Social media is not about numbers.  It’s not about how many followers you have or how many likes you get.  Social media is about the relationships you’re building.  And if you’re looking to go deep, not wide, in your social media relationships, it’s essential to find your tribe.

Your tribe is made up of more than just the people who read and share your posts and interact with you online—it’s a two-way street.  Your tribe is filled with people whose blogs you read and the people who read every post you write.  Your tribe has people who understand you, people you believe in.  Your tribe is the people you would bend over backwards for online (and offline!)—and they would do the same for you.

“A tribe has a give and take relationship: you know what’s on their heart, they know what’s on yours.  Your tribe is the readers you know by name: you’re writing for them.”
–Trina Holden

You might be a follower in your tribe.  You might be the leader.  But these are your people, and you are there for each other.

“If leaders are servants (and they are), then finding your tribe is simply answering a calling.”
–Jeff Goins in “Every Writer Needs a Tribe” on goinswriter.com

You might find them in your niche.  You might find them at the blogging conference you go to.  You might find them in that group blog you write for.  You might find them in the mastermind group you joined.

They might even be living next door, if you’d take the time to look.

“A tribe is simply a group of people who are connected by the same ideas and a leader. It doesn’t matter how big or how small. There are big tribes and small tribes. I’m willing to bet all of you have a tribe of some size.You are all also part of other tribes.”
–Christin Slade in “Building a Tribe” at allume.com

You might find your tribe in more than one spot, and it might be made up of people from different circles.  It needs to be small enough to call it yours, but big enough for community.  And the beauty of a tribe is that each member’s life and words touches those in other tribes, creating a circle that stats alone can’t show.  When you go deep with your tribe, your circle will reach wider than you’ll ever know this side of eternity.

“A tribe is small enough to feel personal but large enough to make a difference.”
–Jeff Goins in “3 Truths About Tribes & Why We Need Them” on goinswriter.com

Have you found your tribe?