I was reading a post by MaryPat Kavanagh on the 3 reasons why business owners would want to add social networking to their marketing strategy:
- Visibility
- Credibility
- Cash Flow
All great reasons, but I would add one more – community. I’m not a huge fan of the word, but creating a place where you belong is another reason why business owners should add social networking to their marketing mix.
I read Seth Godin’s book called Tribes over the weekend. He states that every tribes needs a leader. It’s by leading a tribe, you build visibility, credibility and eventually, cash flow.
By thinking about your community as a tribe, it forces you to lead by encouraging connections, sharing a story and creating an experience. As you get used to giving, sharing and helping, your tribe can’t help but raise your visibility for you and vouch for your credibility.
The result of all this is a cash flow that is effortless. No hard sells, no smarmy marketing tricks. Just a group of people who look to you for advice, follow your lead and share your story to others.
My advice is to focus first on building a community. You can do this by starting a blog or starting your free profile on Twitter or Facebook. Share your story, create an experience and give away your advice. Or, as Seth says in his book:
“Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.”
Nice post Leesa,
I have been building the NewPath Network since 2001. Building a tribe, community, a close group of peers is not easy. You actually have to accomplish something real, tangible and valuable for your tribe to make it stick. Tribes are created based on behavior, not personality.
I am sure Seth sets the tribe principle on its head a bit in his book (disclosure: I haven’t read it), but the original Tribe goes back many thousands of years. It has hierarchies and different levels of priesthood. Certain members get to participate more than others in the tribe.
This happens now as well but due to the chaotic nature of media, the attention given to traditional tribalism is much more fragmented. And tribes are much more transient with people belonging in different levels of commitment to multiple tribes. That doesn’t seem traditionally tribal — tribes fight and try to destroy each other. Hopefully modern tribes don’t. Probably because there is not as much at stake.
Once there is more at stake, watch out, we will actually have real tribes like in times past, with modern tools and weapons to organize.
Hi Leesa
I couldn’t agree more! I just finished my day job where I am used to lots of people and lots of talking and am now going it alone. FB and twitter helps me to remember all the other great people out there doing the same thing – and to get in touch with them easily!