Why Community-Led Strategy is the Game-Changer for Beauty, Wellness + Lifestyle Brands in 2025
You’re putting in the time and effort and you're posting regularly. You're putting energy into your content, your offers, your launches - so why does growth still feel underwhelming or inconsistent?
The likes are sporadic. The engagement is average. The conversions are unpredictable. Now of course this is just part of it, and you are always going to have these moments. It's natural, it's expected when growing a business. But are these moments turning into learning curves? Is the data being analysed to actually learn and grow from? Otherwise expect this to be the constant cycle of your online platforms.
You're not winging it. You're trying. But here's the part most founders miss: If the strategy isn't clear, the content doesn't stick. Picking a trending sound or joining in on a certain trend is not a strategy, yes this may be a growth tactic - but have you built the foundations that make these growth moments matter?
A few months of consistency without direction will not build the kind of brand you want. Not one that builds trust. Not the one that feels like you. There's a reason some brands feel naturally attractive - like they get their people and their people just get them. It is definitely not luck, it's a community-led strategy mixed with a brand or creator that genuinely cares.
And in 2025, it's not only beneficial, it's crucial.
Let's discuss the why - and the shifts you can expect to see and feel when you build a brand with your community, not just for them. In a world where aesthetics are everywhere, strategy is the differentiator.
The Follower Fallacy
Here’s what most beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands get wrong - they chase visibility, but forget about genuine connection. Followers become the metric of success. Vanity metrics don’t build sustainable brands. Relationships do.
Because behind that follower count:
Your ideal customer/client is scrolling right past your content without stopping
The likes you are getting feel empty - surface-level, with no conversation
You’re growing an audience, but not building trust
Every launch feels like starting from scratch, because no one really knows you
Most brands are stuck in broadcast mode - posting at people, instead of building with them. The need for a constant reintroduction every time because no brand awareness is being built along the way. When your content only speaks one way, it’s forgettable. But when it opens the door for connection, conversation, and shared values - it becomes a brand worth remembering.
From Consistency to Community: Real Life Brands That Excel Here
The brands making a real impact in 2025? They’ve gone way beyond aesthetic content plans and built brand ecosystems - focused around clarity, consistency, and community.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Pilates by Bryony
Bryony’s not just selling Pilates - she’s building a lifestyle people want to be part of. Her challenges create real buy-in. Her content isn’t just aesthetic (although that helps to grab the viewer) - it’s accessible. Inclusive. Repetitive in a way that builds recognition, not fatigue. Her monthly challenges build anticipation, create routine, and give her audience something to belong to. People guess the next theme, suggest ideas, and feel in it with her. Bryony’s audience are consistently included in the process and Bryony is constantly using feedback to adapt. And the best part? She listens. It’s a two-way relationship.
Takeaway: Community = participation. Not just sharing with your audience, but building experiences they want to return to.
Rhode
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode didn’t just launch with a splashy announcement.
She built anticipation through behind-the-scenes development, consistent storytelling, and showing up as herself months before launch. Her audience didn’t just know the product - they felt involved in its creation. Watching her get ready as she puts product on her face that’s in a hidden sample packaging, she was building suspense. It unfolded intentionally - behind-the-scenes clips, sample bottles with no labels. Subtle nods that built curiosity. By the time the product launched, her community felt like insiders - not observers. And now? It’s real-world activations (photo booths + pop-ups) that bring the brand to life. Rhode is more of an aesthetic shared among the community, it’s become something bigger than the product.
Takeaway: Community-building starts before you sell anything. The lead-up matters as much as the launch, share the process. Make the brand experience more than the product itself.
The Skinny Confidential
Lauryn Bosstick’s brand works because it’s unapologetically specific. She makes zero effort to be for everyone. And that’s exactly why it works.
She’s crystal clear on who she’s speaking to. Her audience gets the random mix of products because they trust her process and her POV. There’s no disconnect between her content, podcast, blog, or product line. It’s all integrated. She shares the “why” behind everything - from her supplements to what she avoids - and lets people behind the curtain, absolutely no gatekeeping. Lauryn builds The Skinny Confidential products that she wants in her own routine. The product line may seem random to ‘outsiders’, but her community know! Whether it’s her dry brush or the toilet paper, they know the product is making their life/routines healthier whilst staying true to the visual aesthetic they’ve built.
Takeaway: Authority comes from clarity. The more specific and honest you are, the more people trust and follow - you, no matter the product and whatever you build next.
Why It Works: The Stats Behind Community-Led Growth
Still not convinced? Here’s some data:
76% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands they feel emotionally connected to
57% of Gen Z say a strong sense of community influences their purchasing decisions
And yet - only 1 in 5 brands intentionally invest in community-building as a marketing strategy
(Sources: Sprout Social, Edelman Trust Barometer, Hubspot)
That disconnect?
That’s the opportunity. And most brands are missing it.
What's Next For Your Brand Community?
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands:
The gap between where you are and where you want to be might not be about working harder - it’s about working differently.
At Set & Social, we see it every day. Founders shifting from broadcasting to building real community. Brands evolving from chasing trends to setting them, being ahead. Growth that comes from clarity and connection - not the need for constant reinvention because you saw a Pinterest aesthetic.
And this is the kind of work we live for - helping brands build substance, not just presence. Whether you’re starting fresh or realigning something that’s grown beyond your original vision, we bring strategy, structure, and creative direction that runs deeper than just looking pretty.
From content strategy to brand messaging to community-first positioning - we help you show up with intention, not just content.
So if any part of this hits - if you’re tired of putting in the work without seeing results - we’d love to hear from you. Strategy is our thing. And if this sparked something, or you’re realising your brand’s ready for more intention behind the scenes - our inbox is always open.
We’re here when you’re ready to shift from just showing up to showing up strategically.
Because your brand deserves more than likes. It deserves loyalty.
And that starts with strategy.
P.S. Not quite ready to dive in? Come say hi on Instagram @setandsocial - we’d love to hear your thoughts. We’re always here for help! (and yes, we’re working on taking our own advice - clients first has been the vibe for a longgg time, but it’s time we upped our own game too).