When I started thinking about the different types of online communities that exist, I felt like the possibilities were endless.
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After all, new communities pop up every day. Some are free, some are paid. Some are public, some are exclusive.
However, based on what I know about community management, there’s a smart way to categorize these communities based on your brand’s engagement goals.
Here’s a list of the main types of online communities for your inspiration.
Top 6 Types of Online Communities
Disclaimer: Some communities may overlap across categories or share similarities with each other. For example, a brand community can also be a social community, and vice versa.
However, there are nuances to keep in mind for each type, and I think that makes all of this worthwhile.
OK, now that I got that off my chest, let’s get into the top six.
1. Brand Communities
A brand community is a place where like-minded customers can come together and talk about how much they love what you do, create, or value.
From my perspective, these communities can help you strengthen the relationship between your brand and your biggest supporters. For that reason alone, just about any type of community could be considered a brand community.
How brand communities work:
- This community is typically cultivated from the people who follow you on social media and/or actively buy (and enjoy) your products and services.
- They have an emotional connection to your brand which inspires brand loyalty and advocacy to other potential customers.
- Often, companies who leverage this community type offer incentives for sharing or creating brand-related content (e.g., showing others how to use their favorite products).
Best for: Brands of all sizes and across industries, especially those with a strong brand identity
Example: Canva Design Community (Brand Community for Canva Designers)
What I like about Canva’s Design Community: I absolutely love Canva, and I’m always looking for inspiration for my next project. This community is easy to join. Plus, I get all the best advice from users who enjoy the platform as much as I do.
2. Social Communities
Naturally, these types of communities live on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, and Reddit.
The goal of a social community is to create a virtual gathering space where your followers can chat, have fun, and make connections.
How social communities work:
- You’re building engagement around audience interests, your brand campaigns, or industry events. The first example I think of is an interest-based Facebook Group (my millennial is showing).
- They can be as big or small as you’d like — from larger interest-based groups (like Nike Run Club), to smaller discussion-based forums (like this Supernote subreddit).
- While conversations are generally led by the community members, brands can encourage engagement through user-generated campaigns and targeted conversation starters.
Best for: Brands who have a strong social media presence, emerging businesses who are looking to increase brand awareness
Example: Instant Pot Community (Social Community for Instant Pot Users)
What I like about the Instant Pot Community: Instant Pots are SO versatile. This community inspires diversity. It allows people from all walks of life to share their favorite recipes with each other — from family recipes to cultural staples.
3. Networking Communities
Be honest, was LinkedIn the first thought that came to mind for this one? It was for me.
LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networks that exists. This makes it a great channel for networking communities — like professional organizations and advisory committees — that promote collaboration.
How networking communities work:
- Networking communities are typically discussion-based and designed to help connect members to new opportunities.
- You can connect your members with industry professionals for advice, mentorship, or training — as well as people seeking those services if your community holds the expertise.
- In addition to LinkedIn, you can use free platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for virtual meet-ups, real-time forums, or community events.
Best for: National businesses with local hubs, educational institutions, brands in specific niches (e.g., career development)
Example: Chief (Networking Community for Women Executives)
What I like about Chief: Outside of the fact that Chief supports women in power positions, I like that the network of women executives is vetted. This positions the community as trustworthy which is attractive to prospective members.
4. Content Communities
When I say content communities, think of this blog, forums like Reddit, and chat platforms like Discord. Multimedia communities like YouTube are also in the mix.
Content communities rely on shared contributions from its members. Your favorite subreddit is nothing without threads, and the HubSpot Blog would be nothing without our writers.
How content communities work:
- People join content communities because they share a common interest. It could be professional, recreational, or based on lifestyle.
- The community thrives off of its members who regularly contribute, consume, and share content.
- Guest content opportunities, user-generated content campaigns, and quizzes/polls are all great ways to get members involved and facilitate growth.
Best for: Businesses with limited resources who would benefit from external contributors to round out their content strategy
Example: Chewy (Content Community on YouTube)
What I like about Chewy’s YouTube Community: Chewy makes great use of the poll feature in YouTube’s Community tab. They ask targeted questions like “What’s on your pet’s summer wish list?” which gives them the insights to tailor their offerings to their customers’ preferences.
5. Support Communities
If you’ve ever contributed to a knowledge base or shared an FAQ, congrats! You’re an important part of a support community.
Support communities are ideal for brands who benefit from offering technical guidance or strategic insights to their customers.
How support communities work:
- Support communities are usually focused on peer-to-peer conversations with support from technical experts and customer success specialists.
- Resources like how-to articles and discussion forums for common challenges and solutions live in these communities.
- They rely on first-hand experience using a particular product or service along with tips, tricks, and best practices from fellow users (or developers).
Best for: Businesses with a dedicated customer support department, technical brands or brands with products and services that require guidance (e.g., SaaS, internet providers, DIY, etc.)
Example: HubSpot Community
What I like about HubSpot Community: OK, sure, I may be a little biased. But the HubSpot Community is jam-packed with helpful support resources. You can easily join in on top conversations, discover new forums, join community groups, and much more.
6. Learning Communities
Learning communities inspire education and knowledge-building, but they don’t have to strictly be academic.
A lot of these communities are either centered around building a skill (e.g., communication) or a specific topic or area of interest (e.g., candle making).
How learning communities work:
- Learning community members are all working toward a common goal — like improving communication skills or getting good at making candles.
- The community benefits from people sharing ideas, asking questions, giving feedback, and supporting their peers.
- Learning communities are often part of larger communities like brand, social, networking, content, and support.
Best for: Brands of all sizes and across industries, especially those in specialty niches (e.g., cooking/baking) or higher education
Example: CandleScience (Learning Community for Candle Makers)
What I like about the CandleScience Community: If you can’t tell by now, I’m a candle enthusiast. And I actually make them in my spare time. I love how CandleScience uses their blog as a discussion forum for aspiring chandlers.
Before we wrap up, I highly encourage you to check this out if you’re new to community building: How to Build a Successful Online Community: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Deciding on a community type is one thing, but that will tell you how to really make it shine (with tips from the experts who’ve done just that).
Happy Community Building
Feeling inspired yet?
If I leave you with nothing else, just remember this: Focus on building the type of community that aligns your brand and supports what you want to accomplish.
With the right strategy, you’ll make it easy for your audience to meet you where you are.
