#SharetheLove - Engage With Your Tribe - Follow Your Power Partners, Share Their Posts, Follow & Engage With Your Customers

You’ve spent a lot of time building your social media network and you have a diverse and vibrant tribe. Congratulations! You have developed a great asset. Now the challenge is to keep your community engaged, show your appreciation, and continue to keep your network growing.

So how do you nurture your network to make sure that it remains strong and healthy? Below are five ways you can show your love to your community and keep them on your side.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Network Strong and Healthy

1. Share and share alike. One of the best ways to keep in touch with your community is to show them how much you appreciate them. The best way to do this is by sharing their posts and content. Of course, you should do so with a purpose and as it makes business sense. Passing along valuable information with a well-crafted comment will not only show your partners and collaborators that you are paying attention, but that you value their insight, too.

2. Follow where they lead. You can keep up with your power partners by following their feeds. Not only will it show them that you are interested in what they have to say, it can help you keep up with what’s happening in their world.

3. Respond, comment, and engage. It doesn’t take long to offer a comment on a useful post. Perhaps you have an article that would be a good follow-up or you have a thought-provoking question. There are many ways to respond. The point is to engage with the person who is posting. Exactly how you respond will depend on the platform and the style of the post but don’t miss the chance to encourage engagement.

4. Show your appreciation. Social media is a great place to say thank you to your customers. There are many ways to do this—from a simple note of gratitude to a promotion that shows how important your customers are to your business. Social media can be an important tool for letting the people who keep you in business know you don’t take them for granted.

5. Be consistent. While you don’t need to comment, respond, or post every day, it is important that you keep a regular schedule. When it comes to social media, out of sight can mean out of mind.

Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or some other social media platform, if you aren’t taking advantage of these channels to engage with your tribe, you are missing a great opportunity to strengthen your network and your relationships.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#BuildYourTribe - Who is in Your Tribe?

Finding your tribe, your group of true fans, committed followers, and influencers, is a challenging prospect for many. What if I told you that you already have a community waiting for you? They’re out there. You just have to help them find you.

The best part is…you may have already found your core group.

Start with ten people. Name ten people who have supported you and your dream in some way. Who is supporting you? Who makes a great team captain when you need it? Who do you rely on when your back is against the wall and you’re not sure where to turn? Write them down.

Those ten people are part of your tribe. If you can’t find those people, perhaps your work has been unfocused, scattered, or you haven’t invited others to join you. But if you have found them, let them know that they are on your team and that you appreciate them.

Remember, a tribe is a group of people who are passionate about you and what you’re passionate about. The key to engaging that audience is by making them feel as though they are part of a bigger purpose. You can do that by helping them improve their lives: making them laugh, providing self-helps or how-tos, brightening their days with art and photography, and helping them feel respected or understood through your personal storytelling. It should always be about “us” rather than “me”.

Start with the group you have, whether it’s on Facebook (or some other social media site) or a current mailing list. Ask them “What is your biggest frustration with _____?” and fill in the blank with something you feel passionate about. When you get responses back, create engaging content that speaks to their frustrations and helps them solve that problem. You are on your way to building that rapport you need.

Here are a few tips to help you communicate with your tribe:

• You don’t have to be a perfect individual (This isn’t the same as grammatically perfect, by the way. Make sure your content is high-quality). As a matter of fact, your failures and struggles will connect you with your tribe in a way you never imagined. With every story you tell, however, make sure there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Show them the challenges you have overcome and they’ll love you for it.
• You need to empower your tribe and make them feel as though they are part of a larger picture. You can do this by asking them questions, creating a survey, letting them know how much they mean to you, etc.
• Know what you’re passionate about and commit to a path. If you knew that you already had a group of people who were passionate about you, how would you change the way you work? Would you stop campaigning? Stop chasing rainbows and “opportunities” at every corner? If you already had a core group of people clamoring for your content, what would you produce? That, more than anything, is what you should be doing.
• No two tribes are the same. There is no “right way” to go about this. You have to find your own way. And you know, what? You can do it.

Members of your community, or tribe, will eventually become brand advocates if you work on developing, connecting and nurturing them. That will mean the work of promoting your business can be shared with a tribe that respects you and is excited about what you are doing. This is exactly what it means to #BeAwesome with your work and truly make an impact.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#BuildingYourTribe – What is a Tribe?

Essentially, a tribe is your community. When it comes to your business, a tribe is a unique group of friends, fans, customers, brand advocates, partners and followers who are willing to become a voice to your message. Some call it “1000 true fans”. It’s a place where you belong, can be heard, and known. Most of all, it’s a place where you can make a difference.

Before we delve into the key aspects of a tribe, we need to spend some time talking about what a tribe IS NOT.

A tribe is not a pedestal you use to dictate your awesomeness.

It is not fame.

It is not a number.

It is not a group of people who agree with everything you say at all times.

It is, however, a core group of people who help you think, force you to move beyond your limits, and keep your world positive around you. Constructive criticism is not negativity. It’s a chance for growth. They challenge you to be better, inspire your creativity, and spread the message because they genuinely believe in what you have to offer.

Your tribe supports you when you feel like giving up while providing energy and strength when you least expect it. You can create life-long bonds that can never be broken. Best of all, this tribe can help you turn your passion into your livelihood.

You may already have tribe members supporting you, and you don’t even know it. Who picks you up when you’re down? Who pushes you to try harder, learn more, become a better version of yourself? Who stood with you when you wanted to step out on your own? Those people are your tribe.

They are your most loyal and devoted fans. Right now.

It’s not a numbers game. I have to stress this. There’s a lot of bad advice out there. Numbers do not equal loyalty.

In future posts we’ll be discussing who makes up your tribe and how to build it from the ground up. In the meantime, why not try this exercise? Write down, either on paper or in the comments, at least one person who supported you when you were willing to give up. It doesn’t have to be about your current pursuits. It could be a teacher who encouraged you to write or read. A coach who told you he believed in your efforts. A boss or fellow worker who reminded you that it was okay to make mistakes and rise from them.

Then, when you’ve finished writing down those names, close your eyes and remember those moments. Try to bring those emotions back to life.

Your tribe is an emotional connection. Don’t forget that. Understanding your tribe, your community, is a way to tap into the best type of marketing – word of mouth. Those who know how to #BeAwesome in business also understand the value of having a dedicated tribe.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars