From Beginner's Guide to Tribal Marketing: This is Tribal Marketing

To engage a desired audience fully, we must learn to connect with them in ways that go beyond their proposed need or want for what we offer.

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Marketing regardless of your line of business is about talking to folks who " speak your language". Audiences with who your message will resonate.

Resonate enough to compel them to take whatever action results in you ( and them) extracting a need-based or want-based value out of an action or transaction.

Such actions as simply exchanging their hard-earned money for your goods and/or services, donating to your cause, signing a petition for your grassroots organization, and many more.

To engage a desired audience fully, we must learn to connect with them in ways that go beyond their proposed need or want for what we offer.

To the untrained business-type guy or gal, the challenge in marketing resides within the confines of trying to convince unsuspecting folks to buy into your brand message. This is a very common misconception.

As a matter of fact, this is an issue I had to deal with time and time again when I launched my first company: An insurance agency.

I would watch as newer agents squandered their precious time chasing down folks who didn't see the need to protect themselves and their families, to try to convince them otherwise.

Needless to say, most of these agents soon tired of the whole thing and quit altogether. With a few I spoke, to no avail, of course, trying to let them understand what the true goal of prospecting and marketing was. And that is, among other things, the point of this article.

I want you to understand why Tribes are more effective to market to.

What the point of marketing is, why simple demographics and segmentation just don't go far enough these days and to illustrate the power of tribal marketing in general.

Breaking it down

So, what is Tribal Marketing?

The term has been around for a few years now but only starting catching on as time has passed and with the refining of the various processes through which businesses and marketers gather pertinent information about their customers.

The term generally refers to the ability for a brand to connect with audiences of varying backgrounds and demographics based solely on their shared interests, passions, beliefs, etc. One of the oldest but still very relevant forms of tribal connection, one that obviously transcends age, race, gender, even geography is religion.

There are about three major ones ( religions) in the world, all passionate and growing in numbers. Aside from the spread of their beliefs, those who establish their organizations as ones that only exist to provide services and goods to these kinds of "tribes" flourish.

Tribal Markings

So how does one identify a Tribe?

How do you know what to look for when seeking out or looking to build a tribe? One that, in either case, you can sell your stuff to - Afterall isn't that what the whole point is?

So, some "tribes" are easy to find. They are obvious and make themselves known as soon as you see them. How do you know when you have spotted a motorcycle club on the highway or on some dusty country road?: They all wear jackets with identical signage, right?

Yup, with some like-minded groups, you will not have any difficulty spotting their connection to one another. Some tribes, on the other hand, are a bit more difficult, at least at first sight to uncover.

There are, however, certain elements that will always serve as a guide to uncovering the shared values that make up a true tribe. One that is ready for connecting and conversations.

Characteristics of a tribe

Voluntary commitment

Membership to a true tribe, one that you will be able to really connect with, only requires that one joins of their own volition. All members of the tribe are typically folks who have decided to take time out of their busy lives to commit time and energy to be part of something. No one is forced, tricked or coerced to show up. Most members do more than just show up. They typically truly believe in whatever it is that connects them.

Vocal Advocates

Ever stumble upon an online forum or Facebook group dedicated to some specific idea, product, company or celebrity? Well, let me tell you this. The first thing you will notice about these types of groups is how vocal their members are.

I mean, the thing about the modern-day tribe is that with the help of various online tools and social media platforms, these guys and gals have many ways through which they routinely express themselves.

This is one of those things that when navigated properly and harnessed, as a business or brand can be of great service to you. The outspoken nature of members of each tribe will help spread the word about your products and services.

If you deliver on your brand promise, you will certainly have a bunch of advocates out there singing praises about your brand.

Like folks who love Lululemon. Surely the Vancouver, Canada-based women's apparel maker isn't the only brand out there making yoga pants. There are hundreds of brands that do what Lulu does, but those who wear those seethrough yoga pants swear by them.

The company has managed to build a large network of users across the globe who are as passionate about the brand as they are about yoga and a healthy lifestyle. This group of dedicated advocates helps spread the word about the brand everywhere they go.

No Yes-men (women)

Tribes are democratic. Regardless of whether these like-minded folks gather around a product, cause or public figure, these are men and women who freely express their views and have an impact on how the overall group behaves.

This is especially true when looking at folks who organize based on their shared interests. Sure, a lot of times, "leaders" will emerge as is dictated and predicted by our very nature as humans, but these leaders are merely conduits through which the group communicates and interacts with other organizations.

The leader(s) serves only to take responsibility for certain administrative functions. Members express themselves and are heard whenever they feel things need to change or be altered in any way.

In fact, this is the very thing that sets the modern-day marketing tribe apart from what we all know tribes and tribal behavior to be.

Whether at group gatherings or via online platforms, folks that you identify as an ideal tribe for marketing will freely let their views be known even if it is in contrast with what other like-minded consumers believe.

Be prepared to have a process to receive feedback from members of your marketing tribe as this could be a great way to help improve your service or product.