Why Connecting with Your Community Is Crucial as You Scale Your Business

At Makemake Collective, we believe in growing with intention, and that includes staying deeply rooted in your community. As a business begins to scale, it’s easy to focus on revenue goals, team expansion, and operations. But amid all that momentum, one essential element should never be overlooked: your community.

Whether you're a creative entrepreneur, a startup founder, or an established business entering a new phase, connecting with your local or niche community can become a superpower that sets you apart.

1. Build Brand Loyalty Through Real Relationships

Your community is often your first and most loyal customer base. These are the people who cheered you on when you launched, referred your services to friends, or showed up to your first pop-up. As you scale, nurturing these connections fosters brand loyalty that money can’t buy. People want to support brands they believe in—and community roots keep that belief strong.

In fact, 76% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands they feel connected to (Sprout Social, 2023).

Pro tip: Host local events, collaborate with nearby businesses, or engage your followers on social media with behind-the-scenes content that reinforces your brand’s authenticity.

2. Gain Real-Time Feedback from Your Target Audience

Scaling without listening can be risky. Your community offers a direct line to your audience—what they love, what they’re missing, and what they’d like to see more of. When you stay in touch with those on the ground, you gain access to valuable insights that can guide your product development, marketing strategy, and customer experience.

At Makemake Collective, we encourage our clients to see their community as a living focus group—one that offers honest, real-time feedback and helps shape long-term success.

According to Salesforce, 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations—and your community is your best chance to do just that.

3. Strengthen Your Brand’s Local Presence

Even as your business grows online or expands into new markets, your local presence remains powerful. Community events, partnerships, and cause-driven collaborations can create meaningful impact and increase your visibility where it counts.

88% of people who do a local search on their smartphone visit a related store within a week, and nearly half of all Google searches are for local information (Think with Google, 2022).

For example, sponsoring a nonprofit event or hosting a workshop in your neighborhood not only builds goodwill but also boosts your brand recognition and SEO.

4. Encourage Organic Word-of-Mouth Growth

People talk about brands they love. When you’re connected to your community, you’re part of the conversation. Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most trusted and effective forms of promotion—and it starts with genuine relationships.

92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over any other type of advertising (Nielsen).

As your business scales, don’t lose sight of the small moments that make a big impact: a handwritten thank-you note, a local collaboration, or a social media shoutout to a customer.

5. Stay Grounded in Your “Why”

Scaling can sometimes make you feel like you’re moving a million miles an hour. Staying connected to your community is a great way to ground yourself in your purpose. It keeps your business human and reminds you why you started in the first place.

A Deloitte study found that purpose-driven companies grow 3x faster than their competitors and have higher workforce and customer satisfaction.

At Makemake Collective, we help founders and growing brands maintain that sense of groundedness, even during rapid growth. Because when your mission stays aligned with your community, your growth becomes more sustainable—and more meaningful.

Ready to Grow Without Losing Touch?

At Makemake Collective, we offer strategy, content, and community-building services for brands who want to scale with soul. If you're ready to grow your business and deepen your impact, let’s connect.