IRL Community Building & -Marketing by Gerrit Dokter
Hi, I’m Gerrit Dokter. I build in-real-life communities that connect Gen Z & Y offline, and I help brands run IRL marketing that sparks genuine human connection.
Why? Because loneliness is at an all-time high.
In Germany, 50% of young people feel lonely.
In the U.S., 1 in 2 adults report the same.
Gen Z is the loneliest generation yet.
It’s not just “the phone”, it’s the lack of third spaces (as city sociologist Ray Oldenburg put it) where people can gather, connect, and belong.
The problem is bigger than any single person can solve. That’s why I share my expertise here on Substack: to equip and inspire the next wave of IRL community builders. When I started, I couldn’t find a single expert resource in this niche, so I created the one I wish I had.
What you’ll find here:
Best practices for creating strong, lasting communities
Trends shaping the future of social connection
Actionable solutions to combat loneliness, online and off
If you care about building real connections: in your city, your circle, or your brand.
This is for you.
Why subscribe to IRL Insights: a paid IRL Community Building and -marketing Substack?
It’s a fair question. After all, the internet is overflowing with free advice. You can Google almost anything, and AI can spit out quick answers in seconds.
But IRL Insights isn’t about generic information. It’s about context-rich, field-tested insights you won’t find in a search bar.
When you subscribe, you’re not just buying “content.” You’re investing in:
Depth over noise → Thoughtful analysis that cuts through the clutter.
Trends into action → Ideas that don’t just inform but help you do.
Lived expertise → Lessons from real-world experience, not just scraped data.
This newsletter is for people who want clarity, not overwhelm. For builders and thinkers who know that sharper ideas come from someone who’s been in the trenches, not just indexed the theory.
Yes, I share free posts so you can get a feel for the voice and quality. But the real value lives behind the paywall, where I share the tools, frameworks, and mental models I don’t publish anywhere else.
If you’re serious about growing your personal, professional, and IRL community impact, this is for you.
👉 Start with the monthly plan to test the fit. Most subscribers stick around and upgrade to annual—for better value and steady access.
