Your Founder is your best Community-Building asset
How founder-led marketing helps build real communities
In 2025, brand loyalty isn't built through logos, campaigns, or catchy taglines. It’s built through people.
At the HeyOrca Community Summit, I shared how founder-led marketing and thought leadership can be one of the most effective ways for social media professionals to help brands cut through the noise — not by producing more content, but by helping the right people show up.
The reality is that your founder may be the brand’s most powerful community-building asset.
Why this matters
Brand accounts struggle to get traction while the founder’s LinkedIn post — maybe even a scrappy selfie video — goes viral, drives sign-ups, or brings in new hires. Why? People are wired to connect with other people — not polished marketing. In fact:
88% of consumers say authenticity matters when deciding what brands to support
Founder content gets significantly more engagement than branded content
Community forms around what feels uniquely human — not what’s perfectly branded
And the community-building part is not just a metaphor. Founder content can lead to DMs from ideal customers, tagged posts from community members, referrals and speaking invites, and even internal team buy-in and talent attraction.
You don’t build that with static brand voice. You build it through a human voice.
Tips for marketers who want to humanize their brands and build trust
Not every founder is the same.
Through my work with startups, nonprofits, and personal brands, I’ve identified three main types of founders. During my talks/workshops, I share what these are. Each one can thrive with the right approach.
The key is not to wait for them to come to you with a script. Create the structure for them.
What kind of content works?
Here are five content types that consistently perform well for founders — and create a sense of belonging among followers:
Origin stories — Why they started the company or what personal values drive the mission
Behind-the-scenes — Culture, process, team dynamics
Lessons from failure — What didn’t work, and what they learned
Industry commentary — Timely takes that position them as a leader
Vision-driven content — Where they’re going, what they believe
Don’t just post what they do. Help them express why it matters — that’s what activates community.
Metrics that matter
If you want to measure the impact of founder-led content, track:
Engagement rate on founder posts (not just reach)
Community signals: saves, shares, replies
Inbound leads, partnership requests, media mentions
Internal effects: employee pride, recruitment reach
Audience growth and sentiment on personal profiles
The best brands of the future will be built through human impressions, not just advertising impressions. (Shout out to Mark Schaefer for putting that so clearly.)
Community is about belonging.
We’re not just marketing anymore. We’re building movements, shaping narratives, and creating space for people to see themselves in our stories. So if you're leading content or social for a brand — especially one with a visible founder or leadership team — ask yourself:
Are you building a content plan around perfection, or around people?
The brands that are brave enough to show their founders building in public — not perfect, but present — are the ones who will win the hearts and loyalty of real communities.
If you’re looking to make marketing more human and make leadership more visible, connect with me for consulting or a strategy session.
Bring this session to your next event or team. From training sessions to talks, you can start here.
