The Social Landscape of the Internet Is Circular

Let's take a look at history.

The history of the Internet.

And the history of the gathering of people.

Don't worry. I'll keep it short.

Before the internet people used to meet in person. And they did it in proximity to one another. Or they went to great lengths to meet in person with other people from far away lands using planes, trains, and automobiles. This was reserved for the most important stuff like family, business, or special events.

Then the internet came along. People talked to each other online. They met online. This allowed them to "meet" people without restrictions like proximity or travel.

And they did it with people of similar interest. They used tools like Meetup and Ning. They used email. They used MySpace and later Facebook.

They built tribes. Tribes around interests, hobbies, and learning.

Tribes had leaders who were passionate about their topic as much as they were passionate about the people in their tribes.

But something's happened. There's been a change.

In Houston we're seeing some really interesting things come out of face to face meetings and networking events. It's around startups or businesses. There are tons of meetings happening weekly.

When was the last time you logged onto Meetup? It's amazing.

Your business is likely seeing a paradigm shift that has it's roots in this full circle movement.

I believe it's because we all want to feel even more connected. Which is kinda crazy if you think about it. I mean, I have access to hundreds of thousands of people simply by logging onto Twitter. Yet I too crave the in person meetings.

I want to know that there's a real person behind the brand. And I'm not alone. It's highly likely you do as well.

Your customers want that. They want to know that you're not talking to the masses. You're talking to them. Individually.

They want to shop local. Artisan bakeries, hand-crafted goods, tailored services. All of these things are coming back, especially in urban areas, because people want authenticity.

It's full circle. We were excited about the anonymity of the web. Then the reach. But it's too impresonal. And people are feeling that.

They want to have real experiences.

Your brand can give it to them.

Utilize local SEO to enhance your local tribe. Utilize social media to talk to the most passionate people in your niche.

Use a voice that encompasses emotionally-intelligent content to teach and entertain them.

When you can do those things you've helped ensure that you have just as strong a local tribe as a global tribe. And with that, you can move the world.

Why Passion Sells Better Than Sex

Here's something we don't talk about enough in social media marketing: Passion.

Digital marketers will drone on and on about metrics and about community and about strategy and tactics but they don't talk about passion enough.

We don't discuss why we do what we do. The best people in their industry (regardless of the industry) are at the top because they have passion. It can be passion about the product. Passion about the service. It can be passion about the company. For some, it's passion about the process. 

You can't do it without passion.

If you work in the arts you should already know this. You will not make it in this industry if you don't have passion.

Make products you would use. Create services you wish you had when you were starting out. Know that what you are creating is helping someone be better at what they do.

When you can wrap your product or service around a big pretty bow of passion then you can market it with an enthusiasm that will sell it to your clients. 

It's way better than "sex sells".

Are You Building A Tribe?

"A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea." - Seth Godin Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Building a "tribe" is becoming more and more essential for many small and mid-sized businesses. The old ways of advertising and marketing are changing too rapidly to be able to rely on traditional marketing alone.

Adulation by Today is a good day - CC

Social media and digital marketing are where smart companies are putting their effort towards building their business. This is true whether their needs are for client acquisition or through reputation management. It's how they turn clients and customers into raving fans. It's how they build a tribe.

Are you listening to your clients?

Do you know what your customers really think about you?

Today it's easy enough to gather that kind of knowledge by leveraging social media, email, and other two way communications.

Open up your business to the online world and you'll see improvements in brand recognition and reputation management. Be savvy and nimble.

Your competitors are.

Your competitors are building tribes. Are you?

They are building a base of followers, fans, and friends online that are current customers or soon-to-be customers. They are listening to the good and bad things that are being said about them online and are able to work at changing perceptions or fixing issues that can help propel their business to the next level.

This is true whether you're a plumber or a fortune 500 company.

Finding a the right digital marketing plan or social media strategy can mean the difference between being #1 in your industry and region or being that other company.

Do you have the leadership capabilities to spearhead a new initiative like that? Do you have personnel in the company who can utilize their social networking skills to bring in new clients?

Are you building a tribe? What are you waiting for?