
That’s why leading brands, especially in retail, are investing in both technology and people. They recognize that having a great staff moderating and engaging makes the difference between a forgettable feed and a vibrant brand community.
When Communities Decide Your Future—A Lesson from Financial Services
While retail is catching on, other industries are lagging behind. Traditional financial services like big banks and investment houses are struggling the most. They’re losing ground to micro-communities led by financial services-focused influencers on platforms like TikTok (#FinTok). These digital tribes self-govern, share life-changing advice, and build loyalty from the ground up.
Banks and financial institutions, focused on short-term metrics and high value customers, ignore younger users. By the time those folks are ready to invest or take out a loan, they remember who listened. Even more critically, they’ll have permanently registered who didn’t. If you’re not cultivating relationships with today’s 18–34-year-olds, you’re setting yourself up for irrelevance a decade down the line.
Why Altiam CX Is Different
All this boils down to a simple truth: if you want to build resilient, thriving communities, you need both smart tools and great people. At Altiam CX, that’s our specialty.
Our teams are culturally fluent, naturally empathetic, and immersed in the content and trends shaping your markets, especially the US. We’re not just deleting spam. We’re curating conversations, safeguarding your brand, and empowering your customers to connect with each other and with you. That human approach, paired with smart technology, allows us to scale authentically—no faceless bots, just real people building real connections.
Brands looking for shortcut solutions in automation might save some dollars today. But brands that invest in genuine, human community creation are the ones that’ll win hearts (and market share) tomorrow.
If you’re ready to build digital communities that stand the test of time and actually drive your business goals, let’s talk about how Altiam CX can help you get there.
About the author
Mike Chase is a social media commentator and community-building expert, passionate about helping brands rediscover the power of authentic connection on digital platforms.
