ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that more members of the public, specifically Gen Z’s, are engaging in social groups, clubs and communities within Australia. This has not only sparked the introduction of new social clubs and has enhanced previously established social community’s and groups, but has created a sense of belonging amongst many individuals. So why have social communities, clubs and groups spiked within the last year? Social media. Some may argue that social media is a large contributing factor to an antisocial generation, however, in this case, it has encouraged members of society to find and engage in a safe, fun and social environment where they can meet new people and pick up a new skill or hobby.
INTRODUCTION
Social media plays a pivotal role in forming and enhancing vibrant communities within social clubs through its ability to foster connections, provide motivation and facilitate engagement. In the digital age, social media has revolutionized the way people connect, communicate, and engage with one another, both online and face-to-face. Although many people believe the digital age has encouraged people to isolate themselves and therefore lead to an antisocial generation, many individuals today have both physically or virtually come together and formed vibrant social groups through the help of social media. These groups range from people who discuss books they’ve read, to people who want to get up early on a weekend and run. This essay explores the pivotal role of social media in constructing and enhancing vibrant communities within social clubs.
In today’s society, there is a stigma surrounding social media and its contribution to isolation and creating an anti-social generation. While platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter seemingly facilitate interaction, research suggests they often foster feelings of isolation and loneliness. Studies by Twenge et al. (2018) and Primack et al. (2017) indicate a correlation between excessive social media use and decreased face-to-face social interaction, as well as heightened feelings of inadequacy and depression. More so, the phenomenon of cyberbullying, documented by Kalski et al. (2012) and Hinduja & Patchin (2010), underscores how online interactions can devolve into destructive behaviours that disintegrates trust and empathy. The addictive nature of social media further highlights its antisocial effects, as users prioritize virtual connections over genuine human interaction. However, counter to these beliefs, social media has played a dramatic role in encouraging face-to-face human connection, through giving social groups a platform to advertise and express their club, ultimately sparking interest amongst app users. Social groups have seen to grow exponentially in size through their use of hashtags, editing techniques, sharing abilities and trends.
Social media has changed the way people come together, through providing a platform where people can create and publish information through many different modes, such as videos, imagery, written statuses, audio and more. The popular social media platforms that distribute one or more of these modes is but isn’t limited to, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, Youtube and Tiktok. By having such a wide range of modes, media types and the opportunity for a wide reach of audience members, social media has great influence on facilitating and forming connections, regardless of geographical barriers. People across all different social media platforms can now reach the same information, which is vital when creating a space for individuals who have similar interests. Social groups today often rely on social media to advertise their club and provide a sense of community with their members even when outside of face-to-face meetups.
FOSTERING CONNECTIONS THROUGH SHARING
A social media strategy that lots of social groups engage in online, is the ability to share their own content along with re-sharing related content. Most social media apps often provide links, to allow users to share content with others through copying and pasting content from one app into a conversation or feed post. Some apps are also often connected with other apps, giving users the option to share the content directly onto their stories or feed through another platform. These sharing options are not only a brand strategy for the apps, encouraging people to download or use another platform, but it allows pages to reach a greater range of audience members and spread messages to a wider range of people (Hsu, 2021). The importance of sharing content on and across platforms allows a group to showcase media that relates to their page, has importance, or what they believe their audience will find entertaining. This shared content not only advertises a page, but can spark conversation amongst others, bringing people together who have the same interests, hobbies or sense of humour, which then encourages the formation of relationships and additional members to social groups. Social media’s sharing options also allows pages to be found amongst other social media users, who aren’t already a follower. For example, a mum’s meet up group on Instagram could share a fun video of one of the groups meet-ups, which then is re-shared by some group members. The video, along with the mum’s meet-up page has now been recognized by a whole new audience, who has found the content through the second-hand source. This provides exposure to the social group and opens the door for more potential group members.
Not only are these sharing strategies vital for clubs and groups to engage with their community and to advertise their club, but it’s also extremely important in upholding a strong group of members. Through sharing content consistently, it upholds the follower engagement and provides a sense of belonging and community, even when there are no group meet-ups. Many businesses and pages struggle to remain active on their social media sites as there are so many platforms to be across. However, it’s important for a page, specifically social groups, to identify what app is most suitable for their page and content and what is most used by their potential group members. For example, a choir group consisting of Gen Z’s who only create video content should advertise their page on TikTok, as it’s frequently used by younger people and is strictly video content related, rather than Twitter, an app dedicated to statuses and has an older user population. However, it’s best for pages to have at least two platforms to share content on to reach a greater range of audience members. Apps have even begun to collaborate when sharing content. For example, Instagram and Facebook allows the user to share their visual content to both platforms at once, instead of making two separate posts on both apps. This allows the individual to have a wider range of audience members, targeting those that may not have the other app or use it as frequently. Social groups often use this feature to advertise their club, a strategic measure for increasing the audience reach and therefore having a higher chance of bringing in new members.
FOSTERING CONNECTIONS THROUGH EDITING.
Many social media apps have began to provide users with editing options when publishing videos, giving users the opportunity to edit content within the app. These techniques include features such as adding in voice overs, background music, text and filters. Editing is used to enhance content, making the image or video more aesthetically pleasing and appealing to viewers, often creating more engagement with the user’s content and profile. The positive that social groups on social media have over social groups without digital networks, is its ability to provide edited content to help promote the group. Tiktok is one of the apps that provides users with many editing features, which encourages users to film their video’s on the app instead of a third party platform.
Tiktok has played a large role in facilitating group engagement within social clubs, having an algorithm that displays content from people within your area, and content that is similar to what you have previously interacted with. Tiktok is frequently used by vloggers, people who video blog their experiences and day-to-day activities they engage in. Many social groups are attended by these people, who then will create free content for the club which ultimately attracts attention to the social group, sparking the interest of new members.
MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION
Motivation and inspiration are traits individuals need to become interested in joining a social group. Social media is often seen as a medium that provides motivation and inspiration, specifically around health and wellness. Social media has allowed Individuals to have a platform where they can share success stories and experiences when it comes to their lifestyle, health, and fitness, which then provides motivation and inspiration to followers and people outside their network (Janicke, 2018). If the user sharing the content allows their page to be public, audiences who aren’t a part of the user’s following can view their content, through finding it within hashtags, or viewing it through a share by another user. Social media works as a platform that provides motivation which can encourage users to join social groups, specifically around health and fitness. Hashtag publics are an essential asset in ones digital marketing toolbox, assisting greater audience reach, targeting people that may be interested in ones page, and in this case, ones social group (Hughes, 2020).
Run clubs have recently increased dramatically in size since distributing inspirational and motivating content across multiple social media platforms, specifically Instagram and Tiktok. Most clubs have also created accounts on the fitness social media app ‘Strava’ to motivate runners on their other platforms. Strava is an app, dedicated to health and fitness which allows users to clock their fitness activities, specifically their runs, and share it amongst friends and groups. The app also provides users with a summary snapshot: a photo which presents the distance and trail of the individuals run, along with other measures. Offering it as a quick way for users to share their strava content across multiple apps (Strava, 2024). Another feature the app provides is the ‘clubs’ section, which gives users the opportunity to create and join clubs where they can compare physical activity amongst other members, even seeing where they rank each week, in terms of distance ran, and fastest times within group runs. These features spark motivation and inspiration to app users, encouraging individuals to join a club to be a part of the fun competition and sense of community. Competition has found to play a part in providing motivation, when offered in an informational, needs-supportive and intrinsic motivation-friendly way, according to the book, Motivation Science (Reeve, et al, 2023).
The ‘Early Ones’ is a Perth-based run club that was founded in 2022 and has over 16,000 Instagram followers. Each week the club sees hundreds of runners turn up to join each other in a social run and coffee hangout afterwards. The club’s social media page has allowed their group to expand through sharing content that motivates individuals to be a part of the fitness movement. This page encourages group members to upload their Strava content to their Instagram stories and tag @theearlyones_. The run club then re-shares their group members content onto their own stories, which can be used as a tactic to motivate individuals outside of the run club to be a part of the fun and community and to share their run. By sharing the club members content amongst the social media page, it also sparks group members to get to know each other in the space of online, which can possibly initiate conversation in the physical meet-ups.
FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT
Social media also serves as a powerful tool for facilitating engagement within social clubs, specifically for virtual communities. Virtual communities are members of an online community that expresses idea’s through online networks, rather than face-to-face interactions (Rheingold, 2023). Through features such as group chats, live streams and interactive polls, members can actively participate in discussions, share their opinions, and collaborate on projects or initiatives. This level of engagement not only strengthens the bonds between the community members, but also fosters a sense of ownership and involvement within the club. For example, many book clubs aren’t just held in physical spaces, but are also held online, giving people who may not be able to attend face-to-face meetings, the opportunity to connect with others in the comfort of their own space. These virtual meetings allows others to connect with individuals who they would never have the opportunity to meet in the real world, allowing them to interact with people from different cultures and lifestyles. These virtual book clubs may use social media platforms to organize virtual book discussions, where members can share their thoughts on the latest book they’ve read, recommend new titles, and engage in literary debates. Similarly, a professional networking club may host virtual networking events on platforms such as the social networking site ‘LinkedIn’, allowing members to connect with industry peers, exchange ideas and explore collaboration opportunities.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, social media plays a pivotal role in forming and enhancing vibrant communities within social clubs by fostering connections, providing motivation, and facilitating engagement. Social media strategies that work as marketing tools include sharing techniques, editing content, and safe virtual communities through interactive features. These tools also allow group members to have a heightened sense of community and belonging and have an enhanced quality of being a part of a social group. Through its transformative power, social media has revolutionized the dynamics of social clubs, creating inclusive and supportive spaces where individuals can connect, collaborate, and thrive. By increasing the potential of social media while remaining mindful of its limitations surrounding anti-social and isolating behaviour, social clubs can harness its power to build stronger, more vibrant communities that enrich the lives of their members.
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