By Saachi Gupta
While brands already see the value in exclusivity, they must go further than paywalls and consciously curate spaces that consumers crave. The choice is this: Carve out your own digital space that motivates consumers to actively seek you out or risk being left behind.
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On the internet today, the ultimate hack to find relevant results on Google is adding the word ‘Reddit’ to the end of your searches. In 2024, Reddit’s traffic reportedly surged by a massive 39% with about 1.3 billion visits coming from Google search results. In India alone, the app grew by 20% last year because users are drawn to “in-depth discussions within dedicated communities.” A scroll through Indian Reddit reveals peer discussions on everything from Bollywood gossip to personal relationships to Montessori schooling to side effects of a medicine to cricket. In the age of AI – where users are frustrated with excessive ads, unable to differentiate between sponsored and organic content, and inundated with search results that rank high in SEO but fail to provide relevant, credible information – our thirst for human connection is palpable.
Inspired by this cultural shift, forward-thinking brands and creators no longer only make content for websites indexed on Google or social media algorithms; they instead build private, closed ecosystems or ‘gated communities’ – some on forum-style platforms like WhatsApp, Discord, Substack and Patreon and some fully independent, some monetised and some free.
SEARCH FOR HUMANITY
The internet is splitting into two tiers: public, where content is increasingly optimised for algorithms and mass visibility, versus private, human-led gated communities where value is placed on original thought and personalised engagement. In fact marketing consultant Sam Ogborn predicts that this shift means that Google Search traffic will become less valuable over the next twelve months. As AI begins to lose its novelty with wider adaptation, the premium we place on brands that know how to leverage this technology will reduce. Soon enough, the value perception pendulum will swing back to human-made content that is original, unique, personalised and takes both effort and time to produce.
This shift is already apparent in the disappointment subscribers felt over Spotify Wrapped 2024 due to a lack of humanity. Despite being a community-seeding initiative designed to highlight the similarities between its users’ listening habits, the brand’s over-reliance on AI to interpret nuanced consumer behaviour robbed its much-anticipated campaign of its uniqueness. “It all has the feel of feeding your stats into an LLM and having it spit out generic imagery and phrases that supposedly describe your personalized listening habits,” says tech columnist Jason Aten.
ALGORITHM TO OWNERSHIP
Enter: gated communities. At its core, a digital gated community is a private, controlled space where consumer access is restricted through custom websites, apps, paywalls, memberships or exclusive invites. Unlike social media platforms owned by tech companies, gated communities give creators and brands control over how they want to disseminate information, earn revenue and collect and interpret audience data.
nd narrative universes rather than rent them from third-party platforms. “In media, autonomy is crucial,” observes Chitranshu Tewari, director of product and revenue at Newslaundry, an independent news media company that has been following the gated community model for years. “Producing quality content should be driven by public interest and user needs, not algorithms, SEO or ad pressures. Distribution plays a key role in editorial independence — where and how users engage with content shapes the type of content produced.” He explains that owning distribution channels – whether through newsletters, apps or gated platforms – not only ensures editorial independence but also provides rich first-party data on audience engagement. “A reader who finds news via an aggregator or a social media reel may not even remember the publisher’s name,” he notes.
A gated community can be a symbiotic relationship: brands benefit from more ownership over their information while consumers get premium content tailored to their interests rather than the brain rot variety of brand storytelling that’s become necessary due to recommendation algorithms. While brands can monetise their gated communities, the primary goal is to exercise control over data and boost trust with consumers by speaking to them directly and creating long-term stability in audience building and brand storytelling. “Apart from providing valuable first-party data, an app also allows users to control their data. For example, instead of spamming users with generic notifications, we let them choose specific topics, writers or sections they want to be notified about,” Tewari says. “This level of customisation enhances user experience while maintaining trust.”
THE MULTIVERSE OF GATED COMMUNITIES
Currently, we’re seeing an increased adoption of platforms that give users some autonomy over revenue streams and audience databases. So if you’ve recently found yourself thinking that everyone seems to have a Substack now, it’s probably because they do. The online publishing platform’s ascent is one of the strongest indicators of consumers’ increasing preference for gated communities. Since its launch in 2017, Substack has grown from a mere 11,000 paying subscribers to 2 million in 2024. Even global publications – like Polyester Zine and Dream Baby Press – are working to build paid Substack readership alongside a non-monetised social media following. Patreon’s paying subscriber base too has grown from 125,000 in 2014 to over 8 million as of 2023.
Journalist and YouTuber Meghnad S believes that many creators have already figured out that a membership model is now the only viable way to make content full time. He points out that a decrease in ad revenue earnings across the internet due to the decline of the public web means that creators mostly only earn money through video content and brand deals. “If you’re able to have a base of people who understand your content and support you, it at least gives you a guaranteed income from those members,” he explains. “Every month, you know there is a minimum amount of revenue you’re making regardless of what you do.” It is this revenue, Meghnad says, that ultimately allows creators or even brands like Newslaundry (where he worked as associate editor) to put out quality content. “It gives us the time and space to invest more, do more research and create better work because there’s no hurry, right?”
Business news website The Ken has also been following the gated community model where it offers limited public-facing content and three tiers of subscription for access to its archive of stories. At Newslaundry, some stories on its website are free to view as is its daily news coverage on YouTube. The platform also has three subscription levels offering exclusive content, priority access to meet-ups and events and a subscribers-only chatbox and merch. Both Newslaundry and The Ken have their own apps providing ad-free coverage, community discussions, accessible displays and more. “If we had relied solely on social media or podcast platforms, audience retention and interaction wouldn’t have been as strong,” reveals Tewari.
“Building habitual app usage – daily or weekly – is invaluable. Your content strategy should ensure that users actively seek your content rather than passively encounter it.” However, it is necessary to remember that apps do not boost reach and are not for casual or potential customers. “Building and maintaining an app is resource-intensive,” Tewari adds. “It only makes sense if you have a loyal audience willing to download and use it. If your model is entirely SEO-driven, an app may not be the right move.” At a time when consumers are increasingly conservative about phone usage, an app must offer an additive, value-packed experience.
While creating an exclusive app has long been the norm for international celebrities (think the Kardashian family’s many apps or WeVerse, a global K-Pop fandom platform, now even Indian creators like Samay Raina and religious leader Acharya Prashant are adopting the practice. Brands like Lego and Airbnb have gotten ahead of the curve, building communities to ask for advice, exchange ideas and share grievances. Electronics brand Nothing’s Community Edition is a smartphone borne entirely out of community suggestions while Dazed Club – built by UK’s independent Dazed Magazine – allows users to network, attend workshops and screenings and access open calls for creative roles. Phone company IQOO, for instance, moderates communities on different use cases for their phone such as photography, gaming and even in-person meetups.
“Once you reach a certain scale, it makes sense to have an app,” Meghnad notes. “YouTube, for instance, takes 30% of a person’s revenue. So if you want to cut that out, it’s a good option to have an app where you’re doing regular exclusive content, selling tickets and so on.” The potential is endless: Decathlon could create WhatsApp groups for passionate trekkers, The Whole Truth could create a channel for people interested in unprocessed food, even Ikea could create a community for people looking to swap and resell furniture.
SUSTAINED TRUST OVER EASY MONETISATION
While apps can give brands more autonomy, they also need to be mindful of the financial burden they may be shifting on to consumers. Spotify is reportedly set to launch a new Superfan subscription for higher-quality audio, early access to concert tickets and the ability to remix tracks. “On one hand a Superfan tier would offer a more personalised experience to fans who can afford to pay a premium fee. It could see an increase in user retention,” notes music journalist Aaryaman Trivedi. “On the other hand, it could also alienate many people. Anything put behind a paywall tends to create a rift between casual fans and creators. There’s also the risk of subscription fatigue: putting pressure on users to spend more money may lead to existing users choosing alternative options.”
Some Indian brands have already recognised the potential of gated communities even though they aren’t monetised. WhenPallavi Utagifounded cloth diaper brand SuperBottoms in 2016, she realised there was a dearth of parenting communities in India. “I realised that many parents had questions about how to use and wash these diapers,” she says. This insight led to her brand developing a myriad of gated communities on WhatsApp and Facebook, from ‘Mom Fitness Crew’ and ‘Toddler Tiffin Ideas’ to ‘Nursing Moms’ Network.’ Moving forward, the brand may consider monetisation via exclusive content such as workshops with experts, advanced parenting courses and discounts for community members.
Neha Kulkarni
In the tech world, Nothing’s communities are built on Discord where the company appoints someone from the channel to be a board observer. This person serves as a feedback loop for user experience and product development, allowing consumers to co-create with the brand and take community-oriented approaches to another level. Yet, building communities on rented space means there are always concerns related to changing algorithms, limited interactions or social media platforms becoming obsolete. “The WhatsApp community limit can be a hindrance and we end up having to make multiple groups because each group reaches its limit soon… It becomes an operational challenge to manage so many communities,” says Utagi.
CARVE OUT SPACE OR GET LEFT BEHIND
Parenting and tech are not the only high-involvement categories that brands can engage with. The last few years have seen several niche, interest-driven communities sprout all over the internet. Gamers and streamers like Tanmay Bhatt and Joel D’souza were among the first in India to assemble on Discord. Tweak India and Crossword’s monthly book club hosted by Twinkle Khanna has tapped into a market of Indian women who enjoy reading but may not have enough time or motivation for it. Actor Sobhita Dhulipala, artist Mehek Malhotra, comedian Sakshi Shivdasani and even sexual wellness brand Sangya Project now have Instagram broadcast channels to engage with their followers.
Substack, Patreon, Discord and WhatsApp are not perfect examples of gated communities because brands still experience a degree of platform dependency. However, research shows that, in 2025, consumers are more willing to pay for and derive higher satisfaction from being part of clubs and communities that have content customised to their interests as well as opinions from the creators they trust.
This is an encouraging signal for brands that don’t want to be beholden to third-party platforms that upend the rules of engagement at will. Utagi believes there is only one way to bypass these issues altogether: “Building your own platform. It is why Superbottoms is planning to introduce an independent app to host their community of parents.” Some say that apps are the ultimate version of the gated community: they are their own private ecosystem where brands have a direct line to consumers, thus fully cutting out middle men like social media platforms.
The biggest mistake brands can make at this moment is not leveraging current distribution channels to engage with their audience on a deeper level. While brands already see the value in exclusivity, they must go further than paywalls and consciously curate spaces that consumers – especially the youth that spends a majority of their time online – crave. Creating true gated communities is resource-intensive and can be a long-term strategy whereas newsletters, email lists, in-person events and membership models may be the smartest way to build communities right now. The choice is this: Carve out your own space that motivates consumers to actively seek you out or risk being left behind.
