Finding and Feeding Your Tribe
/Whether you are a first-time author or in the ongoing process of marketing a previously written book (or books), a question you may be asking is, “How do I find and connect with my target audience, and then keep them engaged?”
The answer to that questions lies in your ability to find—and then feed—your tribe.
All of us have a “tribe,” a group of people who look to us for direction, insight, wisdom, authority, or “how to” on a particular topic. Your tribe may be small (e.g., your family). It may be medium-sized (say, you are a community leader or you own a small business or lead a small group, etc.). Or, your “tribe” may be large (e.g., you are a thought leader in your industry, a church or ministry leader, a professional athlete, or an expert or celebrity in one regard or another). Whatever the size and scope of your sphere, these are people for whom you are uniquely positioned with something to offer. This is why your book, no matter what the topic, will have something unique to offer your particular tribe.
What does your tribe want to hear from you? They look to you for:
instruction
encouragement
inspiration
perspective
direction
life wisdom
your story(ies) or experience(s)
Having your particular demographic in mind makes writing and marketing a book a whole lot more meaningful and compelling. Plus, identifying your own tribe is helpful for a number of reasons:
It helps clarify your target audience.
It can be an effective motivator for the discipline of writing since you’re writing/messaging with real people in mind.
It sets you up as a thought leader in your industry or area of expertise.
It can be a powerful marketing tool for your business, program, mission, or product.
So, if you are in the process of writing or marketing a book, ask yourself these questions:
Who is my tribe?
For what kind of information, insight, encouragement, or expertise do they look to me?
How am I already delivering that to them?
How can I continue to deliver that to them in fresh ways to keep them engaged and growing?
How could writing a book (or another book) get my message to more people?
How could that impact my business, mission, product, or program?
What steps should I take now that I’ve identified my tribe and what they need from me?
A book is only one way to deliver your message to your tribe. After you publish your book, you will want to continue “feeding” your tribe, to keep them engaged with your message and contributing to its viral spread (and the sales of your book). Ways you can continue to feed your tribe include:
a blog
a regular email newsletter
a consistent, well-branded social media presence
relational engagement on social media (not just “posting”)
podcasting
video blogging (doesn’t have to be professional)
a how-to course using your content (on a site like Udemy or Teachable)
new versions of your book (e.g., e-book, audio, an accompanying study guide)
writing new books to build on previous ideas
In years past, the people in your tribe would likely have been connected to you physically—perhaps through your neighborhood, your office, or your church or other community or business associations. In our current technologically interconnected world, our spheres of influence are much broader, and no longer restricted by physical proximity. This makes people who are interested in the kind of things you are saying easier to find and connect with.
Chances are, there is a tribe just waiting to hear your message, uniquely from you!
Arlyn Lawrence is a developmental editor and the founder of Inspira Literary Solutions. She has written and published books of her own, but gets considerably more joy out of helping other people write and publish theirs.