Creating a Sense of Affinity

Cultivating a community on social media involves building an engaged, interactive group of users who share common interests, values, or goals, and who participate in discussions, share content, and support each other. Creating a sense of affinity, on the other hand, is about developing a deep connection or bond with an audience through shared values, beliefs, or experiences. 

affinity

Affinity refers to the strength of a user’s connection or relationship with a brand, content, or community, often measured by their engagement and alignment with the values, interests, and identity the social media presence represents.

We define affinity as “taking a liking to something, often naturally or spontaneously.” Because of the value social media-savvy consumers place on authenticity, creating compelling interactions over social media should attempt and aim at a degree of authenticity that would create affinity for a brand, organization, or product.

Related to the concepts of affinity and authenticity is the creation of a narrative, or story. This represents a line into marketing, from which we may borrow concepts for use in business communications. Here we leverage the idea of creating a narrative in order to gain a type of relationship (affinity) with internal or external stakeholders. For a person to develop an affinity for your brand or organization, you must create an authentic narrative.

Story Plus Action

A good story accompanied by action becomes a great story. Storytelling organizations describe a good story and even attempt to use that story to energize their customers, but they do not follow through on their own stated values. Story-doing companies, however, both tell a good story and then demonstrate their aligned action which elevates their narrative.^[1] In short, a compelling narrative must be true to be authentic. There can be no “say-do gap.”^[2] While this may seem like common sense, storytelling companies outnumber story-doing companies 5 to 1.^[3]

Learn More

• 10 Examples of Strong Brand Storytelling
• 3 Latinx Founders On How Family Values & Heritage Shaped Their Brands
• Diversity at Work: Why Inclusive Storytelling Matters

The Keith Lee Effect^[4]

Keith Lee’s journey began with heartwarming TikTok content centered around cooking for his postpartum wife. Eventually, he began posting restaurant reviews, turning a spotlight on small mom-and-pop restaurants often struggling with marketing budgets.

For his millions of fans, what stands out is his integrity and relatability. Like traditional restaurant critics, he tries to maintain anonymity and doesn’t accept any payment for reviews. He even sometimes sends a family member to the restaurant to order and pick up the food. It’s important to him that he experiences what a typical customer would.

The restaurants that Lee chooses for his reviews are typically small and independent, owned by people of color who are recommended by his social media followers. When he gives a restaurant a positive review, it isn’t surprising to see lines stretching around the block the very next day. This instant explosion of business for a restaurant is known as the Keith Lee Effect.

Janel Prator, owner of The Puddery in Houston, reported that business increased and had stayed robust enough that she started to look for a larger storefront to expand. Alfred Asatryan, co-owner of Easy Street Burgers in Los Angeles, said that Lee’s review doubled business and gave them a massive boost on social media. Monique Rose Snead, owner of The Bodega on Main in Atlanta, thought she might have to close her business within 3 months but the Keith Lee Effect turned things around. It initially quadrupled her business but leveled off to about double the sales before Lee’s review.

You can view Keith Lee’s review on TikTok and the transcript for “The Puddery taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic” here (opens in new window).

The Keith Lee Effect is an excellent example of an influencer creating a sense of affinity. Lee’s focus on small businesses resonates with a wide audience who appreciate the support of local communities and small businesses. Lee’s refusal to accept payment for his reviews and his efforts to experience restaurants as any customer would lend credibility and trust to his recommendations. This authenticity builds a deeper connection with his audience, who value honest and unfiltered opinions. The format of his videos is very casual: he’s “just a guy who records himself eating food.”^[5] This makes him accessible and relatable to his followers. By sourcing restaurant recommendations directly from his audience through comments and direct messages, Lee actively involves his followers in the content creation process. 

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