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Hey, hey, hey. Welcome back to Social Media Decoded. It's Michelle Thames. And today's episode is especially for the brands, companies, leaders and organizations planning for 2026. Because I'm about to share something that most businesses still don't understand about building community and is costing them money, retention, loyalty and long term growth. It's not a marketing trend. It's not a social media hack. It's a business model. And. And companies who understand community in 2026 are the ones who will win. So get your pens and your notepads ready because you already know gems are about to be dropped. So why community matters more than ever? We're heading into a new era where people trust people more than they trust companies. Consumers want connection over campaigns, relationship overreach, resonance over perfection, shared identity over random post. And the businesses who are thriving already have figured this out. Community isn't a Facebook group. It's not an email list. It's not a discord. It's not a slack space. Community is the emotional and relational system your brand builds. It's what people feel when they think about you. The top mistakes that businesses will make in 2026. Yeah, let's go there. Because most companies are completely missing the mark. Mistake number one, treating community like a marketing channel. Community is not where you push your offers. It's where you celebrate belonging. Audience consumes, community contributes. Mistake number two, putting community on the intern's plate. Community is a leadership function. Let me repeat that. It's a bar. Community is a leadership function. It requires strategy, emotional intelligence and brand stewardship. You can't outsource connection to the newest hire. Mistake number three, thinking content equals community. Posting daily does not mean mean you're building an actual ecosystem. Communities are built on identity, shared purpose, belonging, storytelling, transformation, values. Not posting consistently. Mistake number four, not investing in community leaders. These brands don't have community directors, connection strategists or relationship marketers and then wonder why their consumers don't stick. Mistake number five, no community continuity plan. Most brands try to get people in a community, but they have no system to keep the people engaged or uplifted. This is where most brands lose millions without realizing it. Now what community driven companies will do in 2026. The brands who will win are already shifting into a community first approach. Number one, they prioritize relationship equity. They know that every meaningful touch point builds trust. Number two, they build community around values, not products. People don't join for features, they join for identity. They spotlight their people. Stories versus sales. They create hybrid experiences in 2026. It's a mixed ecosystem. There's going to be digital, in person, live learning, social content events and micro communities. They also invest in community led ambassadors, not influencer marketing. Totally different thing. This is community advocacy marketing. They also leverage community for retention and longevity. New customers matter, but nurtured customers sustain the business. So here's my point of view on Community is the new currency. This is something that I've been saying for years. We don't grow alone regrow in community and businesses who understand that not only will grow faster but they'll grow deeper with more loyalty, with more revenue stability and more brand impact. This is how I've built sold out events, a thriving community, brand partnerships, a top podcast, a global audience, multi city activations, corporate trainings. Not because of ads, but because community has always been at the center of everything that I do and my best clients who have gotten the most amazing, amazing results all have community at the center of what they do. So if your organization is ready to enter 2026 with a real community strategy, not just content, not just campaigns, but a true relationship ecosystem, I would love to support. I offer corporate workshops, community strategy consulting, brand partnership activations, internal team training, event and experience design and community led marketing frameworks. If you want to learn how community can transform your business in 2026, send me a message on LinkedIn achelleth ames or email me directly at michelle michellethames.com let's build something powerful together. I hope that you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please share it with a friend and go ahead and leave a rating and review over on Spotify and Apple. It helps the social media decoded podcast reach more people. Thank you so much for listening and I will talk to you in the next one. Peace.