How One Small Business Uses Social Media to Build a Strong Community
If I were to say the words ‘small business’, I’m sure there is one specific brand that comes to mind immediately. For me, that one brand is The Lost Bros (@thelostbros).
A small business is defined as a privately owned corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship that has fewer employees and less annual revenue than a corporation or regular-sized business (ASQ).
If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, The Lost Bros Trading Co. is a theme park and pop culture clothing and lifestyle company. What began in 2016, has blossomed into quite a success within the theme park community.
Taken straight from the Lost Bros website, the brand says, “They discovered an entire community of dreamers waiting for them.”
With just over 114,000 Instagram followers, 7,000 Twitter followers, and 5,500 YouTube subscribers, The Lost Bros have created a community full of thousands of fans, customers, and supporters. The Losts Bros are very active on social media — through posts, Instagram Stories, Instagram Lives, and Q&A sessions. The Lost Bros make sure that they communicate with their community, produce relevant content that keep their community members engaged, and allow for open dialogue amongst them.
Run entirely by a trio (Cody, Colton and Lex), this small business has managed to create a community like I’ve never seen before. Just by creating *magical* clothing designs, this brand has managed to bring people together both on the internet and IRL.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ll be walking around Magic Kingdom and I’ll see someone wearing a Lost Bros t-shirt. It immediately sparks a conversation between us as we gush about how much we love their newest designs.
Through their social media posts, The Losts Bros have been able to create conversation and drive engagement amongst their community by ending (almost) every Instagram post with a question that prompts the viewer to leave a comment or tag a friend. This action allows followers to engage with the brand as well as introduce new people to the brand.
Not only have they created a community on Instagram, but they even have a Facebook Group called The Lost Bros Lounge. This Group was created in 2020 and is run by The Lost Bros. The Group currently consists of more than 2,500 members. This space was created “for theme-park and pop-culture fans alike to come together, listen, lounge, and share the magic of Disney and beyond!” (Facebook). Members of the Group are encouraged to discuss anything theme park related or even to trade or sell any of their Lost Bros items. There are roughly about 60 new posts per month within the Group. If a member of the Group has a question, a member of The Lost Bros team is always quick to respond and assist.
If all of that wasn’t enough, The Lost Bros have even produced their own music on streaming platforms, racking in more than 36,500 monthly listeners on Spotify alone. As you can, The Lost Bros has created a loyal community that support and encourage them to produce all types of content.
By being present, producing content, engaging with their followers, and driving engagement on their posts, The Lost Bros have been able to conjure up a strong community of dreamers. As their community continues to grow, and as their business continues to expand, I am excited to see what heights The Lost Bros will rise to.
