| Introduction | | | | significant when you consider the nearly limitless |
| In part one of this series, Tribes in Today's | | | | aspects of life that we all have in common. Most of |
| Marketing, we established a foundational | | | | us get haircuts, wear shoes, do laundry, watch TV, |
| understanding of what tribes are, how and why they | | | | pay utility bills, buy groceries, own cars, improve our |
| form, how they've evolved and how this has | | | | homes, raise children - the list goes on almost |
| redefined the marketplace. | | | | indefinitely. |
| Now we turn our attention to how business growth | | | | For all of these things, we rely on our tribes of |
| is achieved today by identifying, understanding, joining | | | | family, co-workers and neighbors for helpful advice |
| and, in due time, leading the tribes that are relevant | | | | and recommendations. As a result, small businesses |
| to your business and your bottom line. | | | | have a tremendous opportunity to thrive within these |
| Identify your tribe | | | | tribes if they know where and how to find them. |
| When you are marketing your product or service, | | | | The answer is social media. |
| you strive to understand your target audience. | | | | For example, if someone has a wonderful experience |
| Certainly you can map out the usual demographic | | | | with a local mechanic, they don't log in to and |
| variables - age, gender, income and location. These | | | | evangelize for Mike the Mechanic. They do, however, |
| are easy to understand, but to participate and | | | | tweet about the great service they received. They |
| ascend to leadership in your tribe, you need more. | | | | might even take this one step further and make Mike |
| Chances are, your tribe doesn't exist around your | | | | a member of their online community by connecting |
| direct offering in and of itself - either specifically | | | | themselves with his business page on Facebook and |
| around your brand or even your product or service in | | | | sharing his website with friends living nearby. |
| the generic sense. | | | | In fact, it is not uncommon for the genesis of an |
| More than likely, your tribe will coalesce around an | | | | interest-based tribe to start with relationship-based |
| idea or value that surrounds your product - whether | | | | tribes talking about a brand and sharing its message. |
| it's the convenience it provides or the aspect of a | | | | In other words, if you connect with members of 50 |
| lifestyle that it affords. | | | | family-based tribes, inevitably these people will |
| If you sell golf clubs, the task of identifying your tribe | | | | connect to form their own community, and your |
| is fairly straightforward. Your tribe is passionate | | | | message will begin to spread virally, feeding off of its |
| about golf, about improving their game and about | | | | own momentum to foster the growth of an |
| having the latest in golfing technology. | | | | interest-based tribe. |
| Perhaps you're an organic grocer. Your tribe is | | | | Become a member of the tribe |
| comprised of people who are conscientious about | | | | Membership doesn't begin the day you start |
| good health and nutrition and about supporting | | | | participating in the conversation. You must earn the |
| farmers who grow more natural, healthful foods. | | | | respect of the tribe in order to become one of them. |
| These are the people that are ready to take your | | | | Don't come in and immediately start selling, or you'll |
| message and set it on fire. | | | | be ousted swiftly and permanently. Better yet, don't |
| However, many times the tribes that drive | | | | even start by speaking. Listen first and gain insight |
| organizations and their products operate at a | | | | into the culture within. |
| different level. | | | | Most tribes have evolved over many years and have |
| If you own the corner coffee shop, you most | | | | developed their own rules, perspectives and goals, |
| certainly have something to offer the tribe of people | | | | and building credibility requires an appreciation of |
| who appreciate good coffee. But perhaps the | | | | these nuances. Read through past conversations to |
| atmosphere of your shop taps into the passions of a | | | | understand the history and the passion surrounding |
| tribe that aspires to lead a cosmopolitan lifestyle. If | | | | the issues. Learn what's funny, what's serious, what's |
| you sell fair trade coffee, your products might appeal | | | | cliché, what's typical, what people want and what |
| to an entirely different tribe - one that is sensitive to | | | | turns them off. |
| geopolitical issues. | | | | When you do start participating, the one and only |
| Many times, tribes are about a state of mind. They | | | | rule that applies is to be real. Don't approach the |
| are comprised of people who live a certain way and | | | | conversation as a self-motivated, faceless corporate |
| who care about certain things. In this way, the | | | | salesperson. Come to serve the tribe and its goals. |
| challenge is not so much about analyzing | | | | Be yourself - a person with a budget, family, needs, |
| demographics but identifying those whose shared | | | | problems and passions just like everyone else. |
| passions align with yours. | | | | If you are in the business of doing what you love |
| Locate your tribe | | | | and you believe in what you do, then talk about it |
| Tribes are never static. They exist with purpose. | | | | honestly when the time is right without bias or |
| They are living life and solving problems. In order to | | | | agenda. You must become a trusted member of the |
| continue being relevant to and meeting the needs of | | | | tribe before you can begin leading it. |
| their members, they must evolve. This requires a | | | | Rule the tribe |
| platform - if not multiple platforms - where they can | | | | The process and path to tribe leadership is unique for |
| meet, discuss and debate ideas, share news and | | | | each community. However, all tribe leaders posses |
| continue the ongoing conversation around their | | | | certain qualities that allow them to ascend to the top. |
| passions. | | | | They are fearless. They are innovators. They |
| They're on message boards; they're talking in forums; | | | | challenge the status quo. But, above all, they have |
| they're in the blogosphere; they're connecting with | | | | built a consistent reputation on standing for the tribe. |
| each other on Twitter. In some cases, they're even | | | | As time goes on, after you have proven that you |
| gathering and meeting in person. | | | | are driven first and foremost by the advancement of |
| Most of the time the communities that you are | | | | the tribe, you'll gain footing as more than just |
| looking for are not centered in one place, and there's | | | | another trusted, non-biased member. The tribe wants |
| rarely an obvious sign that reads, "This community | | | | to know that you're listening and leading. They want |
| lives here." If you sell coffee, you can't just go to | | | | to know that someone is there who genuinely cares |
| and find people who are talking about how much | | | | about meeting their needs. If you can earn that level |
| they love coffee. However, if you've identified your | | | | of trust with them, they will not only buy from you |
| tribe as well as their passions, needs, wants and | | | | every time, they will spread your message like no |
| fears, it's a lot easier to find them. | | | | marketing campaign ever could. |
| Interest-based tribes vs. relationship-based tribes | | | | This is where tribe leadership truly runs contrary to |
| So far our focus has been primarily on interest-based | | | | business models rooted in decades of traditional |
| tribes, which form when people connect around a | | | | marketing. |
| shared passion. However, social media allows for a | | | | Today, it is more important to be trusted than to sell. |
| new type of connection and thus a new type of | | | | Tribes are founded on trust, and trust cannot be |
| tribe - one that forms based on how its members | | | | achieved with the tactics of old marketing. It is true |
| know each other, whether through work, family or | | | | that tribe leadership and direct selling can both |
| location. | | | | generate sales revenue - at least in the short term. |
| These organically created tribes are not bound by | | | | However, while gaining the trust of your tribe is the |
| any one common interest but rather by the shared | | | | more indirect path, in the end, the organization that |
| goals and interests of life that are relevant to us all. | | | | makes a long-term investment in tribe leadership will |
| We turn to these tribes for help getting things done, | | | | ultimately achieve the greatest number of sales and |
| for solutions to everyday problems and for guidance | | | | claim ownership of the market. |
| to improve the quality of our lives and the lives of | | | | In part three of this series, we'll cover how the |
| those around us. | | | | influence of tribes extends beyond promotion and |
| Relationship-based tribes and local business | | | | actually shapes how business itself evolves around |
| The power of these types of tribes is fairly | | | | the tribe. |