The Myth of Scaling Communities: A Bills Mafia Case Study

As communities grow, most organizations and corporations experience a knee-jerk reaction. They look outwards, trying to find and adopt entirely new strategies and tactics – whatever it takes to manage larger numbers.

We need more room. More events. Bigger messaging. Content that everyone here likes.

Repeat after me: This. Will. Destroy. Your. Community.

While instincts often push us to build for extra growth and scale, implementing sweeping changes will destroy the core components that make a community thrive.

Bigger communities aren't special or different. Bigger communities are essentially networks of smaller, interconnected groups.

The NFL Fan Experience: The Bills Mafia Case Study

Consider the fan base of the Buffalo Bills, known as the "Bills Mafia." This community exemplifies how a large, passionate fan base can emerge from small, organic interactions

Origins of Bills Mafia

Every community, large or small, has an origin story.

• Born from a Twitter interaction in 2010 involving a handful of fans
• Started as an inside joke among friends in response to NFL insider Adam Schefter
• Gained traction when players like Stevie Johnson and Nick Barnett embraced the term

Evolution into a Movement

It's not the spark that matters the most, it's how... the fire grows that matters.

• Transformed from a hashtag into a full-fledged community identity
• Embraced by the franchise, leading to official trademark filing in 2020
• Became synonymous with the entire Bills fan base

Diverse Sub-Communities

My favorite part of this case study is just this how any Bill's fan can be part of the Mafia. But at the same time be completely different from other members of the Bill's Mafia.

The Bill's Mafia is loved. It's respected. It's loathed.

It's good and evil at the same time – depending on your own NFL team choice!

Within the larger Bills Mafia, you'll find:

• Die-hard fans who attend every game
• Social media enthusiasts who spread Bills content online
• Charitable givers who organize fundraisers and donations
• Tailgating "experts" known for their pregame festivities (and hijinx)
• Long-distance fans who maintain their passion online or at key games

Community Impact

One of the most defining characteristics of the Bill's Mafia is its ability to come together repeatedly to create change for a broader cause. It's not just about the Bill's Mafia. It's about what the Bill's Mafia can do for you.

The Bills Mafia is a textbook example of how small group dynamics can scale into significant impact:

• Raised over $1.4 million for John R. Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo
• Donated $415,000 to Andy Dalton's foundation after the Bengals helped the Bills make the playoffs
• Regular contributions to causes championed by players, both from the Bills and opposing teams

Core Community Components for Scale

A large community can maintain its core essence of connection and belonging while growing to encompass hundreds of thousands of fans.

The Bills Mafia's success lies in its ability to foster small, meaningful interactions within the context of a larger, unifying identity.

Here are two foundational parts in more detail.

The Value is in the Details

What sets exceptional communities apart is their attention to the details that make each member's or small group's experience unique, while still aligning with the overall community vision.

The Bills Mafia is having fun, but don't miss out on the small things that make them instantly identifiable, both to people who are not in the group, but also to their fellow members. This is very intentional, including the support of the franchise.

• Creating and sharing memes and inside jokes on social media
• Organizing local meetups for game-watching parties
• Developing unique tailgating traditions
• Recognizing and celebrating individual fans' contributions to the community

Build Backgrounds, Not Bureaucracy

The larger a community gets, the more individual members will crave the ability to stand out. Not every community can evolve to a space where member-led initiatives are encouraged or facilitated.

This is the problem with the corporate approach to community, where bureaucracy and hierarchy stifle the innovation that's required for a living community to grow and thrive.

Instead of obsessing over details, savvy community builders will over index on the backdrop within which smaller groups can find a home and thrive.

The Bills Mafia provides a perfect backdrop against which smaller groups and individuals can express themselves. This context includes:

• The ebb and flow of the NFL season
• The shared history and traditions of the Buffalo Bills franchise
• The broader narrative of Buffalo as a city and community

Within this context, fans can personalize their experience, whether it's through charitable giving, social media engagement, or game day rituals.

Build with the Mafia Mindset

As you build and grow your community, the Bills Mafia example offers five valuable lessons:

Embrace Organic Growth: The Bills Mafia started as a small group interaction and grew naturally. Don't force scale; instead, nurture the conditions that allow for organic expansion.

Foster Sub-Communities: Encourage the formation of smaller groups within your larger community. These might be based on specific interests, geographic locations, or roles within the community.

Celebrate Individual Contributions: Recognize and amplify the efforts of individual community members, just as the Bills Mafia celebrates fans who go above and beyond in their support or charitable efforts.

Maintain a Unifying Identity: While encouraging diversity and individual expression, ensure there's an overarching identity or purpose that ties everyone together.

Leverage Technology Thoughtfully: Use social media and other digital tools to facilitate connections, but don't let them replace the human element of community building.

Successful community building comes from mastering both the details of implementation and the broader, larger strategy. What starts small can grow as long as it retains the qualities that made the small successful.

Dilution, friends, is community death.

Author's Note: I'm writing a book on community and you are going to love it. Seriously. Subscribe for early release details and launch info. Thanks for reading!