You may have heard your book publisher or other marketing guru talk about the importance of building a “tribe.” This does not mean traveling to a secluded island and hiring a selection of indigenous artisans to start a new culture. A tribe is a devoted group of followers, people who believe in your idea, values and message and who participate in a community with other followers and evangelize your efforts as an author.
Why do you want a tribe? Because they are your consumers, advertisers, research and development team, and marketers all in one. They help you grow your brand, hone your message, and create an ongoing relationship of service and value, not to mention that it’s direct purchases from this group and their referrals that drive the majority of your sales, both from your book and from anything else. other. other services you offer.
So now you know what a tribe is and why you need one. But how do you get one? Start by doing the following:
- provide value: People don’t follow selfish rhetoric or empty ideas. They follow trusted advisors, sources of information and ideas based on values they can believe in. Capitalize on your book ideas and message as an author, and increase your value by continually providing your readers with the tools and information they need.
- provide community: Tribes thrive in community. So set up forums, blogs, and other ways your followers can interact with you and each other. Start conversations based on topics from your book and even collect new ideas for follow-up books and seminars.
- provide content: People are always looking for what’s in it for them. Provide free information, resources, and advice to help them improve their lives, and people will follow. This content could be a repackaging of your book material, but sometimes it should also go beyond what you’ve already written. With every post, interaction, and article, give your readers something to really sink their teeth into.
- tell the people: There is no use laying the foundation for your tribe and then never promoting it. Get involved in social media, networking groups related to your industry, non-profits, and communities, both online and offline. Mention your efforts, share free resources, and engage people to connect with you and your tribe.
Building a tribe takes time, so be patient. Above all, building a tribe means sticking to a clear and consistent message and continuously providing value, without asking for nothing in return. It will be worth it in the end, not only in terms of followers, but also in terms of book sales.
Here are also some additional resources to help you with your tribe building efforts:
Escrow Agents by Chris Brogan
tribes by Seth Godin