The Rise of Private Communities Is Rewiring Influencer Marketing in 2025

Image source: John Cameron via Unsplash

The influencer economy is shifting. While viral moments and followers are still important (for now), an emerging trend is about creating spaces that people actively want to be in. gen z, becoming more disillusioned by empty influencer endorsements and algorithmically-curated feeds, are looking for something more tangible: belonging.

In response to this shift, influencers are stepping up - not as loudspeakers, but as the leaders of niche communities, both online and offline, and brands are learning to follow.

The Rise of Engaged Access

Oversaturation and shallow influencer-brand collaborations have left younger audiences craving something harder to access - communities where membership is earned through engagement and shared values, not just buying power.

As Vogue Business put it, “The next era of digital gatekeeping won't just be about who can afford something - it'll be about who is engaged enough to access it.”

That shift is placing influencers at the heart of the change. They aren’t just creating and amplifying content - they’re actively creating these insider, niche spaces where deeper connections happen with their audience.

This is reflected in the numbers: Discord, Substack, and Patreon have all seen major growth between 2020 and 2025. Discord doubled its monthly active users to over 200 million, with 74% aged 16–34. Substack hit over five million paid subscriptions and nearly 50 million monthly visitors by early 2025. Patreon now has eight million+ active patrons globally, with a strong UK and US base.

These platforms are where creators build closed ecosystems and offer exclusive content, deeper conversations, and loyalty-led experiences, prioritising quality engagement over mass visibility.

Third Spaces Are the New Centre of Influence

This migration toward smaller, more trusted digital spaces is reshaping where audiences spend time. Today’s savviest creators aren’t chasing passive followers - they’re curating IRL communities and events.

Take Bronte King’s‘ Gals Who’, a community network for young women in the travel, fitness and weddings space, where Bronte herself leads and grows loyal communities through regular, in-person events - whether that’s brunch meetups or group fitness classes. These spaces don’t just exist to sell products - they fulfil a basic human need to belong.

The move from gated digital groups into real-world meetups and events is accelerating. Influencer-hosted clubs, panels, and brand pop-ups are how online-first communities are becoming loyal offline ones. These 'third spaces' are where real trust is built, transforming the influencer’s role from promotion to curation.

They’re shaping not just what’s shared, but how it’s experienced, and the kinds of connections that turn audiences into communities.

Brands Are Slowly Learning to Follow

This isn’t just happening at a grassroots creator level. Brands are starting to realise that by partnering with influencers inside these closed communities, they can build trust and cultural relevance far beyond what a usual campaign can achieve.

For example, fashion brand Free People recently partnered with Emily Sundberg on Substack to create a limited editorial series, positioned as an insider’s guide to winter fashion. The brand strategically placed affiliate links within Sundberg’s newsletter posts to drive direct sales. They deepened the experience with a subscriber-only NYC happy hour - bringing community, content, and commerce into one space.

In the same vein, Still Here, a denim brand, worked with Substack creators for its Everyday Jean launch, and saw 80–90% of click-throughs from the newsletters in their denim launch - leading to a complete sell-out... Kate McLeod, a body care brand, partnered with five Substack creators to activate inside gated communities, outperforming Instagram by 54% (via Vogue Business).

IRL, Refy Beauty didn’t just throw an influencer trip; they invited loyal customers to experience events alongside their favourite creators. used Instagram Broadcast Channels to share exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes content, then invited top fans to join creators on their Mallorca trip - blending influencer engagement with real community connection, and securing coverage in Vogue, Business of Fashion, and Cosmopolitan.

More and more brands are also launching dedicated Discord communities, like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Adidas to name a few. These Discords offer early access, exclusive product drops, and behind-the-scenes content for their community of superfans.

What Brands Should Be Thinking About

Brands that are ahead of the curve in 2025 are already tapping into these micro-communities. For those who haven’t yet made the shift, now is the time to rethink their approach. If brands want to access these spaces meaningfully, they need to:

Collaborate with creators on their terms – inside their Substacks, private groups, or niche IRL events. Brands that show up authentically will be the ones who earn long-term credibility and real traction inside these creator-led spaces.

Prioritise depth, not just scale – these spaces are smaller but hyper-engaged, brands should lean into quality over quantity if they want to reach audiences who are not just watching, but actively engaging.

Move from campaign briefs to co-created spaces – Go beyond standalone posts. Build spaces with creators where your brand adds value. These communities spark discovery, word-of-mouth, and wider attention on the outside.

It’s not about dropping in with a campaign or product - it’s about understanding the space and showing up with something meaningful, alongside the people who’ve built it.