Showing up on Facebook is a great way to build your tribe as a speaker, author and coach. Here are some extra tips to help you!

“You can’t have a tribe without a leader — and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.” Seth Godin, Tribes.

Being a leader — and when you choose to be a Speaker, Author and/or Coach, that’s what you are also choosing — it requires of you that you show up. That you be present. That you ‘do’ social media, networking and reaching out. That you build “tribe”.

For some, even getting past that hurdle (talking to all you lurkers out there!) that’s a stretch in itself. We’ve built a loyal tribe of over 10,000 people inside our Facebook group The Connection Hub. Let us share some of what works to get you started.

First off, what is a tribe?

Seth Godin also says “A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.”

An even more human version is this by Steve Handle “a close knit group of people that accept one another, support each other, and have each other’s backs when we are in times of need or weakness.” That sounds like something that we all need and want, right?! And here’s the thing, as a leader, you can create this.

Everyone needs a tribe or two in their life to be truly happy and satisfied with their existence. Our need to belong to a group is natural and instinctual.

A tribe can be big or small, it’s about what’s at the heart of it, and here’s the GOOD news — a tribe doesn’t HAVE to be big! It can be an intimate gathering of people that still supports and sustains you, your members and indeed your business.

Why do you want one? Need one?

We ARE suggesting that you need to RUN a group, to build a group to make really effective use of your ability to lead and attract people. But it’s not something to take on lightly. It’s a responsibility. It calls you into leadership.

We are saying that just showing up in others groups is not enough — though that can definitely be an effective way to build your own database. Building a tribe goes further.

Here are some great reasons to build a tribe of your own:

It’s easier to speak into and share what you believe in
It’s easier for people to know like and trust you
It’s quicker to enlist and enrol people
It’s a (MUCH) better use of your time (you get to control when and how often you show up)
People get a clearer impression about who you are and what you stand for
You can instigate and have conversations around a viewpoint that’s of interest to the whole tribe
It supports the creation or starting of a movement
It becomes a space where support is given & shared
It can make money for you (by being a platform to do promotions for your products and programmes)
It SAVES time (because you’ll be networking with the right people)
You get information and insights that you would not get if you were just ‘building a brand’.

In short, a tribe is not about it’s not awareness, it’s about connection, and holding a space for like minded people to come together!

Building Your Tribe

Once you decide to set up a group, your job is to make “the new normal” for your avatar to visit and be part of. They need to feel they belong. We suggest this is the aspiration you should hold for your group.

A platform for you to shine from (because you are the leader, you get known, you get invited to speak, interview offers, opportunities are given to you)
A point of presence that can’t be argued with — with a strong supporting background (especially as you grow — a concept finds strength in numbers)
A place for you to connect through and in ( do your market research, find your clients and next collaborations)
A place for you to send people to when you meet them so you can get to know each other better (and connect them to others)

So how do you start building a tribe?!

Set up a space for your tribe (we always suggest that your avatar is likely to be on Facebook — most of us are there, among the 1.73 billion people currently!). So with that in mind, here are some things you need to do and consider before you fully commit to building your tribe:

Evaluate and pick your channel and start to ‘set out’ your stall — some thinking is definitely required here
Know the channel well, what’s allowed, what’s possible
Know what you want to share, give, create ( set your vision)
Make it about THEM — name it for what your avatar is looking for and talk about what THEY want
Show up consistently, commit to it and stick with it!

We say all this as if it’s the easiest thing in the world. It’s not, it takes thought and effort and consideration. It takes commitment and effort. But it’s so worth it. You can build your following, your business, your income, your reach all in one place, whilst really serving people with your experience and expertise.

It really is all about showing up!

We urge you to create a place where people go to be to talk about the thing they love and are interested in — that you know about and can add value to over and over again. It calls you to lead. As Seth says, “You can’t have a tribe without a leader — and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.” It requires of you that you step up and show up. Here’s how we’ve done that within our group:

Set the standards
Lead the way, create conversation
Aim for 80–20% presence once the group is up and running — but look to be present for the first 3–6 months more than this, so you can build and protect the environment
Encourage and share beyond yourself, it’s not about you, it’s around you (if you can really get this, you’ll be winning!
Build loyalty, identify contributors
LISTEN for what is wanted and needed and provide that as you hear it — keep building and shifting as your tribe and community grows.

Building a Tribe is not an easy undertaking, and that’s why we created our Groups That Give & Grow course. It’s a comprehensive walk through of all the stages you need to really build a tribe, and to monetise it along the way. You are a leader, you are a speaker, author or coach and the world needs you to make your difference. Build a Tribe to make that easy!

As ever, if you enjoy this, please do come and join in the conversation inside The Connection Hub. You’ll be able to see just how we put some of the above into practice! 🙂

How to show up on FB to build your tribe