4 Ways to Build Your Tribe

Marketing (Advertising) is obviously not dead, but, in the social media world, it has morphed.

The new marketing of today is tribe-building .

• Marketing (Advertising) is no longer about interrupting the marketplace with your media messages. It is about two-way conversation—in other words, engagement.
• Marketing (Advertising) is no longer about retail distribution and sales (generating transactions). It is about building relationships.
• Marketing (Advertising) is no longer about exploiting a market for your own benefit. It is about serving those who share your passion—for your mutual benefit.

A tribe only has two requirements:

1. A shared interest
2. A way to communicate.

4 Ways to Build a Tribe:

1. Discover your passion. Marketing is the act of sharing enthusiasm. It’s as simple as that. For example, Dave Ramsey fans—Dave has built a huge and immense tribe of people who are passionate about getting out of debt and taking control of their money. It borders on religious fervor. No wonder. His philosophy has given hope to millions. And it all began when he discovered his passion for getting people out of debt.
2. Volunteer to lead. This is the foundation of a tribe. Without a tribal leader, you don’t have a tribe. You only have a crowd. Leading people who already want to follow is what marketing is really about . They just need a leader to take them where they already want to go.
3. Be generous. The old marketing was about scarce shelf space, limited air time, getting picked by a producer, and taking.  Well, with more channels and places to be seen and heard, it turns out, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (see Acts 20:35) is a brilliant marketing strategy. When you lead by serving and by giving, people follow.
4. Provide a way to communicate. People need a way to communicate (social networking sites, networking events, parties, workshops, concerts, and etc.). They need a way to share their stories. In Tribes, Seth outlines four kinds of tribal leadership. If you’re serious about building a tribe, you have to provide for all four kinds of communication.
   • Tribe leader to tribe member.
   • Tribe member to tribe leader.
   • Tribe member to tribe member.
   • Tribe member to outsiders.

The real problem is no longer whether or not a TV producer, or record label or publishing company or magazine editor will pick you out of the crowd and market your service or product and give you the visibility you need to succeed. It is really about whether or not you are willing to provide leadership to a tribe who shares your passion.