How to build a community that cares

These days, if you’re an emerging maker, it’s easy to believe that the growth of your little business primarily comes from posting more, following trends, and working the ever-changing algorithm. While visibility, particularly in social media, matters, it’s often unpredictable and can also be short-lived. So instead of constantly asking, ‘How do I reach more people?’ You can also ask, ‘How do I create something people want to keep going back to?’ Because in the long run, the goal isn’t to just have an audience, it’s to have a community that cares for what you create.

Having your own community means growing a market that isn’t just built on transactions alone. They don’t just buy your products, they share your work and root for you to succeed. But having this community, having a ‘market that cares,’ doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, trust, and transparency. Different local makers share how they build their work in meaningful ways to get there.

Identifying shared values

Ask yourself: What brings people together? People don’t gather around products alone—yes, they might find your plushies or stickers cute, your woven products meticulously made, but, at the core of it, they come together around ideas and values. As Common Room and Popjunklove co-founder Roma Agsunod shared on lessons for sustainable success, creating real value makes it easier to communicate why your work matters. Sometimes that value isn’t even just the product itself. Common Room, for example, evolved beyond retail by creating spaces and events that responded to what its community valued: creativity, mindful making, and connection.

Fellow co-founder Maan Agsalud points out in the same episode, people don’t just buy the finished product—they can also connect with “the process or hardships of developing [it]... they will buy the why and how you did it.” When your work mirrors values people believe in, they don’t just make a purchase, they come together with the idea that they’re participating in something meaningful.

Being authentic and consistent

Now, how do you express and consistently live out those values? Authenticity is where it all starts. To connect to your market, first you have to reach them. And to reach them often means inviting people into your story—whether it’s about your work, your brand, or your journey as a maker. And in whatever storytelling format you choose, authenticity is essential.

“It’s easy to communicate something when it’s true,” shared Anya Lim of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery in a previous YT episode on how the social enterprise succeeds in a market dominated by fast fashion. “When we started, we just shared our journey. It wasn’t difficult for us to pass the mic to our artisans. When the relationship is anchored on truth it’s very easy to tell stories.” For Anya, if your market understands what you stand for, “if you communicate your story, they appreciate more what they are buying.”

Just as crucial as what you communicate, is how consistently you do it. Staying true and consistent gives people a reason to return. It’s also how you build a sense of trust, which is important in making your market care. When your audience sees the truth in your story and your work, they’re more likely to become part of your community—instead of simply making a one-time purchase.

Going beyond transactions

Building a market that cares for your work or what you make means prioritizing customer relationships over transactional ones. Jodee Aguillon, founder of reworked vintage clothing brand Glorious Dias, recalled in a past Mess Studio discussion, “pulling back from online,” because he wanted to meet the people who were trying on their pieces, who were wearing them. It kept the relationship from being purely transactional just as he wanted. “That was something we had to learn from the pandemic, where it was like if there was an opportunity to work in retail, but we were missing that human connection… I want that face to face in retail back. I want that again.”

With a face-to-face interaction, a sale doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation. Acknowledging customers using your products or creating ways to meet them offline or online can help in building genuine connections. Don Fumar, in an interview on preparing for pop-up events, even takes it further. For the artist behind Studio Dondon, even if a customer doesn’t end up buying from you, “you want their experience to be positive.” Sometimes, paying attention to what the customers need and protecting how they experience your brand matter more than making sure you get as much sales as you can from them. Your market becomes more than a customer. Their experiences, questions, and feedback can reveal what resonates most and inspire future collections.

Trial and feedback

A market that cares isn’t something you simply acquire. You cultivate it through ongoing conversations. Dear Self Beauty, the only makeup brand in Common Room, encourages its customers to try out its many products by making smaller versions of its makeup. “If you create products for customers to try out then you’re increasing interest for your brand and it broadens your fanbase,” explains Roma Agsalud in our Small Business Strategies episode. Beyond raising interest and expanding fanbase, it can also be a good jumpoff point for encouraging customer feedback.

Honest feedback from people who love and use your product is another pillar in building a market that cares. This is important if you want to be able to openly communicate with the people who support your work. They can lift with words of encouragement and praise or enlighten on things that might have been missed before you see them yourself. When you listen, address concerns, or simply engage with feedback, it creates a sense of connection.

Building a community that cares is about creating enough value and trust that ensures people keep coming back. Over time, that community becomes more than just customers. They can become a meaningful influence on how your work, your business, and you as a maker continue to grow.