When I sign on to Facebook or Instagram, quite often I see folks marketing viral growth programs. They promise quick community building, instant engagement, and massive followings. I’ve tried a few of them. Real talk: None of them worked! Over time I’ve become convinced that viral, meteoric growth is super rare and that true growth comes in the long grind of consistency.
But I’ve also come to realize, in all that, that community is vital. People are vital. Many people look at stand-up comedians, who are typically solo acts, and think it’s a one-man show. They think there’s one person, one stage, one mic, and so on. That’s a mirage. As the old saying goes, “No man is an island.” We all stand on the shoulders of others. To make it in comedy, I need way more than just me, myself, and I.
At present, I have Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, X, LinkedIn, and my website/blog/Substack page. I also run a private Facebook group called The Joke Writer’s Lab. Additionally, I have an online course on Udemy that’s growing. I host two growing podcasts. I started a college comedy club. I teach joke writing in college courses. These aren’t random platforms. They’re pockets of communities that form a bigger ecosystem in my orbit. And, while there’s some overlap, for the most part each community is very distinct.
Typically, people try to funnel everyone into one central community. I’ve come to the point, however, where I let each platform serve its natural purpose instead. For instance, Instagram handles pictures. X covers politics and culture. YouTube hosts videos and shorts. Each pocket attracts different people for different reasons.
My website, MichaelHalcomb.Live, serves as a kind of hub where you can access all these things and more. People might discover me on social media, but the website proves depth. It shows I’m not one-dimensional. When someone visits, they find daily blog posts, podcast episodes, and substantial content. They discover I have real offerings beyond social media posts.
From where I stand, building authority through volume and consistency in that way works better than chasing viral moments. I tend to think consistency is the biggest struggle for content creators. But I also think it’s what separates lasting communities from flash-in-the-pan successes. Viral programs promise all the quick results, but they usually don’t deliver sustainable community growth. Consistency is key.
This also plays into why I create content that interests me first. If I stay interested, I don’t burn out as easily because, well, I’m doing this for myself. Some days, of course, I don’t want to create anything. But I do it anyway. And I’ve discovered that if something interests me, chances are it will interest others, too.
But joining is just the beginning. Real community happens when people move from consuming to contributing. In my world, contributing means liking, sharing, commenting on social media as well as blog posts. It means learning through the Udemy course. Joining the Facebook joke writing group. It looks like coming to actual shows.
The live shows often create the strongest connections. Many people get enthusiastic and excited to chat. At last night’s performance, various people sent me cash through Venmo via a digital tip jar and I was super stoked about that but, beyond money, I was most grateful for their encouragement.
On top of that, just today I had my first meeting with my college comedy group. We now create videos together and share them on social media together. Did you catch that shift from audience to collaborator?! I’m forming collaborative hubs where people can create or co-create with me.
But, as I said, community building is slow. It requires work and consistency. It ebbs and flows. Sometimes it picks up steam, then slows down again. I’ve learned to work with these natural cycles rather than fight them. When I hit slow periods, I don’t change anything. I just keep going. This persistence through valleys is crucial!
This rhythm taught me something unexpected: you have to create content that interests you above all else. When you try to reach a specific audience by tailoring content to them, you likely won’t believe as much in the pieces. As a result, you likely won’t be as convincing or funny.
So, here are a few tips in that regard: 1) Be patient. Community building happens slowly, not in viral bursts. 2) Create consistently. Creators who succeed long-term maintain regular output and, even more, they usually create good stuff. Quality matters just as much quantity!
3) Be available. Show up for your community across all your pockets. The constellation-like model mentioned above works because it mirrors how people actually consume content. They don’t live on one platform. They move between spaces looking for different types of value. When you serve each platform’s natural purpose while maintaining authentic voice across all of them, you build something sustainable that lasts beyond the next algorithm change or trending topic.
PS: If you’re interested in my Udemy course, check it out HERE.