Now that we finally have our blog up. I wasn’t sure what to use for our first post. So after thinking about it, I decided to use Seth Godin’s speech on Tribes. The idea is that marketers have to change their line of thinking when it comes to selling their products and services online.
I don’t know what it is (actually I think I do know what it is) but people tend to think that because they have a great application, product or service, that people will start magically start using it. If it were this easy, everyone would be doing it.
The problem with this thought process (if you build it, they will com) is that the human mind has a tough time contemplating the vastness of the Internet. More specifically, how to draw people in from the ‘chaos’ to your website – and then get them to do what you want them to.
Easier said than done.
Anyway, this is a video that speaks about the concept of ‘Tribes’. While Seth is speaking about a more general concept of creating ideas and connecting people via good leadership with the final goal being an overall movement, I think this thought process very much applies to businesses of all sizes whether they are pushing products, destinations or services. There are also some very direct parallels with the Internet, websites and online services. Seth Godin asks the following questions within the video:
He mentions that unless you are upsetting someone, you aren’t challenging the status quo. You have to be connecting people with an interest in your product or service and then build a small culture around this. Additionally, people want to feel ‘missed’ when they don’t show up. Should you find a way to give them this opportunity to feel missed when they aren’t using your online service, you unearth a powerful force.
Tribe leaders, Seth points out, have similar traits as they first realize that they can’t do it themselves, rather, they need to connect to people with similar interests.
The idea of Seth Godin’s Tribes is a fairly broad topic but certainly applicable for your next big online venture!
