Building a successful business isn’t about creating solutions and then pushing those solutions in front of an audience. The key is to build a tribe – a group of eager fans who feel like they’re part of your community, part of something bigger than themselves. And this is easier than ever to do with social media.
Check out these four tips and tricks for building your tribe on social media platforms…
Tip #1. Give Your Tribe Members A Name
You want your tribe members to have a sense of belonging, and one good way to do that is by giving them a name.
For example, members of the “Wedding Bee” community are referred to as Bees. New members feel instantly welcomed when they’re referred to as a “Bee,” and longtime members use this reference with a sense of pride.
Members of the Greater Omaha Area Trailrunners are called “GOATz” and proudly identify as a member of the group (even wearing gear, displaying car stickers, and so forth).
Tip #2. Know Where Your Tribe Congregates
Many business owners make the mistake of bringing their tribe members to certain platforms because they see anyone else doing it. You’ll do much better if you figure out where your tribe members are already gathering, and then you go to them on that specific platform.
This means you’ll need to do a little research to see if your members gather on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or some other platform. But it’s well worth the investment of your time, as it’s easier to build a tribe on social media if you’re doing it on a platform that your audience is already visiting regularly.
Tip #3. Root Out the Influencers
As you interact with your audience, you’re going to quickly realize there are certain people who almost always share your content, like it, and/or comment on it. These people are your influencers (or advocates). It’s a good idea to start developing personal relationships with your influencers because they’ll greatly benefit you whenever you want the content to reach large audiences and build trust. This tactic is great for eCommerce products.
For example, the next time you launch a product, you can give your influencers an advance copy of the product. You might even ask them to be “beta users” to improve the product. Then when it comes time to launch, your advocates are sure to spread the word on social media and beyond.
Tip #4. Give Tribe Members Perks
Another way to make tribe members feel special is to give them perks and bonuses for becoming a member of your tribe (which may be as simple as “liking” your social media page).
Here are examples of members-only perks:
- Access to a private group, such as a secret Facebook group.
- A valuable freemium, such as a report, video, or access to a membership site.
- Free tips, tricks, and other content that non-members don’t receive. (Having a private group in place makes it easy for you to deliver this free content.)
And whatever else you can think of to make members feel special.
Conclusion: Surefire Ways to Build Your Tribe Using Social Media
Doing business online isn’t product-centered. It’s people-centered. And that’s why you’ll want to use the above tips and tricks to start building your tribe using social media.
