It’s over and the champions have received their trophy. Their first one, actually. On Sunday, February 7, 2010, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Colts were favored to win the game. Analysts said that Peyton Manning and the Colts offense couldn’t be stopped but they were wrong. When the clock hit 0:00, the Saints began partying and the Colts caught a flight home.

So, how did the Saints do it and what does a football team have to do with you and your business? The Saints had the winning formula and if you know the formula, you can be just as successful.

Determination

The Saints found themselves in a 10-0 quickly after the game started. The Colts were explosive on offense and playing ruthless defense. But the Saints didn’t call it quits.

No matter what your situation, having determination can prove to be a vital aspect of success. If you look at any great individual – Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Margaret Thatcher – you will find determination. Lincoln failed at many of his professions before becoming president. Edison failed to create the lightbulb the first 1,000 times he tried. Thatcher’s decisions were publicly criticized every day she was in office. Did that stop them from being great? No, and your failures or set backs or critics shouldn’t stop you or your company.

The Saints held on and prevailed in Super Bowl XLIV. You will prevail, too.

Risks

The Saints didn’t play a textbook game by any means. On fourth and goal right before halftime, they elected to go for the touchdown instead of an easy three points. They ran a reverse play that lost seven yards. They did an onside kick to open the second half. Without their risks, the Saints would have let the championship slip away.

It’s pretty tempting to play it safe. It’s easy to go for the field goal when you could try for the touchdown. But, if you play it safe, you will never know you’re full potential. How can you know what works best if you don’t try new things? Analysis and research will only get you so far. At some point and time, you will need to decide if you should play it conservatively or risk it. If you play it conservative, you won’t lose anything. Then again, you won’t gain anything either.

The New Orleans Saints knew they weren’t going to beat the Colts playing it safe. Some of their risks went in their favor and some didn’t. But, in the end, they found greatness and glory.

Passion

If you compared the game play of a Colts and a Saints player, you would probably notice that the Saints player had more passion. He had more pep in his step. I’m not saying the Colts didn’t care about the game because they most certainly did but they weren’t playing at the same level as the Saints.

Whether you’re reading this article because you’re looking to improve your business or your personal life, you need passion. Do the following words describe you at home or at work – lethargic, routine, simple, mellow, standard? If you can safely say that one or more of those words describe you on a regular basis, it’s time for a passion assessment. When you have passion, you will be willing to go the extra mile and you will be engulfed in learning and growing. Consider passion to be the catalyst for determination and taking risks. Without passion, determination and taking risks wouldn’t be possible. Be passionate and everything else will fall into place.

Every member of the Saints had passion during the Super Bowl. The outcome may have been different without it. Consider it an essential element in your personality toolbox. It really can make a difference.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by vancanjay

Let’s face it – Twitter can be a tough marketing tool to manage.  Although messages are only 140 characters, it can be pretty difficult to maintain your brand, let alone your sanity.  In order to make up for these hardships, people take the easy way out and begin to follow a thousand users every day, hoping that once a magic number is reached their troubles will vanish.  Not so much.

The key is to engage your Twitter followers.  It’s a tough task, believe me, but it can be done.  I’m going to give you nine ways to engage your Twitter followers.  If you can successfully manage these nine concepts, you’re well on your way to effective Twitter leadership.

9.  Actively maintain various Twitter lists.

Twitter lists allow for a user to create a list of users who fall into a common category.  A user can create a list for any group of people, including professional athletes, family, and locals.  The key is to create and maintain a variety of Twitter lists.  If a follower sees their name on a list, they are more likely to place your username on one of their lists.  The more lists you’re on, the more publicity you can receive.

8.  Become efficient with hashtags.

Hashtags are statements preceded with the pound sign (#) that usually denote a particular event or feeling.  For example, if you’re attending or watching the Super Bowl, you might use the hashtag #superbowl in your tweets.  Hashtags can be searched and tracked; therefore, increasing your publicity and engagement with other users.

7.  Post useful information.

Although you can tweet about anything you’d like, it would be best if you provided useful information to your followers.  Most people don’t follow someone on Twitter because they like their hair or username.  Usually solid information has something to do with it.  If you veer from posting helpful or thought-provoking information, you will begin to lose followers and the trust of those who continue to follow you.

6.  Follow people who produce valuable content.

This point goes hand-in-hand with number seven.  In Twitterland, quality is far more important than quantity.  Some would argue that when you have more followers, you increase your chances of great PR.  Wrong.  Having a small number of followers whom you can engage with is far better than having 900+ spammers and advertisers on your “Following” list.

5.  Suggest interesting people for others to follow.

If you are following someone who always posts interesting or useful content, recommend them to your followers.  The most popular way to do this is through Follow Fridays.  On Fridays, simply list the interesting users you follow and place the “#FF” or #FollowFriday” hashtag at the end of your tweet.  These hashtags let other users know that you are recommending people for them to follow.  As a general rule of thumb, if someone recommends you, be sure to recommend them at some point.  The more people you recommend, the more people who recommend you.

4.  Don’t be afraid to say “Thanks.”

Make sure that you thank the people you interact with on Twitter.  When you do, this implies a more sincere and genuine relationship, even if you’ve never talked before.  Saying “thank you” is not a bad thing.  In fact, a simple “thank you” for a retweet or a follow can make the difference down the road when someone is purging useless users from their Twitter stream.  Don’t forget your manners.

3.  Use direct messages when necessary.

Direct messages, or DMs, are a great tool to use when interacting with a user about something that shouldn’t be public.  For example, if you are talking to a user about their account settings, you should use DMs and not a simple reply.  Also, DMs make people feel more unique because they aren’t messages posted to the public Twitter stream.  When a user feels unique, the chances that they will stick around and engage with you increase dramatically.

2.  Retweet useful content.

Be sure to retweet useful content you come across on Twitter.  Retweets, or republished tweets, are very important in the Twitter world.  When you retweet, your Twitter followers can learn about information published by other people they may not be following.  It’s kind of like a Follow Friday but for only one user.  This is a great opportunity to show others that you care about what they’re saying and, in turn, they will continue to follow you.

1.  Don’t be shy with your replies.

If you have a reaction, thought, or other useful information to someone’s tweet, reply to them with what you’re thinking.  The ct of replying can start conversation and can lead to many great things (following, lists, partnerships, meetups, etc.).  Don’t be afraid to share your reactions.  That is why people publish content in the first place.

Engaging with people on Twitter is a tough task but if you follow the points above, you should have a firm grasp on the essentials of Twitter leadership.  To learn more about Twitter leadership, check out 21 Days to Twitter Leadership by Joel Mark Witt.  Happy tweeting!

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by spekulator

Throughout the series, we have covered many aspects of growing your tribe.  First, we discussed that knowing yourself, your tribe, and the goals of your tribe was a solid foundation for a successful movement.  Next, we learned that believing in yourself and your tribe is essential.  Without belief, no one will trust you or have passion for your ideas.

Third, we talked about building a community and how it was necessary to find a medium of interaction, encourage connection, and stay out of the way.  The fourth section discussed the idea of persevering through difficult times.  Perseverance consists of keeping the big picture in mind and always striving to move forward.  If you have implemented the ideas of the first four sections, you are well on your way to growing your tribe.

In the final part of the series, we’re going to cover the aspect of growing.  Growing is the final step in the tribe building process.  As you have persevered through difficulties, you have learned a lot about yourself, your tribe, personalities, processes, and much more.  It’s time to put that knowledge to good use.

The growing stage consists of three steps – assessing what you’ve learned, implementing new ideas, and gathering feedback.  Each step is vitally important in the growth process and will allow for your tribe to be successful in the present and in the future.

Assessing What You’ve Learned

It is easy to get caught in the hype of growing a tribe.  It’s a great thing and is definitely something to be excited about.  Although it’s an exhilarating experience, you can’t forget about learning.  Learning is the only way to become a better leader and to grow your tribe.  Whether it is learning from mistakes, personality conflicts, or tribe members, it is necessary to learn.

When talking about growing a tribe, learning is the secret ingredient.  Technically, you and your tribe can make it with an unstable foundation, little belief, and a world of problems.  But, if you don’t learn from all of that, your tribe will cease and your leadership abilities will be compromised.

There are a lot of moving parts to a tribe so I suggest writing down what you have learned.  Writing the information on a piece of paper or typing it in a document will allow for you to reflect on it and keep a record of it.  Plus, it allows for you to just get things out of your overworked mind.

Learn from your successes and failures.  Realize what you have done right and what you could have done better.  When you don’t learn, you don’t thrive.

Implementing New Ideas

Now that you have learned a thing or two about your tribe and how you got to where you are today, it’s time to implement some new ideas or concepts.  When you implement new ideas, you are making a commitment to a greater future for you and your tribe.  What could be better than that?

The first step in implementing new ideas is to associate what you have learned with action steps that can be taken.  An action step is just that – a process that requires action.  For example, “creating a forum on the website” would be an action step.  It’s a process that requires action.  These action steps can be completed by yourself or the tribe.

Be sure to create specific action steps.  If your action steps are vague, it will be difficult to know if you completed them.  An example of a vague action step would be “create a better website.”  How do you know if the website is better?  What makes up a “better website?”

After you have created your action steps, do them.  Don’t wait until next week or next month.  Do them now.  Seth Godin notes in Tribes, “The best time to change your business model is when you have momentum.” (pg. 94).  You have the drive needed to complete your action steps.  If you wait, you will be disappointed that you did.

Gathering Feedback

Once you have completed your action steps, it is time to gather feedback about the changes you have made.  Feedback can sometimes be a tough pill to swallow but you must keep in mind that you are not receiving feedback for the betterment of yourself.  Instead, the feedback you gather is the the betterment of the tribe.  It’s not about you; it’s about them.

When you gather feedback, be sure to actually listen.  As humans, we often “check out” in the middle of a conversation if we don’t like what we are hearing or if we’re distracted.  Don’t check out.  Godin notes, “The secret…is to listen, to value what you hear.” (pg. 128)  Without listening, how do you expect to grow your tribe?

Although you will receive feedback from a variety of sources, I suggest gathering feedback form your tribe before anyone else.  Your tribe members are the individuals fighting the battle with you.  They are the people impacted by the changes you have made.  Their feedback is essential in making the processes, both old and new, work.  After receiving feedback from tribe members, solicit feedback from outsiders, experts and other leaders, if possible.  This will give you a well-rounded idea about the impact your changes have made.

Assessing what you have learned, implementing new ideas, and gathering feedback will enable you to grow yourself and your tribe.  Each process serves its own specific purpose and together, they will allow for you to execute the changes that need to be made in order to better the tribe.  Growing is essential to a tribe.  If you don’t grow, you can’t have an impact.

Series Conclusion

Thank you for journeying with me through this series.  I hope that it has been an eye opener and inspiration for you.  The steps to growing a tribe – knowing, believing, building, persevering, and growing – will be true no matter where you decide to lead.  All that matters is that you have made a commitment to lead.  Remember, we need you to lead us.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about the series, I would love to hear from you.  Feel free to email me or find me on Twitter.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Thiru Murugan

Thus far, we have covered the first three steps in growing your tribe – knowing, believing, and building.  Without these three steps, your tribe would be non-existent or barely hanging on.  If you need a refresher on any of these steps, feel free visit the respective articles before continuing.

Once you have completed the first three steps, it is time to begin persevering.  You’re probably asking, “Why do I need to persevere?”  Well, it’s because you’re going to face adversity, disappointment, and challenges the size of mountains.  If you haven’t encountered the bumpy road yet, count yourself lucky.  However, it’ll come soon enough.

There is good news – difficulties are helpful.  Benjamin Franklin once said, “If it hurts, it instructs.”  We can’t grow and learn if we don’t face difficulties.  Does the student who already knows Geometry learn anything in an Algebra class?  No.  He will learn in a Calculus class when his patience, thinking, and logic are tested.  The same concept is true when you are growing your tribe.  The difficulties within the tribe will ultimately help the tribe in the future.

Also, difficulties make a leader.  In Tribes, Seth Godin states, “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.” (pg. 55)  The discomforts in life allow for a leader to be shaped and sculpted.

When persevering through tough times, it is important to remember the big picture and to always have one foot forward.  These two concepts will help you turn your darkest night into the brightest day.

The Big Picture

I don’t like to use the term “big picture” too often because it’s overused.  But, in this case, I feel it is necessary to use it.  While growing your tribe, knowing the bigger picture is a necessity.  Remember, you are putting your tribe before yourself.  Humility allows for the bigger picture to come into focus.  With humility, you can see how things connect and you can realize that difficulties will turn positive at some point.

Let me warn you – do not bypass resolving an issue because of the belief that it will work itself out in the end.  Such a mindset will only hurt your tribe and it will diminish your movement.  When a difficult situation arises, address the issue, find a solution that works for all parties involved, and persevere.  The bigger picture, the future if you will, is what matters but you will never see it if you don’t address the conflicts of today.

One Foot Forward

Having one foot forward is the second step in persevering.  The last thing you want is to be idle or moving backward.  However, keeping one foot forward is easier said than done.  Moving forward isn’t about routinely choosing one thing over the other; it is about the risk associated with choosing one thing over the other.

You might think the best option is always the choice with the largest amount of risk.  With the largest amount of risk, there is usually a large amount to gain.  However, this isn’t always the case.  The best choice to make when analyzing risk, especially when growing a tribe, is the choice that is most logical in your situation.  Sometimes it is good to take fewer risks and progressively move forward.  Other times, big risks are ultimately better.  Whatever logically makes the most sense and moves you forward, go for it.

Above all else, always make wise decisions but don’t take a passive approach.  If you boycott risks that move your tribe forward, even the small ones, you are hurting yourself and the progress of the movement.  Be bold in your choices.  Reluctance is not perseverance.

Also, you want to get in the habit of consulting your tribe, or at least a few of its trusted members, before making a decision.  This will hold you accountable and show you are the leader to claim to be – trustworthy and humble.

Moving forward prevents stagnation and boredom within your tribe.  In order to grow and to enhance your movement, one foot must always be in from of the other.

Perseverance is a necessary part of growing your tribe.  Conflicts will arise and choices will need to be made.  When persevering, recognize the bigger picture and always progress forward.  Without seeing the bigger picture, your needs are put before the needs of the tribe.  It’s not about you; it’s about them.  As you’re making choices, remember that the question isn’t “How can I move forward?”  The question is “Am I willing to take the risk to move forward?”

When you feel knocked down and hopeless, remember this quote from Godin, “One person with a persistent vision can make change happen.” (pg. 77)  Go.  Lead.  Persevere.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by kk+

In the first two parts of this series, we discussed growing your tribe through knowing and believing.  If you don’t know yourself, your potential tribe, and the goals of the tribe, you won’t have a solid foundation for a productive and active community of followers.  Believing in yourself and in your tribe is essential – without belief, no one will trust you or become a part of your tribe.

The next step to growing your tribe is to build a community.  A community is not just a band of believers or people with a common trait; it is an inspired group of people willing to spread your message without hesitation.  One you have built your community, your tribe will take shape and will begin to grow.

There are three action steps for building your community – establish a medium of interaction, connect, and get out of the way.

Your Medium of Interaction

Before you can establish your tribe, you need to decide the primary method of communication between tribe members.  If you do not have a predetermined method of communication, your tribe will not be able to function as a community.

With the advancement of technology, it’s fairly easy to say that you’ll use the Internet as your medium of interaction.  Before you slate the Internet as your definite source of communication, ask yourself the following questions:

• What aspect of the Internet will my tribe use?  Social networking websites?  Blogs?  Forums?  Email distribution lists?
• Is the Internet really the best form of communication for my tribe?  Is my tribe localized enough to meet in person?  Would conference calls be sufficient for tribe members?

Connect

Connecting is one of the most rewarding aspects about being part of a tribe.  Connection allows for the tribe to freely interact with one another and serve as a role model for people interested in your tribe or becoming a part of another tribe.  Connect with your tribe.  Allow for members to connect with one another.  It’s a staple of your movement.

Get Out of the Way

Out of the three parts of building a community, you’d probably say that this step is the least necessary or the one that doesn’t matter.  Contrary to popular belief, stepping back from your tribe is a very important step in the community building process.

Imagine this: your boss assigns you to a new project.  She tells you to assemble a team of five co-workers and begin immediately.  You assemble your team and begin to work.  Although you’re keeping her informed and asking questions when necessary, she always comes to you and checks in on the status of the project.  She makes sure you’re using the right resources, typing the right information, and meeting deadlines.  You can’t get any work done without her being over your shoulder.

See what it’s like when you don’t step back from your tribe?  You smother your followers, restricting communication and lowering trust.  You actually slow progress when you don’t know when to back off.

This step isn’t a free pass to forget your tribe.  That isn’t the case at all.  There is a fine line between stepping back and walking away.  When you get out of the way of your tribe, you are entrusting them to take initiative and will help along the way if necessary.  Walking away signifies that you don’t want to lead your tribe any longer.

Stepping back builds the character of your tribe members and leads to a stronger community.  When you micromanage and constantly bombard your tribe, you hurt their movement.  As Godin states, “Deciding to lead, not manage, is the critical choice.” (pg. 52)

Building a community allows for you to meet the needs of your followers and enables them to grow inside and outside of the tribe.  Building a strong community will this show that you are a great leader and it will inspire you to continue expand your community.  Remember, the size of your community doesn’t matter; it is the connection that counts.

When building your community of followers, keep in mind what really matters: “Growing a tribe of committed, talented people who are spreading a message of empowerment, respect, and growth.” (pg. 26)

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by

We discussed that the first step in building a tribe was all about knowing – knowing yourself, your potential tribe, and the goals of your tribe.  It is critical to have an understanding of this information because this will serve as the foundation for your tribe.  Without knowing yourself, your tribe, or the goals of your tribe, you will be out of touch with yourself and your followers.

After you have discovered that you display genuine leadership characteristics and that your tribe is waiting, you must believe in your tribe and yourself.  As the leader, if you believe in what you’re doing, your tribe will believe, too.  In his book, Tribes, Seth Godin notes “Tribes are about faith – about belief in an idea and in a community.  And they are grounded in respect and admiration for the leader of the tribe and for the other members as well.” (pg. 9)  Belief goes a long way when establishing your tribe.

Believe in Yourself

In a society that dwells on failures and fallacies, it is sometimes hard to believe in yourself.  All to often, once you believe in yourself, someone calls you out and shatters your high self esteem.  As the leader of a tribe, it is important to always believe in yourself, even when the critics are tearing you down.  How do you expect someone else to buy into your message if you don’t believe what you’re saying?

Individuals often criticize because someone is being different.  This can range from dressing differently to reinventing processes in the office.  Everyone loves to criticize the revolutionaries of our society.

However, revolutionaries are leaders.

Think about this: how do things change?  How does new legislation pass?  How does a new style of music catch on?  How do new company policies take effect?  Everything changes because people are willing to step up, take a risk, and stick around to see what happens.

Godin states, “Heretics must believe.  More than anyone else in an organization, it’s the person who’s challenging the status quo, the one who is daring to be great, who is truly present and not just punching a clock who must have confidence in her beliefs.” (pg. 49, emphasis Godin)”

Commit to yourself and believe in what you’re doing, no matter what the critics are saying.

Believe in Others

After believing in yourself, you must believe in your tribe.  When you believe in your tribe, awesome things happen.  Seemingly impossible tasks are completed and your tribe begins to function as a community.  Belief breaks down barriers.

Although believing in your tribe is essential, it is not enough; you must convey your belief.  Your tribe must feel like they are trusted.  A great way to convey your belief is to have uninhibited communication between the tribe leader and members.  Communication without barriers gives your followers the notion that you trust them and are confident in their ability to function as a tribe.  Once your tribe feels trusted, they will begin to spread the word about your movement and before you know it, your tribe begins to grow.  Without belief in others, your tribe will slowly fade.

Having faith in yourself and others is the second essential step in growing your tribe.  If you don’t believe in yourself, who do you think will believe in you?  If you don’t believe in others, how will your tribe connect and grow?  Belief, simply stated, is the lifeblood of your tribe.  Don’t go without it.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Clearly Ambiguous

Series Introduction

I have been a huge fan of Seth Godin’s Tribes since I picked it up in my local bookstore.  The book is short and to the point with its message: the world needs everyone to be a leader.  Although the book goes into detail about the attributes of a tribe leader, it does not contain instructions for gathering a tribe or leading.  Each tribe is different; therefore, there is not a universal way to gather and lead.

To get us on the same page, we will use Godin’s definition of tribe throughout this series.  He defines tribe as “a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” (pg. 1)

As Godin points out, there are characteristics and qualities that each tribe shares.  I have defined these qualities as knowing, believing, building, persevering, and growing.  I will be expanding on each of the six attributes as the series progresses.  Also, I highly recommend reading Tribes when you have the time.  It is a short but powerful read that has the ability to revolutionize your business and life.  (Feel free to read my review of the book.)

The Basics of Knowing

The first step in growing your tribe is to know yourself, your potential tribe, and the tribe’s goals.  Without a firm grasp on these three things, your leadership and your tribe will most likely be unsuccessful.  However, if you have a complete understanding of each area, you will have a solid foundation for change and a productive tribe.

Know Yourself

As you begin to lead, you need the ability to ask yourself the tough questions and to engage with honest answers.  How did you lead in the past?  Was it successful?  What critiques did you received about your leadership?  All of these questions are great starting points in order to grasp your motivation.  Be sure to ask questions that begin with “What” and “How.”  When you begin to ask questions that start with “Who” and “Why,” you begin to go down the wrong lines of questioning and can get into some dangerous territory. (Miller, 2004)

After you have answered the tough questions, see if your answers align with the qualities of a leader.  Do you display humility instead of selfishness?  Are you generous?  Do you take advantage of the opportunities given to you?  Are you able to stand up for your beliefs and ideas?  If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, hope is not lost.  Take the time to reassess your priorities, implement changes to align with positive leadership qualities, and then ask the tough questions again.

Here are a few quotes from Tribes regarding the various leadership qualities noted above…

“Generous and authentic leadership will always defeat the selfish efforts of someone doing it just because she can.” (pg. 7)

“The question isn’t, Is it possible for me to do that?  Now, the questions is, Will I choose to do it?” (pg. 8 )

Know Your Potential Tribe

Once you have taken part in some self-reflection, it’s time to get to know your potential followers.  The first step in this process is realizing that everyone wants to be part of a group.  In Tribes, Godin states, “Human beings can’t help it: we need to belong.  One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute (and to take from) a group of like-minded people.” (pg. 3)  In a nutshell, if you become a leader, there is a good chance that you will have people willing to follow you.

It is important that you stay away from the misconception that every person will follow your lead.  It is not practical to think everyone will be jumping at the opportunity to join your tribe.  Not everyone shares the same traits or preferences.  Sally, the office accountant, probably doesn’t like the same type of music as your neighbor’s son, James.  However, it is critical to realize that there are people who will serve as your tribe.  You just need to reach them, engage them, and let them know that they belong to a group consisting of people with similar interests.

Also, knowing your tribe and building your tribe are two different steps that require different resources.  We will learn about building your tribe in part three.

Know What Your Tribe Will Accomplish

If you take a look at the heading for this section, you will notice that I did not state, “Knowing Your Goals.”  Why not?  Because you are different than your tribe.

When you are leading a tribe, there is no time for a personal agenda.  Your goals go out the window and the goals of the tribe come into view.  When Godin recalls a time earlier in his life, he notes, “Everything I did was for us, not for me.” (pg. 30, emphasis Godin.)  It is paramount to take an attitude of humility when leading a tribe.  If you don’t, no one will want to follow you.

Once you have realized that your goals do not exist and that the tribe functions for the betterment of the tribe, begin to understand what the tribe can accomplish.  Dream big.  Anything can happen when a tribe is inspired.

A few guiding questions might be…

• What are some goals for the tribe?
• How will the tribe communicate?
• What objectives need to be met in order for the tribe to meet its goals?
• How will the tribe begin to organize itself?

These questions may be tough for you to answer at this moment but that is a good thing.  These questions aren’t about you; they are about your tribe.

After knowing yourself, your potential tribe, and the goals of your tribe, you will have a solid foundation for the growth of your tribe.  Without this foundation, your tribe ventures into dangerous territory.  Remember, an unmovable foundation can be the beginning of great things.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

Photo by dbking

Why You Should Focus To Get More Followers On Twitter

People care about numbers – plain and simple.

Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that follower count doesn’t matter. Although you don’t need a million people following you to be positioned as a leader on Twitter – people still consider this as a measurement of success. That’s just the way we humans work.

The number of followers you have is a way for people to quantify and measure your reach and “success” on Twitter. Remember, people need tangible ways to label and sort information. Follower counts are easy to look at and sum up someone’s position and status socially and professionally. One of your goals should be to increase twitter followers.

What Do Top Twitter Followers Look For

Real world connections

If you meet people in the real world that use Twitter your chances of getting them to follow you are high.

Good content

If you produce and post great content that is helpful and valuable, followers will be attracted to you and your business. This is what the top Twitter followers look for – leaders with great content.

Personality

The photo you use on your profile, how your Twitter page looks, and the style you portray also attracts people.

How To Obtain Targeted Followers And Keep Them

Make yourself searchable

Adding yourself to Twitter Directories. Our favorite is Twellow (www.Twellow.com).
Remember that new followers will only see your most recent 20 posts, so make them count.

Leaders follow first

As we mentioned before – search and follow your targeted followers. Leaders take action and reach out first to follow others.

Ride the coattails of successful Tweeters – the Kevin Rose Twitter Method

Find a big player in your industry and begin following their followers. For example if I were an organic food company I would log onto Whole Foods Twitter page (www.Twitter.com/wholefoods) and begin following all the people who follow them. Whole Foods has done all the work for me by collecting the people who are interested in organic food.

Use directories of high profile people

Review these three sites:

• www.exectweets.com (Executives on Twitter)
• www.twitterati.com
• www.wefollow.com

Follow your peers

Obviously you don’t live in a bubble. Surely your peers and others in your industry are on Twitter. Follow them.

Add yourself to the following sites:

• www.twellow.com
• www.NearbyTweets.com
• www.LocalTweeps.com
• www.WhoShouldFollow.com

Another great option to gain more exposure for your Twitter account is to link your Facebook to Twitter.

Get recommended

If you post valuable information, your followers will RT you to their followers. Also try

• www.Twitter.com/MrTweets Recommendation service
• Follow Friday is a simple game where you recommend other people on Twitter and they recommend you by using the hashtag #FollowFriday

Put yourself out there

People  won’t follow you if they don’t know you are there, make sure to put yourself out there by adding yourself to the Twitter directories listed in this guide. Also be sure to add your Twitter link to all your communications.

Add your full twitter URL to the following places. Your URL is www.Twitter.com/USERNAME. Be sure to replace “username” with your own username. For example the full Folk Media URL is www.Twitter.com/FolkMedia

Add your URL to:

• badges/widgets with status or feeds
• Business Cards
• Websites
• Blogs
• E-mail Signatures
• Newsletters
• Presentations (last slide)
• Promotional products
• Thoughtfully comment on blogs/articles/forum discussions with links to your Twitter/website
• Invite your supporters via e-mail blast/newsletter

Get Started

What are you waiting for? Get started now in gaining new Twitter followers and let us know how it goes.

.

Joel Mark Witt is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. He is also the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

.

Get the book “21 Days To Twitter Leadership” The Step-By-Step Guide To Get Twitter Followers And Position Yourself As The Leader In Your Industry In Less Than 10 Minutes Per Day.

*Photo By ronin691

Leaders have money,  success and recognition. Any time you have followers – you must have leaders. Twitter is built for leaders.

Here are five social media strategies recorded last week during my daily audio updates on Utterli. (Utterli is a free voice recording service that allows you to record a message using your cell phone and then post that message to the web). .

Monday: Twitter Leadership

Tuesday: Why Become A Leader On Twitter

Wednesday: What Twitter Leaders Can Expect

Thursday: How To Build Twitter Leadership

Friday: Action Steps To Build Twitter Leadership

.

Joel Mark Witt is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. He is also the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

.

Get the book “21 Days To Twitter Leadership” The Step-By-Step Guide To Get Twitter Followers And Position Yourself As The Leader In Your Industry In Less Than 10 Minutes Per Day.

*Photo By woofer_kyyiv