How to Connect with Your Community in a world full of Digital Clutter.
Is Social Media dying? Is the question I pose to you.
In a world where mainstream social media can often feel overwhelming and disconnected, creating authentic, safe, and meaningful spaces for community engagement is more crucial than ever. Platforms like Communia, founded by Olivia DeRamus and Diem, founded by Emma Baits are breaking through the noise, offering secure, thriving environments for people to ask questions, connect, and engage—without fear.
These spaces prioritise meaningful connections and real engagement, not vanity metrics just real-time responses and support. On these platforms, there’s no need to play the algorithm game—you can focus on delivering your message directly to your audience without worrying about being buried by the latest trends or competing for attention. It’s about genuinely listening and creating environments where people feel valued and heard.
Women-led and female-founded spaces seem to be the most affected by the trials and tribulations of social media facing unique and frustrating challenges. Women’s health content is frequently censored on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, with educational materials about periods, reproductive health, and the female body being blocked, banned, or rendered invisible by the algorithm. This censorship silences crucial conversations.
We need to stop pouring our energy into platforms that don’t serve us. 20 years ago, Facebook was created. So what? It’s time to rethink where we invest our time, money, and attention.
Let’s dive into the issue at hand.
The Problem: A Social Media
The problem with traditional social media goes way beyond algorithms—it’s baked into platforms that were never meant to serve diverse voices, especially women. Facebook literally started as a dating app built by men, called Facemash labelling people hot or not —how could it ever evolve to truly uplift broader communities? Let’s be real: these foundations were flawed from the start. It’s time to wake up, ditch these broken systems, and build spaces designed for real connection and inclusion.
The Solution: Creating Our Own Spaces
Instead of continuing to fight for a seat at the social media table, it's time to create our own tables—spaces designed by real people, for women, where we can share content without fear of censorship or algorithms dictating who gets to see our message. As one wise woman once said,
"Never beg for a seat when you can build your own table."
Why keep knocking on doors not designed for us when we can build homes that reflect our values? Here’s why creating our own spaces is the future. Here’s why:
Safety First: Communities prioritise safeguarding, ensuring all members can engage without fear or harassment.
Meaningful Connections: Niche communities foster deeper, authentic relationships compared to broad, algorithm-driven networks.
True Engagement: Platforms designed for the community encourage active participation, not passive scrolling.
Alignment with Values: Users gravitate towards spaces that reflect their values, where they can engage in meaningful, aligned conversations.
Ownership and Trust: People are moving towards platforms where trust and privacy are prioritised, and they have a say in how they engage.
But where can I build these spaces? You ask.I’m Not a tech Person.
Answer: On purpose-built community apps like Mighty Networks.
As Gina Bianchini, CEO of Mighty Networks, pointed out on The Kara Goldin Show, "Social media was built for people who already know each other—it wasn’t built for building meaningful communities of strangers on the internet." But Mighty Networks was. Gina's platform enables creators to customise their own communities, offering social lubrication and context that social media platforms simply can't replicate.
The Rise of Women-Led Communities: A Call to Action
Platforms like Diem (launched in 2020) and Peanut App (founded in 2017) are leading the charge in reshaping online spaces for women. These platforms were built by women to create spaces where women can connect, share, and learn about their health without algorithmic interference. Investing in such platforms is not only smart; it’s essential.
But this movement is bigger than any single platform. Communities like MAMAMUSE, Chronic Boss Collective, Elpha, Communia, and She is Action are stepping up, providing invaluable resources and connections for women to thrive. The power of these platforms is undeniable—and they’re just getting started.
Imagine what we can build together in the next 20 years if we choose to invest in these spaces, these apps will be the centre of knowledge and women-focused communities, replacing traditional social media.
What does this new era look like?
Focus on Education, Not Algorithms: Brands can share uncensored content directly with their community, ensuring vital information is never compromised or hidden from view.
Bypass Censorship: Community platforms designed for women eliminate the need to navigate the censorship and biases embedded in traditional social media platforms.
Long-term Investment: Instead of sinking billions into mainstream platforms that reject or restrict your content, invest in building your own community. Apps like Diem and Peanut App have shown us the potential for long-term success.
Empower People Through Knowledge: When women have unrestricted access to information, they can take control of their health and well-being. Empowered women can then spread this knowledge to their communities, creating a ripple effect of awareness and support.
Support Inclusivity and Diversity: Building bespoke communities allows us to better reach minority groups and adapt content to different languages, making it accessible to all, not just those in the mainstream.
It's Time to Build, Let’s create spaces where we can thrive.
Why wait for permission to speak when we can create spaces where we are heard? The time for fighting against patriarchal platforms is over. The future lies in building and supporting platforms that amplify everyone’s voices, stories, and experiences and not lead them astray into an abis.
Let’s support these women-founded platforms—let's invest in spaces where we can thrive. Let’s build spaces where we can thrive—where our voices aren’t drowned out by algorithms or silenced by biased censorship. The future of social media is not in chasing visibility on platforms that aren't built for us. It’s in building spaces that nurture our voices, respect our stories, and allow us to flourish.