I’ve been a teacher most of my career. Specifically, I was a college English teacher for ten years. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how my experience teaching and writing and telling stories has influenced my understanding of community. One of the biggest discussions-or sometimes arguments-I hear is whether someone wants and audience or a community. I wanted to explain the difference using a story framework.
As humans, we’re built to connect to other people. In some way, we crave connection and a sense of belonging. With the rise of community over the last couple of years, many companies think that building a community is the answer. But not everyone who claims to want a community actually wants one. In fact, what many people are looking for is an audience.
An audience is a group of people who are aware of what you’re doing, but they don’t necessarily engage or interact with each other. It’s like a group of spectators watching a game from the sidelines. A community is made up of individuals who engage and interact with each other. They’re active participants who shape the story and contribute to the group’s sense of identity and purpose.
To better understand this, let’s use the analogy of a story. An audience reads the story and observes the characters, while a community is the story. Members of a community create the story together, and their collective experiences shape its trajectory. Power users might guide the main ideas, while minor characters come and go, still impacting the story in meaningful ways.
It’s important to remember that a community is probably much smaller than an audience. But don’t underestimate its power; some of the most impactful communities are small but mighty. By building a strong community that’s engaged and invested in your world, you’ll be able to create a sense of belonging and connection that will attract others to your mission.
If you want to see the video that inspired this blog post, you can check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@bekahhw.
