Exploring your passions: How to use social media to fuel your hobbies

Meeting three strangers in the “Girls Love Travel” Facebook group, then traveling with them to Costa Rica for two months is a little crazy, I’ll admit. But it’s also how I learned that some of the best memories in life can start in social media communities.

The Girls Love Travel Facebook group is exactly what it sounds like: a community for women across the world to share stories and recommendations, and once in a while, meet a travel buddy. Years later, I applied this same logic to hiring. The people who have now become essential to my social media agency found us first. They were already in our community, following along, understanding the vision before we ever had a conversation. When they reached out, it wasn’t another application in the pile. It was an extension of a connection that already existed.

I’ve learned that communities aren’t just where you find your people. It’s where they find you, too. You take chances on the connections that feel right.

Everyone says social media makes us less social. But truthfully, I couldn’t disagree more. It’s given me lifelong friends, invaluable business partnerships, and a two-month adventure across Costa Rica. All from the same willingness to say yes to people I met online.

I use Instagram and Reddit to deepen my hand tool woodworking hobby. I follow focused hashtags like #dovetails and #sharpening, then save posts into folders by skill, such as layout, planing, and finishes. That system let me fix my chisel sharpening in a week, since I compared angles and strokes from three makers and tested them the same night. I also post progress shots, not just finished pieces, which brings fast, pointed feedback I can act on.

One group I recommend is r/woodworking. The weekly project threads and “shop crit” posts are gold, and the search bar surfaces years of fixes for common mistakes. Practical tip: build a small checklist from your saved posts, then try it on scrap wood the same day. Short feedback loops beat binging tutorials every time.

Social media provides me with first-hand experience of the chats and creators who discuss their actual experiences regarding SEO and online business development. I rely on platforms such as X and Facebook Groups, where I follow updates on algorithms, changes in affiliate programs, or new marketing tools that impact content creators and SaaS founders. I do not scroll aimlessly but use these platforms as live feeds full of industry data and experiments shared by others that keep me focused.

One of the communities that I frequently recommend is the SEO Signals Lab group on Facebook. It has more than 75,000 members, and the majority of the discussions are devoted to testing strategies, traffic case studies, and debunking myths about ranking systems. I have also implemented advice from members, which increased my click-through rate by over 40 percent and allowed me to find lucrative keyword groups much more quickly. The fact that the group is transparent about what actually works distinguishes it from the hype-driven environment found in most places on the internet.

Marketers, freelancers, and business owners are among the very few who will provide real numbers and actual results without turning their sharing into a sales pitch. Such truthful sharing of knowledge keeps me in touch with effective growth strategies that continue to work in the market.

I use social media to connect with niche channels and forums on topics that I have a keen interest in e.g., non-fiction, anime, and pet care. I use dedicated social media communities and filter them as per my hobbies and try to learn, connect, and contribute.

Since I love dogs and find being around them therapeutic, I explore subreddits like r/dogs and r/adoptdontshopindia which have been really helpful to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from their experiences, and also better my content marketing skills. The real-life stories and grassroots efforts shared there have helped me understand the challenges and successes in pet adoption firsthand.

Social media is a primary conduit for my tracking of flavor trends, cooking techniques, and the way the typical griller is modifying professional methods for home use. I watch how different regions of the country plate ribs, trim their briskets, or finish their pulled pork. That type of visual feedback invariably alters what I put on the shelves and how I teach. Instagram and YouTube are the more reliable vehicles to those ends since they show real-time cooking processes, not simply prettified photos. I get more pattern information from a one-minute reel than from a dozen articles.

There is one group I check more consistently than any other, and that is the Offset Smoking Community on Facebook. It cuts through the chaff fast. Members invariably share temps, times, failures, gear alterations, etc. It is not brand-driven, but rather outcome-oriented.

There we can see real cooks testing things which originally the older generation thought inexpedient. From one thread, a modified firebox put me in position to save 21 percent in wood used per cook. That type of tactical feedback far surpasses influencer padding. The community-driven messages are effective because they are raw, tried, and obsessive on results. That is what I teach and build my business upon.

If there’s a passion you want to explore, I recommend connecting through communities on Reddit built around personal stories and creativity. One of those communities I greatly value is r/memorialtattoos, which I discovered while learning about how people honor their loved ones through meaningful art. It’s a place of humanity, honesty, compassion and shared emotion. People discuss their grief, their healing and their remembrance in ways that are so very human. But what hits me the most is the supportiveness of the conversations and how creativity becomes a means of linking grief and love. Reading through those stories reminds me of how art can hold memory in ways that words cannot, and it continues to shape how I think about connection and meaning in the work we do at Engrave Ink.

Personally, Reddit has offered the greatest amount of learning and exchange of ideas regarding gaming servers. In a subreddit r/admincraft, I have exchanged actual data with other admins on the performance and load management of plugins. I once created a thread regarding the use of a lightweight scheduler script which reduced CPU consumption on modified Minecraft Servers by 18 percent. That was a discussion that lasted long and dozens of server owners conducted their own tests. The results of seeing them in real time also helped me to make tweaks to the guides that I design to make them more realistic to ordinary users in the use of Ghostcap.

I believe that social media is best used when it is two-way communication. Each discussion, argument or common arrangement presents me with new methods of reducing complicated structures. The feedback is also there, and it assists me in making my guides precise and accessible. This is important when one is handling technical setups that may baffle most players.

I use Instagram and Pinterest to explore my interests in outdoor design, architecture, and the slow-living movement. These two platforms have become my version of a creative lab. I follow builders, landscapers, and makers who approach backyard spaces with the same mix of utility and aesthetics that inspired my business.

One community I really enjoy is the #StockTankPool community on Instagram. It is a mix of DIY enthusiasts, designers, and homeowners sharing what they’ve built and how they’ve customized their projects.

I love the vibes here because everything oozes collaboration, not competition. People exchange ideas, troubleshoot installations, and celebrate creative backyard transformations. The community is proof that social media can still be about connection and creativity, not just consumption.

I use social media as a discovery engine for ideas that stretch beyond marketing. My feeds are carefully curated to include marketers, designers, behavioral scientists, and creative thinkers, people who challenge conventional perspectives. I believe the most innovative thinking happens on the edges of industries, not at the center, and that’s where I like to spend my time learning.

What I value most isn’t a formal “community” but the organic networks that form around consistent, thoughtful voices. Platforms like LinkedIn are where I see this in action. Professionals such as The Marketing Millennials, Justin Welsh, and Ann Handley foster discussions in their comment sections that feel like roundtables of modern marketing. Those conversations, raw, smart, and often humorous, are where real professional learning happens today.

For me, social media isn’t about scrolling for inspiration… it’s about participating in a living conversation that keeps me intellectually sharp and creatively balanced.

If there is one social media community I would like every person to check out, it would be the Antique Map Collectors Discord Server. Discord may be a very generic platform, but a private server that is exclusively for rare cartography is very rare and uncommon. I recommend this group because of the live chat format that allows immediate validation of authenticity and value. Members post high-resolution images of new acquisitions for auction such as an 18th-century carte-a-figure map, with requests for expert opinions on possible methods of restoration or aging. This was directly what led to my discovery of the concept of carto-bibliographic research as a personal hobby, becoming aware of the sheer academic work that went into establishing the historical condition of a map. Comparing that moment of measured data from collectors, often including a 3.5 percent value discrepancy based on the color used, is an excellent and calming counterweight to the subjective data I deal with in my professional marketing capacity. This community is a source of very useful physical, factual information.

My approach to exploring my passion for acting and dancing on social media is to use it as a powerful combination of a training space and a digital portfolio. Platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok are essential for daily practice, allowing me to learn new choreography, test out character expressions, and refine my on-camera presence with immediate self-critique. Simultaneously, I use these channels to actively network and collaborate, reaching out to other local creatives (filmmakers, choreographers) to produce high-quality content for my professional showreel.

The community I’d strongly recommend is the r/acting subreddit. It’s an invaluable, global resource that provides a supportive environment for serious artists to receive candid, constructive feedback on monologues and scene work, focusing purely on the craft itself rather than the industry business. I follow this group because the shared insights and technical discussions constantly push me to deepen my understanding of performance.

I use social media to find furniture constructions and DIY restorations beyond surface attraction. I am looking for groups that post the complete process of building something, the mistakes and how they would do things differently. Seeing the actual creation of a real building helps me do better and use new materials or finishes. One group I recommend is the “Modern Woodworking” group on Reddit. It is a group of builders who make detailed posts and answer questions with no airs. This is where I have learned a few simple but valuable things, such as how to refinish outside pieces by using particular sanding grit, how to properly seal reclaimed wood, and others. This group brings creativity down to earth through skill and shared experience.

I use social media as more than just a business tool; it’s also a space to explore creativity and connect with like-minded people who share my interests in design, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn have become great sources of inspiration for discovering new design perspectives, creative processes, and even mental wellness routines that help balance the chaos of startup life.

One community I’d highly recommend is the “Design Minds” group on LinkedIn. It’s full of passionate creators, brand strategists, and marketers who share real-world insights, not just polished case studies. The conversations there often spark new ideas and collaborations, and it’s a refreshing reminder that social media can still be a space for genuine learning and connection when used intentionally.

I use social media, mainly Facebook and Reddit, to explore my interest in bourbons and small-batch distilleries. It’s been a great way to discover new releases, learn about aging processes, and connect with enthusiasts who appreciate the craft side of whiskey making like myself.

One community I’d highly recommend is the r/bourbon subreddit. It’s full of passionate collectors and experts who share tasting notes, distillery tours, and honest opinions without the marketing fluff. I’ve found some incredible bottles through community recommendations and even learned how to spot store picks and limited editions that are actually worth the hunt.

The best part is how welcoming and knowledgeable the community is; it’s not just about drinking bourbon, but about the history, craftsmanship, and stories behind each bottle. I love it!

Social media helps keep me connected to the energy of the sport. I follow coaches and runners, as well as small creators who post about training, new gear, and the culture that surrounds track & field competition. This isn’t just about trends; it is a place where I learn about how athletes express themselves through performance and design as well. This keeps me grounded in what truly is of importance to them.

One community that I would recommend is a small group of track enthusiasts who share product feedback and insights on what they wish existed in their spikes. The dialogues in that community remind me of the reason that TrackSpikes.co was started in the first place: to produce equipment that athletes would be proud to wear. The best ideas rarely come from boardrooms; they come from the concerned athletes talking online about the things that push them forward.

In the marketing strategy industry, social media has a unique role beyond just business development. I often use it to explore hobbies and interests that indirectly make me better at my work. For example, I’m deeply interested in entrepreneurship and product design, and platforms like LinkedIn and X have been great places to connect with other founders and marketers who are building innovative businesses. Following conversations in these spaces often sparks ideas that later influence how I approach branding and strategy at Rail Trip Strategies.

One community I’d recommend is the “Indie Hackers” group. It’s full of people building projects from the ground up, sharing real numbers, mistakes, and strategies. The discussions are practical, transparent, and inspiring. It’s a great place to see how others solve problems creatively, especially when working with limited resources. Engaging with communities like this keeps me sharp, exposes me to different perspectives, and often leads to new collaborations or ideas I can bring back into my own work.

I rely on social media to find hobbies by joining niche communities where members post more in-depth project breakdowns instead of project results. It is about seeking communities that capture the real process with errors and corrections since that teaches you tricks that you would never get in a refined tutorial or official instructions.

My most useful community so far is the web development Discord servers where developers have the option to share and code live, or discuss issues together. Members will leave their real code with explanations on why some other methods had failed before they discovered solutions, which will educate on techniques of solving problems and not just syntax. These live chat sessions give context that blog posts and YouTube tutorials take away and explain how more experienced developers reason about the problem, not merely what the end solution will look like.

Social media has become such a big part of how I explore and share my love for the violin. I connect with other players, learn about new music styles, and share rehearsal ideas on YouTube. Our biggest “group” is undoubtedly the YouTube community at Violinspiration, where the subscriber base has grown to over 150,000 from all parts of the world! It is wonderful to watch beginners supporting one another, sharing progress, and exchanging experiences.

I use social media to explore my interest in design and creative entrepreneurship. A few years ago, I joined a LinkedIn group of European founders who focus on sustainable design. We share prototypes, give feedback on new ideas, and discuss how creativity can support long-term environmental goals. The group has helped me see how innovation grows when people from different industries share the same passion.

My advice is to join small, focused communities where members are active and curious. These spaces make it easier to build genuine connections and exchange useful insights. The key takeaway is that when you engage with people who share your interests, social media becomes a source of learning and collaboration instead of distraction.

I started playing pickleball as a way to disconnect from screens, but social media pulled me even deeper into it, in a good way. I found local Las Vegas pickleball groups on Instagram and Reddit, where players of all levels share open games, drills, and even paddle recommendations. What surprised me most was how quickly those online connections turned into real friendships. If you’re curious, check out your city’s pickleball group on Reddit; it’s one of the most welcoming communities I’ve ever joined.

Social media is where I test ideas before they ever become campaigns. I’m fascinated by how creatives build audiences around authenticity, so I follow and join groups where photographers share behind-the-scenes processes, not polished reels.

One community I keep coming back to is “Photographers Using AI Tools” on Facebook. It’s full of working pros experimenting with automation, ChatGPT prompts, and editing workflows — not theory, just real people trying to save time and stay creative.

Scrolling that feed is like watching the industry evolve in real time. It keeps me curious, grounded, and always one conversation away from the next big shift.

I use LinkedIn maybe 20 minutes a week, in the Adelaide Property Investors Hub. It has approximately 3,200 members and what makes me stay is the raw data that people post. You get to see real settlement documents, loan arrangements, and service breakdowns. Last month, one of them posted stating that they were going to fund a 680k Prospect renovation with the help of an equity release and building loans, and then provided a list of rate options with four lenders. Such information simply does not appear in your average property content.

On my part, having 17 years of experience in this line of work, I am able to identify what is worth attention. This group provides me with immediate intelligence on which lenders are withdrawing their support from certain postcodes, the changed serviceability requirements, and what APRA is doing under the radar before it goes to press. I believe that is the reason why I refer clients there. They even get to observe how individuals with serious portfolios ponder their next moves. The discussions are technical in nature, they are fast, and frankly speaking, you walk away with information that is better than what you would find in a packaged industry report.

I use social media to explore slow living and sustainable design. These topics connect deeply with my work as an interior designer and how I want to lead my life. Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok are my favorite platforms. I like how these channels have evolved into digital sketchbooks where I collect design ideas about texture, form, and everyday rituals that make every space I work on feel calm and intentional.

Slow Interiors Inspiration is one of my favorite communities on Instagram. It is a community of designers and homeowners who cherish long-lasting value over disposable trends. The conversations here remind me that thoughtful and intentional design isn’t about filling rooms but creating space for life to unfold. That philosophy aligns perfectly with how I approach design and leadership in my business.

I use social media to explore both business strategy and personal finance, and one account that has been especially valuable is Money with Katie. Her content offers a practical, straightforward approach to financial planning and long-term wealth building. It has helped shape the way I think about budgeting and marketing strategy at Pontoon Plaza Storage.

Her insights on cash flow, automation, and return on investment have influenced how I approach decisions like ad spending, pricing, and upgrades to the facility. For example, when we planned out capital improvements like new security cameras and masonry work, I applied budgeting principles I picked up from her content to ensure the upgrades made financial sense long term.

One community I would recommend is the Money with Katie Wealth Builders Facebook group. It is filled with business owners, professionals, and side hustlers who are focused on building long-term financial stability. The conversations are practical and supportive, and it is a great space to learn from others who are thinking intentionally about money and business growth.

With social media, interests and hobbies can be pursued with a broader reach and a fuller experience. For instance, social media helped me learn more about home audio and soundbars, as well as the more intricate gear within the tech community. Reddit and certain Facebook groups enabled me to connect with other enthusiasts and learn about the latest trends and gear. These communities are also good at mixing simple, beginner-friendly guidance with advanced, expert-level directions.

The Reddit Audiophile community is a standout choice. It is famous for being a space where newcomers to the community and also the more experienced audiophiles can freely share and exchange ideas, tips, reviews, and audio builds without gatekeeping. The more experienced audiophiles help and encourage the newcomers to improve their setups and discover the more advanced and modern audio tech, cultivating a sense of community and belonging. If someone wants to learn about sound technology, this is the best and most comprehensive community to join and participate in.

Social media is a community in itself with the unique ability to encourage interest development and collaboration more than ever before.

I’m a big crochet lover, and I found Reddit to be a great place to go for tips, advice, and just plain old community building. There are various related subreddits you can join, and it’s just great to see what a supportive community it is. I started crocheting to deal with stress at work, and feeling welcomed by this community truly pushed me to continue and progress.

Honestly, I use social media as a bit of a rabbit hole for my interests. Whenever I get curious about something, say, photography, design, or cooking, I’ll dive into niche corners of Instagram or Reddit where people share real, unfiltered stuff. That’s where you find the best ideas and conversations.

I can’t really name a specific group since everyone’s interests are different, but whenever I’m looking for a good community to dive into, I usually head to Reddit. It’s one of the few places where you can find genuinely active and helpful people around almost any topic imaginable. There’s always a subreddit full of people who actually care and know what they’re talking about.

I use social media to dive deeper into my hobby, which is golf. The r/golf community on Reddit has been one of the best finds for learning, sharing tips, and just talking with people who love the game.

It’s not about being a pro; it’s about improving a little each time and enjoying the process.

Social media can be noisy, but when you use it to connect with people who share your passion, it turns into something positive. For me, it’s a place to learn, laugh, and stay motivated.