As someone who has been in the social media/blogging industry for almost 10 years, I've seen many groups come and go. I've had many relationships come and go. I've learned a lot from every experience and instance. And, like with life, you cannot allow these experiences to define who you are and what your goals should be.
Maintaining a positive and engaged social media tribe has a lot to do with being consistent, knowing that you will fail but getting yourself right back up again and moving forward.
1) Connect offline
Being virtual friends can be amazing and you might not be able to meet everyone in person, but some of our strongest bonds are created when we can connect offline and talk about something other than social media and blogging.
2) Reciprocate
If people can't or don't see that you are being a supporter of their work then you don't have to be "friends" but you shouldn't do these things if you aren't truly genuine about it. I've, over the years, learned to share everyone's content. Especially those who support me. It's become more of a takers'land than a giver... become a giver. Especially if people have good content.
3) Reach out and Be Yourself
As they say, everyone is losing their shit, just some people hide it better than others. This is funny but true. No matter how well put-together someone may appear on social media, we don't know what others are going through. Be yourself, be kind and reach out to see how people are doing.
4) Be positive, but REAL
Trust me, I go on rants all the time and keep it as real as it comes, but most people don't want to always hear the bad side of your story. I like knowing that yes, it's a bad day but I made it through. Or, yes, something not-so-fun happened today but guess what, I survived. If you can put a good, positive spin on posts it's always better.
5) Encourage each other
This helped me seek professional help and get through some of the toughest moments of motherhood. All it took was a few other moms telling me I could do it! So, share the encouraging posts and words, someone out there needs it.
6) Help one another
I get it, no one helped you. But, honestly, what goes around comes around. Whether you believe it or not, being a decent person pays off. Supporting each other climb those mountains and look over into the horizon, should be the norm. Just help each other out.
7) Be genuine and know that not everyone is meant to connect with you
Being yourself involves, knowing who you are. Because when those connections "don't stick" you have to remember that like with many other "careers" or jobs, some people are just passing through.
And, working with difficult people is inevitable. But, when you work hard and are genuine in your intentions, there is no need to stress about who comes and goes. Know yourself and be happy with those people who come into your path, and/or leave it.
8) Seek like-minded women
Know that not everyone will have the same interest as you. So, things do go better when you actually seek out those women who are truly like you or like-minded. Not saying to be "cliquey" or ONLY stick to a certain group. You should expand your network every 3 months or so, but always seeking people in your niche, who you have traits in common with.
I am a Latina Mom blogger of two, with a college degree from Houston, who works outside the home and knows Corporate America fairly well. I tend to gravitate towards women who are very similar to me. I also love working out, going to Target and drinking tea. So, the more I know who I am the better my network is.
9) Create Shareable Content
If you want your tribe to share your content, create shareable content. Know your audience. If you know most women in your tribe work outside the home, or not of a certain faith, or maybe don't have children, then you want to share items that they can relate to and feel compelled to share.
And, vise versa, if you know your audience is mostly moms who are of a certain faith and work from home, then your content should be geared towards them. Or if your audience speaks mostly Spanish, then share items in Spanish, maybe not every post, but every so often. Most of us love to share memes and items we think are funny or great, but when it comes to growing your tribe you need to think about your audience and what they would like to see and read.
10) Don't take anything personally
Easier said than done. As I stated earlier, not everyone is meant to connect. You will not always agree with people and their posts or point of view. Remember that if you are using your social media as a business then you don't want to take anything personally.
You don't know what others are going through or what their views are, don't worry if people don't follow you, or share your content or support you. We are all different. Again, we are humans, right? This is easier said than done. But, don't be discouraged and keep moving forward. People will always have an opinion and they can think what they want, you continue to do what you do because someone out there is wanting to read it.
THE AUTHOR: CONNIE GOMEZ
Connie, better known as Momma of Dos. Born and raised Texan, she grew up in a small town near the Mexican border and moved to Houston in 1999 to attend the University of Houston where she received her Bachelor's in Psychology. She has worked in the non-profit and governmental sectors most of her career. These days she works around the clock to provide for her little Mexican-American family both in and outside the home. Her family is composed of her Husband who is also a University of Houston graduate and "Dos" amazing, children; Camila, 6 years old and Santiago, 8.
