Online Tribalism

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where everyone coexists as a social tribe? That’s the internet for you. Have you ever wondered how online networks often represent the tiniest niches and topic areas that you never even thought existed? Have you ever wondered how amazing it is to be able to say something, and be heard (or read) all over the world through the internet in less than a fraction of a second?

If social commentary is about the cream rising to the top, allowing early adopters and thought leaders to lead groups who still lead their own tribes in a self-regulated filtering process. What kind of a tribal system would this be? Now, not everyone in society is web savvy enough to exploit what is already happening, so the changes social media has brought upon us may not be as apparent to some as they are to others. That will surely change a few years from now, right?

BUT I have always wondered how the future of social media will take shape. How will things turn around? What happens when the future generations that have been raised in the world of the internet and social media grow into adults and the entire population is tech savvy by nature? What implications will this have for event marketers or promoters? Should you start working on strategies of promoting virtual events on SecondLife? How will the traditional education process change? Who will we listen to? Will industries continue to become less valuable by spending per capital whilst companies who best harness new technology & their ability to process information (e.g. Google) continue to get richer?

There is a marketing strategy that is often used around us and can be incredibly effective if executed properly. First build trust, credibility and reputation with your lists of prospects using social media networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and others of their like. Blogging is also a great tool for communicating with the audiences and telling them your perspective on things. Through your blog, you can give them free content, information and tips up to a point where they feel enlightened. If you are marketing an event, you give them enough information about what to do without diving into how to do it.

When they learn something from you that they didn’t quite know about, they will invariably look up to you and follow you. Once you have their trust you can up-sell them a training seminar on the ‘how to go about it’ part. If they are sure that you are indeed someone who knows what you’re talking about, they will be less hesitant in doubting your abilities. And you should be knowledgeable in whatever it is that you’re selling - you can’t and shouldn’t ever risk losing your customers by fooling them into buying below-par material from you.

If done well, you can even get them onto an expensive subscription course or seminar that steps them through executing what needs to be done. Business is about getting the most out of your products, services or events, so why wait around? Social media is a powerful tool in our hands that shouldn’t be put to waste. Can you think of innovative ways of marketing your events online using Facebook? How about Twitter? Think about it.

There is a much talked about game recently launched in the video game industry last month called SPORE, made by the creators of SIMS. Having kids in the house, I got a chance to look at the game myself all the while thinking about how it relates so perfectly to social networks. The reason it attracted so much attention all across the online world is because of their game dynamics – you start as a tiny uni-cellular animal and evolve all the way to an entire species of people that can travel across the space and universe. During the middle stages of the game your creature realizes the importance of shared value and interests and evolves into tribes. This is so basic to human nature, since we are all essentially social animals. The instinct to associate ourselves with things that we agree to is part of our basic character. What the internet has done for us is provide a platform that transcends space and time for us to realize our need for human interaction. So even in the online world, we are inherently forming tribes, associations, languages and norms – both professionally and personally.

Simon U Ford (SUF.EDBD)

Today’s tip! If you want to source the best JV partners in your niche, you need a software that sources those selling the most product’s in your niche!