The success of your personal brand or your business is not based on the vanity metrics of your social media following, but by engaging with an audience who is aligned with your vision and by having a quality tribe following. Attaining this requires looking at your audience from a lens of compatibility versus quantity.
First I would like to clarify the difference between list building and tribe building:
Many marketers use tribe and audience list interchangeably, and they might be similar in some ways, but in business reality, they are completely different.
The basic shape of List Building is simply getting people on a list. Many brands do that through their loyalty programs or by buying-off existing lists for their target markets. Some small businesses, consultancies or entrepreneurs build their lists personally using their owned websites and through free offerings in the beginning, giving them a chance to plan sales offering in the future.
On the other hand, in business terms, tribe building is taking that one step further, filtering that list to build a more condensed one of people who really care about what you do and what you have to offer. Through marketing your messaging, you create a tribe to make people feel special, “in the know” and build a community, surrounded by other like-minded people who have similar goals. Some major brands curate a VIP tribe list, while small business owners, entrepreneurs, and coaches might create that tribe through a members-only page on their site or closed groups on social media.
Creating a devoted following that you really want to foster help entrepreneurs and brands standout in a crowded market.
To build your tribe and nurture them into becoming loyal customers, here are 10 steps to help you kick-start this critical process:
ONE: CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WHAT YOUR BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT
Describe your business mission, what problems you solve and what differentiates you from others. This will help you to define and identify your target audience.
TWO: LEARN FROM PEOPLE YOU ADMIRE
Studying the profiles and approach of people you admire will give you inspiration and structure.
THREE: FIND YOUR TRIBE
One of the best places to find and connect with people you’re interested to foster relationship with is social media. Get to know your following to find the tribe-worthy ones between them.
FOUR: LISTEN
Use social media to listen to your potential tribe members. What are their questions? What problems do they face? What challenges they need to conquer? Listening will help you create the solutions.
FIVE: BE AUTHENTIC
Interaction is key. Hard sells simply don’t work in such context. Ease into conversations, subscribe into groups, and build a dialogue before you invite people to your platforms or to your in-person events.
SIX: ASK & LEARN
Always ask for feedback, get their input on what you offer and find out what is liked and what is not.
SEVEN: VALUE YOUR TRIBE’S TIME AND ATTENTION
Remember that quality matters.
EIGHT: BE GENEROUS IN YOUR OFFERING
Always give value and support the growth of individuals in your tribe.
NINE: USE TECHNOLOGY
Identify loyal followers, clients and customers and connect with them individually. There are many software or programs for this purpose.
TEN: CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Be present, accessible and active.
Your work and hard efforts deserves to be seen by more people. Cultivate those relationships and invest in your tribe.
xo, Rana
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