The golden era of buying Instagram ads and hoping for the best is over. Customer acquisition costs have tripled whilst engagement rates plummet. Smart operators are abandoning the chase for viral moments and focusing instead on building tight-knit communities of regulars who actually show up. From WhatsApp groups to run clubs, from streetwear collabs to Discord servers, the venues thriving in 2026 understand a simple truth: 100 fanatics beat 10,000 followers every time.