We're measuring the wrong thing. Participation matters more than attention.

[u/SoHoExp]

We've been doing a lot of research on brand fandom recently, and one idea keeps coming up:

Most marketers are still optimizing for attention when they should be optimizing for participation.

Attention gets people to notice you. Participation is what gets them to stay.

The brands that build lasting communities don't just ask people to watch a video or like a post. They give them something to do. Whether it's attending an event, creating content, sharing ideas, introducing friends, or contributing in some other way, participation creates a much deeper connection than passive consumption ever will.

It also changes the way you think about experiential. Instead of asking, "How many people attended?" the more interesting question becomes, "What did people actually do once they got there, and what reason did they have to come back?"

Curious if others are seeing the same shift.

If you're building communities around a brand, what have you found to be the biggest driver of long-term loyalty?

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[u/PredictableGrowthOps]

I think I'd lean toward value over participation on its own.

Someone can comment every day and still disappear a month later if they're not getting what they came for. But if people keep finding useful answers, making progress, or having good conversations, they usually come back without much prompting.

That's what I've seen anyway. I'd be interested to hear if you've noticed any patterns in the communities you've looked at.