Tribe Building

10 Steps to Marketing in a Tribe

Marketing in a tribe is great way to boost sales, increase awareness and earn word of mouth evangelism.  This 10 step list is proven.  I’ve successfully marketed products this way and I’ve seen many other people and businesses successfully market this way.

1)  Forget everything you think you know about marketing.

2)  Locate a tribe with members who would benefit from purchasing your product/service.  For example, if you’re in the gun safe business, a tribe of passionate firearms enthusiasts is where you need to be.

3)  Join the tribe.

4)  Don’t attempt to “market” anything.  If the tribe meets in an online forum, don’t even put your business website on your signature.  You’ll be seen as a spammer and you’ll never truly become a member of the tribe.  Other tribe members and leaders won’t allow it.  Regular marketing in a tribe is a big “no no”.  If the tribe has a “profile page”, it’s okay to list your business and what you do.  The important thing is that the tribe members don’t view you as a someone marketing a product.

5)  Make quality contributions to the tribe in areas unrelated to your business (i.e. Start discussions, respond to discussions in a meaningful way, etc.).

6)  Make connections with other tribe members.  Find a few tribe members you resonate with and make a conscious effort to connect with them.

7)  After you’ve been accepted into the tribe, it will be inevitable that tribe members ask what you do - or what business you’re in.  Only now, is it wise to tell them your business (no sales pitches).  If curious, perhaps they’ll check out your “profile page” and learn it from there.

8)  When you see a discussion that’s somewhat relevant to your business - contribute to that discussion with facts (not sales attempts).  Facts about the product/service are needed.  That's probably why the discussion was started.  NO sales pitches.

9)  Eventually, word will get around to other tribe members that you’re in the “whatever” business.  That's okay, because you're now an accepted tribe member - not just someone trying to make a sale.

10)  At this point, the tribe has accepted you as a member and a few of the members know what you do.  If you’ve been a good tribe member, other tribe members will view you as a “trusted expert” in your business and they’ll be coming to you for recommendations.  Remember, trust is very important, so even at this point it’s not wise to try and make a sale.  Only present the facts.  More often than not, the other tribe members will come to you and choose your product if it meets their needs.

Aside from my own endeavors, one of the best examples I’ve seen of this kind of marketing occurs everyday in a firearms enthusiast tribe.   This tribe meets in an online forum.  One of the members happens to be in the gun safe business.  In fact, he’s a gun safe expert.  The key is that he’s NOT there to market.  He’s a member of the tribe, just like me.  However, anytime there’s a discussion about gun safes, you can bet he’s participating by talking facts (NOT marketing).  In the eyes of the tribe members, he’s a “trusted expert” and many tribe members go to him with their gun safe needs.  He sells many gun safes this way without any traditional marketing.  You can do the same if you follow these ten steps.

Zane Safrit’s BTR Interview of Ed Welch

A few weeks ago, Zane Safrit extended the opportunity to ask some questions about tribes, my ebook list - 101 Ways to Destroy Your Tribe (pdf) and my manifesto on Changethis - Learning to View your Customers as a Powerful Tribe.

If you don’t know Zane, he’s a super nice guy. One of his passions is to create a movement to help change the healthcare system. We all know it needs major changes and I admire his passion and work to get the word out.

When it comes to business, Zane is a lot like me, he wants to see businesses understand the power of tribes and better serve us (the customers).

If you would like to learn a little more about tribes, you can listen to Zane and I talk here. 

Enjoy! And a special thanks to Zane for taking the time to visit with me.

Tribes vs Communities

What’s the difference between a tribe and a community? The short answer? Passion. Tribe leaders are very passionate about “something.” Their passion is contagious, drawing followers into their tribes.

Tribe members are passionate as well - at least passionate enough to care about something and take action. It’s this passion that draws the members of the tribe together with tribe leaders.

Communities are more of a “gathering place”, they’re sort of stagnant. Communities are formed from common interests of community members. Great tribes are in motion, looking to accomplish or prove something.  It’s true that online tribes need a place to gather, but they’re usually on a mission. Often, you’ll find tribes within communities.  In fact, it could be argued that most online tribes come from within communities.  But, not everyone in the community will be a tribe member.

In Oklahoma, you’ll find two distinct sports tribes - Oklahoma Sooner fans and Oklahoma State Cowboy fans. These two tribes have been at war, both on the sports field and off, for nearly a century. The most passionate fans are out to prove their teams (programs) are best. Many of the tribe members degrade and ridicule one another.

What makes these people tribe members is the passion they share for the success of their sports programs. They wear their schools colors and logos with pride. Make no mistake, these people are serious. When an O-State fan ventures into the hangout of the Sooner tribe (i.e. OUHoops) - they’re often treated quite poorly. Same goes for Sooner fans venturing into O-State tribal territory (i.e. Orangepower).

What’s the takeaway?  Look for tribes within communities, but don't assume that a community is a tribe.  Great tribes are formed by people with expertise, desire and passion, but don't place too much emphasis on expertise.

Am I a Member of a Tribe?

Sure.  Everyone is a member of many tribes.  Sometimes being a tribe member is as simple as feeling associated with particular people (political party, etc.).  Other times, tribal membership requires a barrier to entry (initiation, etc.) 

When you’re feeling an association with certain people, you’re probably a member of a tribe.  Consider these examples:

- You really like Barack Obama, you agree with his ideas and find yourself feeling connected to others who support him.  Although you’ve never met him or his supporters, you’re in the Obama Tribe.

- You feel strongly about your 2nd Amendment rights.  You feel there are too many gun control laws already.  You want more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens and less guns in the hands of criminals.  You’re in the gun rights tribe.

- Here’s a more traditional tribe.  You’re a member of a church.  You’re a member of that particular “tribe”.  You’re connected to the Church leader and the other members.

- Here’s a less obvious, but very large tribe.  You love Diet Pepsi.  You identify better with others who like Diet Pepsi and wonder how anyone can possibly drink that “other stuff”.  You’re in the Diet Pepsi Tribe.   

- Tribes are everywhere and they’re here to say.  What makes them so important now is the Net.  An explosion of tribes have formed on the Net.  If you use the Net, you’re probably a member of many tribes that wouldn’t have been possible without it.

Connections.....Can you please elaborate?

Pam asks:  "Can you elaborate a little more about connections as you use the word in your tribes manifesto?"

When thinking about connections and tribes, it's important to remember there are varying degrees of connections.  Some are loose, others are strong and everything in between.

However, we are all connected in one way or another.  What defines a tribe is being connected to each other, a leader and an idea.  That idea can be a product, a website, a business, a concept, a political party, etc.

You need not even know someone in order to make/have a connection with them.  For example, Pam asked this question, I'm now politely responding via this blog post - thus, we have a "connection".  My hope is that when she reads this response, Pam recognizes the connection and retains it in the future.  Perhaps she'll continue to read this blog?  Maybe she'll read future ebooks I write.  Regardless, it's important to realize the subtleties of connections and the importance of those connections in the business world.  If I were to have ignored Pam, she might walk away with a negative opinion of me, never read (or refer) my blog, etc.  When you think of the positive word-of-mouth I lose - that's a HUGE wasted opportunity.

From almost any perspective, a positive connection leads to good things.  With the Net and tools like Twitter, tribes and connections are inevitable. 

Connections and Feelings

At one time or another, everyone is a customer and everyone has feelings. In case you haven’t noticed, people are generally driven by their feelings.

Successful businesses (and people) are able to establish connections that generate good feelings in other people and themselves. Think about it, when you walk away from a business transaction with good feelings, don’t you feel more connected to the business?

So here’s the big question: If you’re looking to build a successful business, why would you ever engage in a transaction with a customer (or potential customer) that didn’t stimulate good feelings in that customer? The answer, of course, is that you would never want to do that.  Right?

If you would like to learn more about the power of connections and how those connections relate to the concept of tribes, check out my newly published manifesto on ChangeThis.com.

http://www.changethis.com/55.04.CustomerTribes

Enjoy!

What’s Your Tribe’s WHY?

A “TRIBE” has three dimensions.

THE PAST: A shared “ancestry” or origin that is based on parentage (physical or intellectual).

THE PRESENT: A proximate association sustained by interests, passions, and shared visions or purpose.

THE FUTURE: What sets a tribe apart from others is an “agenda,” the progress collectively made toward a shared goal. An agenda that is implicitly, if not explicitly, voiced. One that every tribe member is aware of. One driven by the guiding purpose, or spirit, of the tribe. And one that will guard against sudden (or even gradual) attrition.

In 1997, I communicated by email with a tribe of over 15,000 people interested in heart health and disease prevention. By 1999, the tribe had dispersed.

What went wrong?

Our tribe grew by accident, with no clear purpose or plan. But as it grew, new demands appeared, which involved time and expense. We found no way to cover those costs. Repeated attempts at requesting small payments or trying product sales that paid a referral commission didn’t work, primarily because it wasn’t part of the tribal culture.

If we had clearly defined the “WHY” for our tribe, we might have easily solved the problem.

 

 

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian

Tribes Questions and Answers ebook

A few members of Triibes.com worked together to produce an awesome ebook filled with questions and answers about the concept of tribes.  Download Tribes Q&A ebook here.

Since August of this year, Triiibes members have been submerged in the concept of tribes.  We’ve been receiving a “tribal education”.  If you haven’t read it already - visit this page about tribes  - where you can purchase a great book written by Seth Godin  - about tribes and leadership.

The Q&A ebook builds upon and expands the concepts in Seth’s book.  It’s a must read and reference for anyone seeking to learn more about tribes.

Although a number of Triiibes members participated in the creation of this ebook, one member deserves a hearty pat on the back for her leadership and commitment to the goal of creating a fantastic ebook.  That person is Megan Elizabeth Morris.

Anyone familiar with Seth Godin understands that he operates in the realm of “remarkable”.  He likes to see us "raise the game".  Not only did Megan take the lead on this project, she led us and created the process at the same time - Megan "raised the game".

In addition to her work, I would also like to thank the Triiibes members who contributed to the ebook and thank Seth Godin for making all of this possible with his visionary leadership.

Last, but not least, another Triiibes member - Paul Durban - is a creative genius and he designed the ebook.  Be sure to check out his creation - Bolofeesh - for a great laugh during a stressful day. 

Ancient Secrets

Want your ideas to spread?  Would you like to see corporate America embrace your great ideas and pay you as thanks?

The obstacle:  Most people and organizations HATE change.  They avoid the “new and promising” like the plague – while embracing the “old way” to the grave.

The Solution: My friend and wonderful Triiibes member, Becky Blanton , taught me a great lesson the other day:

New ideas aren’t really all that new.  In fact, most “great new ideas” are simply new ways of applying old ideas – usually across industries.

What’s critical?  Since most people and organizations hate change - but love to embrace strategies and processes with a history of success (what Marcos calls “ancient secrets” – we need to tell our “new idea story” in a way people will truly listen to us (with an open mind).

Don’t attempt to “sell” your new idea as a new idea.  Find out how your “great new idea” has been successfully applied in the past – but not named as such.  Sure, you might not be able to find an exact match – but you get the idea.  Present your idea in a way that highlights its history of success. 

Example:  The concept (tribes and leadership) behind Seth Godin’s new book – Tribes - isn't new.  Tribes have existed as long as people.  Understanding tribes in the context of businesses and modern social behavior on the internet is completely new.  When you look at the concept of tribes & leadership in relation to a business such as SouthWest Airlines – tribal concepts applied to business are revealed - even if SouthWest doesn’t realize it.  This is an example of an ancient secret applied today.

You are right. I screwed up. I'm sorry.

Seth posted a very short, but critical lesson about growing a tribe (and more).  The power in this one sentence is awesome:  “You are right.  I screwed up.  I’m sorry.”

However, here’s the key to applying it wisely:

Use this apology when the OTHER party believes it’s true, NOT just when you believe it’s true.  We have an amazing way of justifying our actions such that we believe “it” was someone else’s fault.  But, that doesn’t help much – even if we’re right - does it?

When leading my tribe of customers, I’ve found that using that one statement not only smoothes over a difficult situation, but usually results in a great relationship with the customer.  What more could I ask for?

I’m not suggesting you be fake and use it as a manipulative tool; however, I am suggesting that you use it even if you don’t believe you were in the wrong.  Why?  Because leaders do what’s necessary to lead and maybe you really are wrong. 

By saying you’re sorry, people actually believe you care about them – and the connections resulting from your caring are critical to building (strengthening) relationships necessary for your success – a basic tribe building necessity.

Try it, you might be surprised by the response.