Why Small Communities Matter More Than Big Numbers

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn as an author and event organiser has nothing to do with books.

It’s about numbers.

For a long time, I found myself measuring success the way many of us do: ticket sales, newsletter subscribers, social media followers, membership numbers.

The bigger the number, the more successful the project must be.

Or so I thought.

Running Author Events has slowly changed my perspective.

Our membership isn’t enormous. Our workshops don’t attract hundreds of people. Sometimes only a handful of people come through the door. But I’ve realised that small doesn’t mean insignificant.

Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve witnessed have happened around a table of six people. I’ve watched authors meet readers who later became their biggest supporters. I’ve seen writers who arrived knowing nobody leave having found a writing group, a collaborator or simply the confidence to keep going.

Those moments don’t show up in the statistics. They’re impossible to measure, but they’re often the reason people return. The same is true in business.

We spend so much time chasing bigger audiences that it’s easy to overlook the people already in front of us. A loyal community of fifty people who genuinely care about what you’re building is often far more valuable than five thousand people who barely remember your name. That’s true whether you’re an author building a readership, a business growing its customer base or someone trying to create something that brings people together.

Of course, I’d love Author Events to continue growing. I’d love to welcome more readers, more writers and more speakers into our community. But growth has never been the goal on its own.

The goal has always been connection. Because when people feel seen, heard and welcomed, they come back. And they bring others with them.

Perhaps that’s the lesson July has reinforced for me. Don’t underestimate small beginnings. Every thriving community starts with a few people who decide to show up.

The numbers can grow later.

The relationships come first.

Small communities create big opportunities.

I’ve stopped measuring success by numbers alone. The strongest communities aren’t always the biggest—they’re the ones where people genuinely connect, support one another and keep coming back.

What does community mean to you?

Have you ever been part of a small group that made a big difference to your life or career?

I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.