Making Love to Your Customers: 20 Years Later and Still Right

Strap in kids, cause I’m going to lay it out plain and loud: community is the only growth strategy worth your brand’s sweat and sleepless nights. And I should know, after speaking at over 300 conferences in the past 20 years, crafting a new 70‑minute keynote every single year (yes, even while sleeping half‑dead in airports), and starting with a slightly eyebrow‑raising talk titled Making Love To Your Customers (yes, that’s what it was called), I’ve come to this truth: all the flashy “growth hacks” will fade, but a fiercely loyal tribe will endure.

My Journey: Why I Stuck With Community Even When It Was Out of Fashion

Remember when “growth hacking” was the sexy term? When you were meant to pour all your effort into algorithms, viral gimmicks, snagging eyeballs, chasing KPIs? That was the shiny moment. But I never abandoned community. Here’s why.

In year one of my speaking career, I crafted “Making Love To Your Customers”, yes, maybe not the most corporate‐board‑friendly title, but I meant it. I meant it because I believed (and still do) that brands don’t win by reaching more people, they win when the people they reach feel like they belong to something.

Then year after year: I pivoted keynotes into branding, creative marketing, ideation, you name it. But I never stopped talking about community. Because while everyone chased the next big thing, “platform disruption”, “growth loops”, “machine learning engagement”, the brands that truly won? They were the ones with a tight‐knit group of fans/customers who rooted for them, defended them, laughed with them, bought from them when things got tough.

So yes, I’ve been right. And more importantly: the market has proved I was right. Here’s how.

Why Community Wins (And Always Has)

Let’s break this down in an unapologetic, no‑BS fashion.

1. The emotional moat

You can copy a product. Like, literally in an afternoon now with AI. You can replicate a campaign. You cannot replicate the feeling someone has when they believe they are part of your brand’s story. That feeling = belonging = community.

If I were advising you with the full Saul Colt swagger: Don’t build a “customer base”. Build a movement. A crowd of people who feel like they’re in on it. They’re with you, not just buying from you...and full transparancy, I hate the word movement because most who promise it never even try to actually do what it takes.

2. The organic voice amplifier

No matter how fancy your ad spend is, nothing beats word‑of‑mouth from someone who’s not just a customer, but a fan. When your people feel like they own a piece of your brand, they talk. They recruit. They correct you. They become your evangelists.

Leverage that. Don’t suppress it. Make space for it. That’s how big growth sneaks in.

3. The resilient foundation

Growth hacks are, by definition, short‑term. Algorithms change. Trends fizzle. What works today often doesn’t tomorrow. But a community? That’s long‑game. When the world fluctuates, your tribe holds. They’re the reason you wake up a new day.

Brands that only chase hacks might spike. Brands that also build community? They sustain.

4. Authenticity & trust become currency

In the age of skepticism, people buy less from “brands” and more from “people they trust”. Your community is the human‑bridge between you and your market.

If you’re just broadcasting, you’re shouting into the void. If you’re building community, you’re conversing. Listening. Including. That generates trust—and that translates into growth.

How I’ve Seen Brands Nail (Or Flail) This

Let me give you some real‑talk patterns (because, yes, I’ve seen great ones and train‑wreck ones).

When it works:

• A brand treats their customers not as transactions but as co‑creators. They ask their community for feedback, involve them in launches, share behind‑the‑scenes. The community feels agency.

• Evangelism itches: community members proactively defend the brand, promote it without being paid. Because they believe.

• The brand invests in the relationship, not just the sale. Surprise perks, “thank‑you” rituals, acknowledgement of long‑time members. Even small gestures go huge.

When it fails:

• The brand says “community” but treats people like data points. They build a “customer club” but it’s just another email list with a discount. People feel used.

• The brand goes where the trend is (TikTok, Clubhouse, whatever) without asking: “Is our community there? Does this serve them?” They chase platform coverage rather than community value.

• The brand forgets maintenance. They build community, get big, then forget to nurture it. Then it’s an audience, but not a community. Big difference.

My Takeaway (Because I’m Always Right)

Here’s the crux: If you want your brand to grow, but more importantly to last, you don’t just need customers. You need companions. You need people who’ll be there when the campaign under‑performs, when your competitor copies your idea, when something external knocks the market sideways. Community is your brand’s bulwark.

Here are my blunt, bold pointers if you’re serious:

• Prioritize participation over purchase: Give people ways to contribute to your brand story, not just consume it.

• Be a legitimate host, not just a marketer: Facilitate spaces (online/offline) where your fans connect with each other, not simply with you.

• Build a ritual, not just a program: Something your community expects and enjoys (a meet‑up, a live Q&A, a “first” preview). Rituals bond.

• Celebrate the weirdos: The early, fanatical folks are your future anchors. Cherish them, spotlight them, let them lead.

• Stay the course out of fashion: When “community building” is sexy, everyone does it. When it’s unfashionable, that’s when you win. Because the competition falls away.

Why This Post Matters, Even If You’re Not Thinking “Community” Now

Hopefully you know by now that all my posts matter, but If you’re reading this and thinking “Yeah, but we’re focused on conversion optimization / ad funnel / influencer strategy”, fine. Do that. Just don’t ignore one of the simplest growth levers: human connection. Because while you’re optimizing your funnel, someone else is building a tribe.

And when the next algorithm changes, when ad costs go up, when your trend fades, your tribe is what will carry you. I’ve spoken at hundreds of conferences. Delivered keynotes to rooms full of sharp marketers looking for the latest hack. And every time, the question I get afterwards isn’t “what’s the next tactic?”, it’s “how do we make people care?”

Because growth without care is hollow. And brands that win? They grow with people who care first, revenue comes second.

So yes: I’ve been right. Maybe stubbornly so. But time’s a good judge. The brands I’ve seen succeed over decades? They didn’t always have the biggest budget, but they had the biggest tribe.