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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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