It’s only April, but navigating social media in 2025 has already been challenging for brands and enterprise companies. With major platforms becoming increasingly polarized and users questioning who benefits from their algorithms, businesses might hesitate to engage with their audiences. The compounded risk of brand reputation damage and the lack of true audience ownership are significant concerns.
As grim as the situation may look, there are alternatives, and at Reaktiv, we believe that organizations could benefit from considering WordPress as a way to build engaged communities on their own terms.
Challenges of Mainstream Social Media
Without naming any platform in particular, it is safe to say that the public discourse has seen a shift in tone in 2025. Conversations turn to minefields and brands must tread carefully to produce content that receives positive sentiment from their audience while remaining authentic and aligned with their values.
The idea of “owning” one’s audience isn’t new, and email marketing advocates have long used this argument to convince brands and organizations to invest in their lists. Spending resources, in any form, on social platforms that operate on algorithms and whose policies can shift rapidly is becoming a riskier bet. If an engaged email list is a way to mitigate the lack of control brands and organizations have over their social presence, we argue that hosting a community is also an excellent solution.
Considering WordPress for Community Building
WordPress powers some of the most prominent organizations, including Amnesty International, The Times, and esteemed universities such as Cornell or Harvard. It is a preferred choice for enterprises due to its flexibility, robust features, and scalability. WordPress has been supporting online communities for quite some time. When set up with this focus, it’s a solid option for groups looking to create their own spaces for engagement away from social media platforms.
The benefits that come to mind include:
- Full Control: Own your content and audience, avoiding the pitfalls of external platforms.
- Customization: Tailor your site to match your brand identity, and use your voice and tone throughout the experience, not just in posts.
- Direct Connection: Build meaningful relationships with your audience in a controlled environment that can be as private as you want.
Consider WordPress as a way to build engaged communities on your own terms.
Two Proven Tools to Build a Community
WordPress has a rich ecosystem of plugins, themes, and other integrations, but two plugins have been at the forefront of online community building for 20 years.
BuddyPress: Build a Private Social Network on WordPress
BuddyPress is a robust plugin designed to turn any WordPress site into a full-fledged social network. It allows users to create detailed profiles, share updates through activity streams, send private messages, or join topic-based groups. BuddyPress also offers notification and mentions, and it integrates with other WordPress plugins to augment its features. Whether you’re creating a members-only community, an internal employee hub, or a customer engagement platform, BuddyPress gives you the tools to create real connections.
bbPress: Lightweight and Efficient Forum Integration
bbPress is an ideal solution for organizations that want to add structured discussion forums to their WordPress site without compromising speed or performance. It supports threaded discussions, user roles for moderation, and spam protection tools like Akismet. The plugin also works well in a multisite setup, allowing multiple forums to be managed under one network. It’s a great choice for businesses, educational institutions, or nonprofits looking to create discussion-based communities without the complexities of larger forum platforms.
Pros and Cons of BuddyPress and bbPress
BuddyPress and bbPress provide excellent options for creating online communities within WordPress. They each come with their own strengths, and integrate well with each other for even more possibilities.
However, it takes more than simply setting up these tools to create a vibrant community. Ongoing moderation is important to encourage positive interactions and maintain a respectful environment. Keeping members engaged can be tricky, especially if activity levels are low. So while BuddyPress and bbPress lay the groundwork for community building, creating a dynamic and interactive space will take consistent effort and a thoughtful approach: from actively participating in conversations and spotlighting member contributions to regularly introducing fresh, relevant topics or events to spark engagement and build momentum.
Finding the Platform that Works for You
When selecting a platform for an online community as a brand or organization, several key variables come into play. The factors listed below can help determine the best fit based on your goals, audience, and resources.
- Your engagement style: Using a platform that mirrors how your audience engages online is important. Are they looking for real-time conversations, structured discussions, or private networking? Some platforms, like Discord or Slack, are built for fast-paced interactions, while Discourse or bbPress are better suited for in-depth discussions.
- Business model: If your community represents a revenue stream, consider how the platform supports monetization. Platforms like Memberful or Patreon integrate memberships, while WordPress with WooCommerce or Restrict Content Pro provides subscription and gated content options.
- Privacy: Organizations dealing with sensitive data, such as healthcare, higher education, or financial brands, must ensure compliance with standards like HIPAA, FERPA, or GDPR. Self-hosted solutions often provide greater control over privacy settings than public social platforms.
- Integrations: A strong community platform should integrate with your existing CRM, email marketing, or analytics tools. WordPress, Discourse, and Slack offer extensive integrations, while more niche platforms may have limited compatibility.
Your Trusted Partner
Finding the right platform that matches your community goals, audience needs, and long-term vision can feel daunting, but we’re here to help.
We have a special place in the agency ecosystem when it comes to optimizing WordPress sites for high-traffic communities, ensuring seamless performance, and extending plugin capabilities to fit your unique needs. Whether you need expert guidance on hosting, custom development, or integrations, we’re here to make your WordPress community flourish. Let’s build something great together.
