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How to Promote a New Blog with a Commenting Tribe

Last Updated on March 12, 2018 110 Comments

NOTE: Even though I wrote this post, as well as used the commenting tribe strategy, quite a while ago (when I first started Traffic Generation Café), this strategy is every bit as effective today as it was back then.

Looking back at the start of my blog this past July, I am completely blown away with how fast it’s grown.

Apparently, you are too since the questions of how I did it keep pouring in.

I am always happy to oblige, so in this post I’ll talk about how I created a commenting tribe to give my blog social proof as well as a significant increase in my website traffic.

I mentioned this strategy briefly in my Traffic Generation Step by Step post, but just saying that I post all my new articles to various tribes didn’t provide much of the insider information on what I actually do.

I am sure you’ve heard of different internet “tribes” popping up as mushrooms after a summer rain.

What is a tribe?

Very simply, it’s a group of people who get together to promote each others’ content online.

I’ve seen 3 different tribe structures:

1.   Traffic Exchange Type Tribes

Some of the tribes I know of are huge and can cost you up to $70 per month.

They use a very intricate point keeping system and remind me of traffic exchanges: the more points you accumulate by commenting on and sharing other tribe members’ blogs, the more people will do the same for you.

My thought on this?

Keep your money.

2.   Smaller Facebook Tribes

Here’s how this type of tribe works: someone decides to create a fan page and call it a “tribe”.

Every new fan of the page can post links to promote their blogs – very simple concept.

It’s based on “give a little, take a little” kind of mentality; the hope is that the fans will not only post their own links, but also visit other fans’ blogs.

Problem with that: everyone focuses on self-promotion and the fan page creator is the only one who tries to visit other blogs – in the beginning anyway, until he/she figures out how futile it is and just lets the page go.

I wouldn’t hope to get much traffic from those types of tribes, but there are still good reasons to use them.

Why?

1. For social proof.
When a reader sees that your post has already been shared by someone on Facebook, they are more likely to share it as well. Nobody wants to be the first one!

It’s also a good way to get more Facebook fans.

2. For backlinks.
UPDATE: this might’ve been a decent strategy to build links back in the day, but the day had come and gone. Don’t do it with link building in mind.

How do you find such tribes on Facebook?

Just type your main keyword and the word “tribe” in a search box.

facebook tribe image

3. Private Commenting Tribe

This is exactly the type of tribe I created on Facebook that helped Traffic Generation Café to become a success just about overnight – THANKS to my incredible tribe members.

How to Create a Tribe

Here is exactly what I did to create my commenting tribe:

1. Create a private Facebook group.

2. Find peer blogs in your niche

Blogs that provide good content, but don’t get much traffic yet. Take a look at their Alexa rank, see how many comments they get.

I wouldn’t recommend going for entirely new blogs, since commenting on a blog no one else knows about won’t bring you much traffic.

3. Contact the blog owner

Let them know about your group; see if they are interested in joining.

4. Set the rules

You have to have a idea of how you want to run your tribe: how many people you need (20 was a good number for me), how many times per week each tribe member will visit other tribers’ blogs (in my group, we do 3 campaigns per week), what the rules are, etc.

5. And you are all set to go!

How I Run My Tribe

As I mentioned before, I decided to go for 3 “campaigns” per week.

I use “discussions” section to post a new campaign.

facebook tribe commenting campaign image

A campaign lasts 2 days.

Each tribe member who chooses to post a request for comments during a specific campaign has to also comment on all other requests.

Since the group is relatively small, it’s easy to keep members accountable.

How My Tribe Helped Me

1. It gave my blog social proof.

There’s nothing worse than visiting a blog with no action going on. Makes me want to leave right away. After all, if there are no signs of other people reading the blog, the content must be pretty bad!

That’s, unfortunately, how most people think.

Now imagine each of your posts has 5-10 comments as soon as it’s published! Quite a difference.

2. I got noticed by others

As I commented on my members’ blogs, I got noticed by their readers. I started getting traffic from their blogs.

3. Social media sharing increased

My tribers also started sharing my content on their social networks. I started getting even more social media traffic from that.

It made a HUGE difference to my blog and all other blogs in the tribe.

We learned from each other, we pointed out the things that could be better on our blogs, we developed true friendships.

Priceless!

Where Is My Tribe Now?

We had a great run, but as of right now, my tribe’s time is over.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any good recommendations for existing tribes either.

If you know of one, let me know in the comments or, even better, on my Facebook fan page.

Otherwise, start your own – trust me, it’s easier than it sounds.

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110 Intelligent comments · espresso yours below

  1. Harsh says

    December 26, 2020 at 3:25 am

    Thanks for sharing this article. Blog commenting tribe is a bit beneficial for a blog but if you promote your blogging website on different platforms like Google & social media then it will be more beneficial.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      January 6, 2021 at 6:24 pm

      Love it or hate it, blog commenting is here to stay. Blog commenting = engagement, which matters a great deal to blog owners and Google rating our content. And yes, very similar to social media algorithms.

      Thanks for coming by, Harsh.

      Reply
  2. Farah says

    November 30, 2020 at 12:48 am

    Thank you so much Ana for sharing this article. I have recently started blogging and I was bit confuse about promotion of the blog but your article has really reduce my stress of promotion.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      January 9, 2021 at 10:37 pm

      Happy to hear that, Farah.

      Reply
  3. Priyanka Singh says

    October 14, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    Really enjoyed reading your blog on promoting a new blog commenting tribe.

    I was too thinking about how I can increase site views and traffic. Your article seems highly informative and builds great interest for the readers.

    For people like us, your blogs help to get ideal information and knowledge. Thanks for providing such blogs.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      February 1, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      So glad to hear that, Priyanka.

      Reply
  4. Smith Jones says

    January 7, 2020 at 2:21 am

    Very interesting and impressed Ana. The article about the tribe is beneficial for me. I am a content creator and marketer, also a regular reader of your blogs and your replies too, Thanks.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      January 13, 2020 at 7:25 pm

      Very kind of you – honored!

      Reply
  5. candy carlos says

    February 8, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    Hello there Ana!

    Your post is really interesting and amazing. You are completely right. I’m just a newbie blogger, trying to know more ways to get real organic traffic. I most say I never new anything by commenting tribes, now I know after reading your post. thanks a lot for sharing.

    my regards to TrafficGenerationCafe.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      February 14, 2019 at 9:16 pm

      Pleasure, Carlos; thanks for coming by Traffic Generation Café!

      Reply
  6. Ritu Jha says

    January 30, 2019 at 11:23 pm

    Hello Ana,
    Thank you so much for the information.
    I will surely try this and let you know the results.
    Looks like it will take time but surely let you know the results.
    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      February 5, 2019 at 10:21 pm

      Most worthwhile things take a bit of effort, Ritu, don’t they? 😉

      Glad to hear you might try this one out!

      Reply
  7. Peter says

    January 2, 2013 at 8:06 am

    Hi, commenters, I am looking out for people who won’t be delving into self promotion of products, but who are willing to critic each others blog. While providing valuable comments. If you have such a tribe or you know dm on @compellinadvert let get talking. Hopefully we will take our blog to the next level. Thanks Anna for sharing this valuable post as it challenges one to become better bloggers

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      January 13, 2013 at 10:17 am

      Love your criteria, Peter; that’s what I did with my tribe as well.

      Reply
  8. Gordon Robinson says

    October 25, 2012 at 1:23 am

    Thanks Ana – been think about this for a while but just needed some simple steps (guide) to get me there. I have been in with a few groups but find that I don’t get the real benefits of comments etc.

    Thanks ~ Gordon

    PS You are obviously most welcome to join the Tribe 😉

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      October 25, 2012 at 8:50 pm

      Thanks for the invite, Gordon.

      What’s your tribe URL? I am sure many of my readers would love to take you up on your offer.

      Reply
      • Gordon Robinson says

        October 26, 2012 at 12:02 am

        Hi Ana – I have called it WWG Blog Tribe … https://www.facebook.com/groups/293351310780349/

        I want to keep it fairly selective so that we are all benefiting from each others efforts. I belong to far too many of these Tribes were the majority of the ‘sharing’ is done by a few.

        The way I see it is that we have members that participate in the spirit that it should be we will build a strong community were everyone benefits.

        Thanks for this opportunity ~ Gordon

        Reply
        • Ana Hoffman says

          October 26, 2012 at 9:25 am

          Sounds like you are heading in the right direction with this, Gordon.

          Reply
  9. Carl Hays says

    October 12, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Ana,
    I joined TribePro about a month ago but have been disappointed with the quality of content others are sharing.

    Are you aware of any currently operating tribes that you could recommend? The one your friend started that you mentioned at the bottom of your post is now coming up as a 404, so I assume it’s defunct.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      October 12, 2012 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks for letting me know about the link, Carl.

      Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of any active tribes. Are you up for starting your own?

      Reply
      • Carl Hays says

        October 12, 2012 at 9:58 pm

        Yes, but only if I can learn what to do and not to do to make it successful. I don’t want to start something that will become a time-consuming drain of my energy coupled with nothing but self-serving people promoting products.

        Reply
        • Ana Hoffman says

          October 13, 2012 at 9:47 pm

          I understand time-consuming, Carl; trust me.

          However, I truly believe creating my own tribe from the beginning, when I really had no idea what I was doing, played a huge part of where I am today with TGC.

          Reply
      • Vi says

        October 18, 2012 at 6:57 am

        and facebook search for tribe doesn’t show any Traffic Exchange Tribes

        Reply
        • Ana Hoffman says

          October 18, 2012 at 11:33 am

          I definitely see a few tribes you can join when search for “tribes” on FB, Vi. Try to narrow it down to pages only.

          Reply
  10. Guilda says

    July 30, 2012 at 10:03 am

    Thank for adding value to what I do. I am currently involved in various tribes. The key is finding one where members recipricate the favor and not use you to promote their own blogs.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      August 2, 2012 at 8:26 am

      Exactly, Guilda; it only works when everyone works towards the same goal – more traffic for all.

      Reply
    • Carl Hays says

      October 12, 2012 at 12:30 pm

      Guilda,
      I’d be interested in joining your tribe. I’m looking for people who understand the principles of quality content and the simple, but overlooked concept of adding value instead of being self-absorbed with their own needs.

      Reply
  11. Chery Schmidt says

    July 27, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    Hi Ana, This is my first time here and I am very impressed with your Blog. I have had my blog for a while now, but I am now finally trying to figure it all out. I love this tribe idea, I heard about tribepro but it is all so confusing to me. I guess I never really thought having a blog was so much work. But I am trying to learn everything and implementing as I go. Thank You So Much for sharing you idea’s. I am off to Facebook to see if I can’t find me a tribe to join. Chery 🙂

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      August 2, 2012 at 5:05 pm

      Blogging is indeed a LOT of work, Chery, and is not for everyone.

      Hope you are on your way to “figuring it out”!

      Reply
  12. Denalee Bell says

    July 16, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    I am starting a new tribe, anyone interested, please email or fb me.
    facebook.com/denalee.bell

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      July 17, 2012 at 7:50 am

      Thanks, Denalee; will keep it in mind.

      Reply
  13. Jalanda says

    April 30, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Hi Ana.I am expanding my blog comment tribe. My group is moderated and fair. If you know if anyone looking to join a quality group, please send them my way. Thanks J

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      May 9, 2012 at 9:22 pm

      Good to know, Jalanda; I’ll keep it in mind.

      Reply
    • Carl Hays says

      October 12, 2012 at 12:33 pm

      I’d be interested in knowing more about your tribe.

      Reply
  14. Mys says

    April 17, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    Ana, great post!

    I’ve been paroosing your blog for a while now and this post made me want every last one of your updates. Timing really is everything and this post, right now, is perfect for me. Other than the suggestion you offered are there other tribes you’d recommend? I’m excited about this strategy and would love your feedback on which tribes are great to look into. Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      April 19, 2012 at 10:04 am

      You are very welcome, Mys – this was one of the best things I did for my blog back when I first started.

      I don’t really know of any functioning tribes right now. I’d suggest giving a holler to your social media friends to see if anyone is running one or just start your own.

      Reply
  15. Ryan Hanley says

    January 11, 2012 at 9:52 am

    Ana,

    I just joined my first tribe this week. I think is a fantastic way to get your blog moving. You also get fantastic feedback from the other community members. Not mention shares and engagement… Just good stuff for any blog but especially a blog in its beginning stages…

    Thanks for a wonderful description of Tribes…

    Ryan H.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      January 11, 2012 at 8:19 pm

      Done right, tribes can definitely give a new blog a huge jumpstart, Rayn.

      Glad you found a suitable one for you.

      Reply
  16. Jen allen says

    January 2, 2012 at 8:34 am

    Thank you for this article, Ana! I have a new blog in a fairly small niche, so I’ve been working hard to figure out how to let people know that my blogs are out there! I think, as the season changes, people will start finding it more often through my SEO terms, but it’s been wonderful to read and learn from those more established like you!

    Thanks again!

    Jen

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      January 2, 2012 at 8:01 pm

      SEO is always the biggest traffic generator for niche sites, Jen, but should never be the only one. You certainly don’t want to loose all your traffic when the next disastrous algorithm change comes our way.

      That’s why social media is always a great backup.

      Reply
  17. Paul says

    November 16, 2011 at 11:15 am

    first time hearing about this “Tribe” strategy. very interesting and creative. I just might have to poke around and see how it’s working out for people. thanks

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      November 17, 2011 at 5:20 am

      Do that. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

      Reply
  18. Graham Stoney says

    October 18, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Thanks for this idea Ana. I’ve just created a tribe called the Man Coach Web Traffic Tribe for anyone with a site aimed at helping men with confidence, relationships, dating, self-esteem etc etc.

    It’s a bummer Facebook groups don’t seem to support the discussion feature any more…

    Cheers,
    Graham

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      October 20, 2011 at 10:07 am

      Thanks for letting us know, Graham.

      As for “Discussions” tab, you can use Docs feature instead – works pretty much the same.

      Reply
  19. Lesa says

    October 18, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    Hey Ana,
    This is an awesome idea for getting the comments going on your site, but I notice this was written over a year ago. Facebook has made a TON of changes to how groups work since then. How would your recommend a Tribe be set up now? Is Facebook still the best option? Or would a group on LinkedIn be easier to manage?

    Thanks for any feedback you can offer. I’d love to get my own tribe started.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      October 19, 2011 at 9:10 am

      I think the base home for your tribe doesn’t really matter in the end, Lesa.

      Facebook is still the most convenient place since most bloggers have accounts there, plus they already spend a good amount of time on Facebook; it just makes more sense.

      My original group is still functioning as an FB group without any problems.

      Reply
  20. Jeff Faldalen says

    October 12, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Hi Ana,
    Thank you for the post. I have been sitting side by side helping a friend of mine build his blog and I noticed his ranking were dropping faster then mine ever did.

    I was amazed, so I held him down until he told me what he was doing, not really. But He joined a tribe.

    I just joined Heathers last week and excited to learn more about it

    Thank you for all you do,
    Jeff Faldalen

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      October 12, 2011 at 7:49 pm

      So good to hear Heather is still staying on top of it, Jeff – hope you’ll get some great exposure out of it.

      Any idea what happened to your friend’s rankings?

      Reply
      • Jeff Faldalen says

        October 21, 2011 at 5:42 pm

        Hi Ana,
        My friends rankings are still going down. You mentioned your tribe in another post. How can I become a part of it?

        Best wishes,
        Jeff

        Reply
        • Ana Hoffman says

          October 23, 2011 at 7:38 am

          It’s actually no longer active, Jeff, but Dev from Blokube.com has recently started his own tribe; I posted the link in the post.

          Reply
  21. sooreneccs says

    October 12, 2011 at 6:02 am

    Hi Ana,

    As my blog is poetry using star’s songs/movies titles, put as :-
    MEGAMIND of yours to get traffic and ranking !
    CONTACT between your commenting tribe
    To SNATCH a ticket to higher Alexa ranking,
    Pitt perfect is now your blog of a success in short time !
    COOL, Ana!

    Reply
  22. Jeffrey Kistner says

    October 11, 2011 at 7:26 am

    Hello Anna and thank you for answering so many questions about tribes that I didn’t know to ask. I’m making some changes today! To your continued success! : )

    Reply
  23. Hezi says

    October 11, 2011 at 4:29 am

    Thanks Ana for your post. Tribes is a great way and I am using it also. Your tip about using the campaign and discussion tab on facebook group is interesting, will check it with my group 🙂

    Reply
  24. Elisabeth says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:16 pm

    I am amazed at how many blogs I comment on but never get a reciprocal visit. It’s discouraging to say the least.

    This is a very interesting idea that I had never heard of – creating a tribe on FB. Congratulations on your rapid success.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      October 7, 2011 at 3:23 am

      Thank you, Elisabeth. You should give the tribe strategy a try.

      Reply
  25. Warren says

    October 6, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    I love it when I stumble on a tip or trick that makes a huge difference in my blog/business. This is definitely one of those times!

    Thanks Ana

    Reply
  26. Cori Padgett says

    October 3, 2011 at 6:51 pm

    Hmnn.. interesting! I hadn’t thought of doing something like this before. Not sure I’d want to be a group leader though, I don’t have the time! lol Great idea though Ana, glad I ran across this post.. it’s given me something new to ponder when it comes to getting commenting going. Blog comments have always been a bit of a weak area for me, I’m always looking for ways to improve. 🙂

    Reply
    • Joe says

      October 4, 2011 at 5:40 pm

      Cori,

      I’d be interested in starting a commenting tribe. Not sure where to begin although from what I’ve read keeping the group size small makes alot of sense.

      If you’re interested let me know.

      -Joe

      Reply
  27. Johan says

    April 14, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Well done. I need a little further explanation on a campaign or definition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

    Reply
  28. Ana says

    March 27, 2011 at 8:34 pm

    Hi, Nick: I don’t actually run the tribe any longer – just look up EIF Tribe on FB and request to join; it’ll be up to the current tribe leader.

    Ana

    Reply
  29. Zachary Smith says

    March 17, 2011 at 12:29 pm

    Excellent post: This is the best blog commenting post I have seen. I don’t have a lot of time to leave blog comments on random blogs and hope it builds relationships, reciprocal comments, social proof, and traffic. Utilizing the private tribe model generates a high degree of leverage because you have a quid pro quo relationship with your group. I am working on building a private tribe and while I have only considered it before your post, I am already taking action and already have a tribe of 2.

    Zach

    Reply
    • Ana says

      March 18, 2011 at 8:11 pm

      I am sure your 2 already turned into 10 by the time I got to your comment, Zach.

      It really worked great for me; very targeted and specific commenting that creates social proof and traffic – can’t go wrong with that!

      By the way, thanks for teaching me how to spell quid pro quo. 🙂

      Reply
  30. Ian Belanger says

    January 9, 2011 at 11:17 am

    Hey Ana, I have sent a request to join your FB tribe, I am not sure if you are accepting new members or not, but I hope you will consider me for a spot, thanks Ana and keep up the great work!

    Reply
    • Ana says

      January 9, 2011 at 7:11 pm

      We are trying to keep it small, Ian – really small. We’ll see what we can do, but I can’t promise. 🙁

      You could start your own though – why not?

      Reply
      • Ian Belanger says

        January 9, 2011 at 7:26 pm

        Hey no problem Ana, maybe I will start my own, once I get a little more good content on my blog. I will definetly still be checking out your blog daily, Thanks for replying to me.

        Reply
  31. Mitchell Allen says

    January 3, 2011 at 8:27 am

    Hi Ana,
    So that’s what a tribe is. So many bloggers drop that term as if it were common knowledge. What do I think of it? Gangbusters! Obviously, it works. I think it’s gangbusters for two reasons:
    1. I’m already doing this informally. Imagine if the five people who almost always comment on my blog joined me and 14 other people and agreed to work together.

    2. I’ve joined super-complicated versions of this concept. They are dead in the water. If simplicity is the difference and “tribe” as a term reflects that simplicity, then, with all respect to the makers of the complicated systems, I’d have to call their collaborations “advance alien life-form hives”.

    Even though niche is important for tribes, I would still get involved without a niche. My stats are better than ever, just from all the commenting and cross-linking going on. I was just visiting Mavis Nong’s blog and mentioned that I generally don’t care about SEO. However, thanks to WordPress and CommentLuv, that doesn’t seem to stop Google 🙂

    So, if I WERE to join a tribe, I would definitely do it your way. Now I have a few questions for you: I recently participate in a meme and discovered a “tribe” that does nothing but memes. Do such projects count? Or do you think the benefits are too short-term? Would you ever consider that a case could be made to gamify the more serious memes, like Darren Rowse’s occasional challenges?

    I think about this kind of stuff all the time and it’s the reason I wrote my free program for bloggers.

    Cheers,

    Mitch

    Reply
    • Ana says

      January 3, 2011 at 12:26 pm

      Simplicity is definitely the key here, Mitch.

      Keep it simple, keep it small, keep it quiet (too late for me:) ).

      I do generally like memes and actually started my own once. Wasn’t huge, but I got about 20 blogs to take part – not bad for a brand new blog back then.

      The thing about memes is that you need to make sure that you choose worthy blogs and topics to make it worth your time ad get some traffic out of it.

      On the other side of the coin, I never join the “big ones” since everybody is doing it and the concept gets diluted pretty quickly. I am the one against going with the crowd! 🙂

      Memes are generally all about link building and you need to choose carefully who to link to.

      Pleasure to have this discussion with you; this is my favorite part about blogging.

      Ana

      Reply
      • Mitchell Allen says

        January 3, 2011 at 10:52 pm

        Hi Ana,

        Thanks for these insights. I hadn’t considered the dilution effect of huge memes other than the fact that they tend to become attributed to people other than the originator!

        I’m going to be in trouble if I ever start taking SEO seriously. My outgoing links are all over the place. 🙂

        Cheers,

        Mitch

        Reply
  32. Nikhil Varma says

    January 3, 2011 at 7:51 am

    Yeah I do agree with you ana. But the main problm that affects me is the initial hunch for traffic.. What would exactly be the solution for that. Is it really only cross commenting on buddy blogs?

    Reply
    • Ana says

      January 3, 2011 at 10:24 am

      Believe it or not, cross commenting did help immensely. Plus, the idea behind a tribe is much broader than that – as you enjoy reading each other’s content, you start mentioning it in your blog posts (creating backlinks and yes, traffic), plus share throughout social media.

      My tribe and Twitter were the only 2 things that gave my blog the push that it needed in the beginning.

      Having great content does help, as you can imagine! 🙂

      Reply
  33. Amr Boghdady says

    December 31, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Great post Anna!
    Unfortunately I’m having a hard time finding a tribe for educational websites. I tried searching through Fb & Google, but without any luck whatsoever.
    I’m still searching though..

    Thanks for the tips, and have a happy new year 🙂
    Amr

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 31, 2010 at 8:28 pm

      I am sure some niches could be a challenge. Time to start your own? 🙂

      Thanks for coming by, Amr, and Happy New Year!

      Ana

      Reply
  34. Michael Hodson says

    December 30, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    thanks for this post — as soon as I read it, I contacted some of my friends to start our own travel blogging tribe. Many thanks!

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 31, 2010 at 8:36 pm

      You are so welcome, Michael – great to hear you actually acted upon my advice!

      Ana

      Reply
  35. Betty says

    December 29, 2010 at 9:58 pm

    Until I read this posting, I had never heard of a Tribe. I have looked into FB to see if I could find one that would best suit me. There are so many and it looks like so many have given up. Trying to find like minds that are still going is going to be difficult. Could you give me some ideas on what the general rules and regulations might be for one of these to be successful? I have looked at some and the ones that I am seeing have to go through a joining process and I really don’t want to waste their or my time joining a niche tribe that has nothing to do with my niche. Thanks so much for another great article!

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 29, 2010 at 10:09 pm

      Hi, Betty – the best tribe is the one that you create on your own, in my opinion.

      All I did was start with an idea (which you already have) and read a bunch of blogs in my niche (I am sure you can find plenty of them on Google or social media networks) to see which blogs could use some comments. Then you simply approach the owners with the idea to join your commenting tribe.

      The only thing that can guarantee your success is you, Betty. I had no experience in creating one of those – I pretty much made it up as I went (and still do 🙂 ) and it worked!

      Reply
  36. JamestheJust says

    December 27, 2010 at 2:18 am

    I’ve created a “professional” FB account since my personal one has close to 1000 friends – but they’re personal, not professional (mostly). I had that much of this done…:)

    But until now, the only “tribes” I’ve heard of are from Seth Godin’s book…what was the name of it…

    It’ll come to me. 🙂

    Anyhow, I always learn a nuance or two from you, Ana. Hard to imagine you need to work at this IM thing – it seems to come so naturally to you (viz. SERP’d). Thanks for being a wealth of great tips.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 27, 2010 at 8:39 pm

      Hello James,

      Thanks for coming. There are lots of tribes in FB, you just have to find the right group whose members’ niche are similar to you.

      All the best,

      Ana

      Reply
  37. Praveen says

    December 22, 2010 at 8:10 am

    Very good tutorial.I like the way this has been crafted. Keep up the great work. Retweeted

    i will definitely try all these in my new niche sites

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 22, 2010 at 6:48 pm

      Hey Praveen,

      Welcome to my blog. Thanks for taking time to read my post.

      Have a nice day,

      Ana

      Reply
  38. Borneo Tom says

    December 20, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Hi:
    Thanks for giving me the advice about Market Samuri. I have purchased the program and am using it extensively. As for tribes, I will try it on Face Book. Thanks for giving this computer challenged ape EXACT instructions for doing things!

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 21, 2010 at 11:15 pm

      You’re very much welcome Borneo. I’m glad you are now using Market Samurai.

      All the best,

      Ana

      Reply
  39. Antonia says

    December 20, 2010 at 8:37 am

    This is great info. Until now I didn’t know that kind of thing existed. My blog grew relatively quickly (though not to the size of trafficgenerationcafe) without tribes but it now came to a bit of a standstill, which is a shame. After reading this I am going to look and join a Social Media Tribe. Would you know any good ones that could use an additional member? 🙂 Would appreciate the help. THank you in advance and thank you for this great post.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 20, 2010 at 8:34 pm

      Hi Antonia,

      The tribe that you should join would depend on your niche. You have to consider it wisely.

      All the best,

      Ana

      Reply
  40. Elise says

    December 18, 2010 at 11:37 am

    Wow, I had no idea these things existed… but after reading this, it sounds like a brilliant idea! I’ve been new to the whole “commenting” thing for the past couple months and I had no idea how much it could do for my blog! Thanks for sharing this, Ana. 🙂

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 19, 2010 at 6:47 pm

      Hello Elise,

      Welcome to my blog. Yes tribes definitely exist and it’s definitely a great way to drive traffic to your site.

      All the best,

      Ana

      Reply
  41. Mavis Nong~Attraction Marketing Online says

    December 18, 2010 at 6:42 am

    Hi Ana,

    As a proud member of your Facebook tribe, I cannot thank you enough for inviting me to join you.

    At the time, there was no much activity on my blog and I wasn’t even sure if I was really qualified to be a part of your group. Now, I can’t believe the traffic and comments that I am now getting. Yes, just like you, the initial comments were from the other members, but I soon started seeing new faces as well 🙂

    It’s really great to see my content/links being shared all over the place by other people – building social proof for me 🙂

    And your strict and clear rules are keeping us all in line and that explains why our group is so successful. Those who can’t take the heat, they simply leave the kitchen! 🙂

    I have a blogging schedule and I find that by being a member of your group has also helped me to stick to it. I never wanted to miss a deadline to submit my new posts. It gives me a sense of responsibility.

    Lastly, I have met incredible people and have learned a lot from them. In fact, I’m still learning new things everyday 🙂

    So, Ana, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you massively for inviting me to join your amazing group and for all your help since I met you a few months ago.

    Keep up the good work. All the best to you!

    Mavis

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 19, 2010 at 7:09 pm

      Hello Mavis,

      The pleasure is mine for having you in my group. You are an amazing person and you were able to contribute greatly and have done your part as member of the community. Thanks also for being one of us. You are irreplaceable.

      Have a great day,

      Ana

      Reply
      • Mavis Nong~Attraction Marketing Online says

        December 20, 2010 at 5:19 pm

        Hey Ana,

        Thanks for your encouragement 🙂

        Just to let you know that I implemented what you shared here in terms of finding other tribes on Facebook. I’m now getting some traffic and comments by just using this strategy.

        I never paid attention to joining other tribes… Thank you so much for sharing this.

        To your readers: what Ana teaches here works and works very well!

        All the best,
        Mavis

        Reply
  42. bryan says

    December 18, 2010 at 3:40 am

    Hey Ana,

    Totally agree with you that the number of comments made on a post is “social proof” that people are reading and people frequently visit your blog. Having a traffic commenting tribe is a very interesting idea and I like it when you said in one of the comments about making it a small instead of too large a group.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 19, 2010 at 8:10 am

      I strongly feel that we need to help our business, not overwhelmed ourselves further, Bryan.

      With that in mind, the size of the tribe is very important: just big enough to fulfill its purpose, yet small enough not to become your second day job. 🙂

      Thanks for coming by and wishing you a great weekend.

      Ana

      Reply
  43. Ruth says

    December 17, 2010 at 5:42 pm

    Hi Ana, I found you through Mavis Nong’s blog. I’m a newbie to blogging and just put up my first post today woo hoo!!! I’m going to adapt the ‘tribe’ strategy but I’m just wondering what the best way forward is since Im very new and have no comments on my blog yet.
    Looking forward to your response.
    Ruth

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 18, 2010 at 8:22 am

      Welcome to my blog, Ruth.

      First, you need to publish more great content. Don’t look for readers yet; nobody wants to come to an empty book.

      After you publish 15-20 solid posts, then it’ll be good time to start drawing traffic.

      Meanwhile, find other blogs in your niche and start commenting. Start watching them to see how many comments they get, if they get much traffic, etc. Then approach them with an idea of joining your tribe.

      Hope this helps!

      Ana

      Reply
  44. John Garrett says

    December 17, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    Very nice, Ana. I’m going to look into the commenting Tribe and see if I can find some like-minded individuals to connect with. This is an idea that is so obvious and yet it would *never* have occurred to me.

    Thanks much for the info you provide. Peace!

    -JG

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 17, 2010 at 6:45 pm

      Hello John,

      It’s never too late to start joining a tribe now and use it to your advantage. Go give it a try.

      All the best,

      Ana

      Reply
  45. Kimi says

    December 17, 2010 at 6:41 am

    Hi Ana,

    This post really inspires me to use Social media, which i have no success at all at it, or maybe because i am never serious at it.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Kimi.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 17, 2010 at 6:43 pm

      Hello Kimi,

      Social media is a very effective tool in increasing traffic to your site, but you have to invest your time and effort and be serious for it to work.

      Thanks for reading my blog,

      Ana

      Reply
  46. Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion says

    December 16, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    Hi Ana, my first time in your neck of the woods and needless to say, I’m really, really impressed. I hate to admit it, but I had no idea these types of ‘tribes’ existed. The concept makes a ton of sense and I only wish I’d known about this sooner. I look back on this last year of blogging and realize that I basically wasted my first 6 months because I simply didn’t understand networking. And although I’ve gotten much, much better, this article reminds me I’ve got a long ways to go. 😉

    Thanks for the read!

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 17, 2010 at 6:01 am

      Hello Marcus,

      Each one of us commit mistakes in the past, but I believe it’s not a waste of time because it’s always been a learning process. What’s important is that you learn something from those experiences. As to joining a tribe, you can add it to your “to do list” and I’m sure it can help you bring more traffic to your site.

      All the best,

      Ana

      Reply
  47. Ana Hoffman says

    December 16, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    Hello Oliver,

    It’s actually my pleasure that you are part of my tribe and I know that others are also grateful because we learned a lot from you and from what you share to each one of us. You’re blogs are truly inspiring and you are a blessing to us.
    I agree with commenting as voluntary and not force and I’m sure that other members of the tribe also understand that. We collaborate and help each other as a community.

    Thanks for everything,

    Ana

    Reply
  48. Devesh says

    December 15, 2010 at 5:57 pm

    Hi Ana,

    Awesome post, as always. I love your writing style.

    My blog started to grow when i did blog commenting, i done commenting on as many blogs as possible. Then i started utilizing the power of social media sites.

    Thanks for sharing! Retweeted ;). Have a great day Ana.

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 15, 2010 at 6:16 pm

      Hello Devesh,

      Maybe you can also try being part of a commenting tribe. It really makes a big difference.

      All the best to you,

      Ana

      Reply
  49. Ana Hoffman says

    December 15, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    Thank you so much, Heather.

    It’s strange for me to think that you felt this way about approaching me considering I was very new to this blogging game myself back then.

    I suppose nobody had to know that. 🙂

    I am blessed to have you as a part of the original tribe, Heather, and so grateful to have you, of all people, take my place.

    Look forward to seeing what heights your blog achieves next!

    Ana

    Reply
  50. Linda says

    December 15, 2010 at 12:01 pm

    Hi Ana-

    I love the innovation:

    “I couldn’t find a good tribe, so I created my own.”

    This is some of the best social media advice I’ve heard since starting my blog in the spring. I’ll definitely take your suggestion to heart, as I’ve recently met some great people in my industry (psychotherapy) on Twitter and Facebook.

    This is truly appreciated.

    Happy Holidays!
    ~Linda

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 15, 2010 at 4:04 pm

      Go for it, Linda; can’t wait for others to pave the way. 🙂

      Pleasure to see you on my blog.

      Ana

      Reply
  51. Lisa says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:14 am

    Heather:

    thats exactly how I felt when I sent Ana an email asking a question! I felt like I was standing in front of the president asking a question that came out like Charlie Brown’s teacher…”waa waaa waaa.”

    I have learned so much from Ana and now you! Kudos on stepping up to the plate with the tribe!

    Reply
  52. Lisa says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:09 am

    Ana:

    I am truly so thankful for you. Had it not been for a personal response email from you and consumming mass amounts of your blog, I would have thrown in the towel. I was ready to quit and chalk it up to a lesson learned. You re motivated me and I am forever indebted to you.
    I am so thrilled your blog has shot through the roof and I admire all the hard work and dedication you have put into it. As I said in my last post, “I know she thinks I’m not listening” but we are madam!!
    Kudos to you and keep bringing the knowledge!

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 15, 2010 at 4:14 pm

      I loved what you said, Lisa; glad you are listening!

      Blogging is not an easy business in the beginning, but then again, which business is? Happy to see you are still with us, and you know what? Your blog can be exactly where mine is today in a couple of short months. I mean it!

      Ana

      Reply
  53. Larry Rivera says

    December 15, 2010 at 5:29 am

    Hi Ana Great article about tribes. I just got done doing a post about tribes. I have been blogging since around 2006. My only regret is I didn’t get involved with tribes sooner.

    I can really see the benefit joining a tribe has for a newbie blogger. There is so much to learn about how to blog and get seo ranking etc.. Finding a good tribe can really go a long way with helping a person learn the right skill sets.

    Thanks for sharing,
    Larry

    Reply
    • Ana Hoffman says

      December 15, 2010 at 6:40 am

      I agree, Larry – the right tribe can give a new blog a push it needs.

      I couldn’t find a good tribe, so I created my own. 🙂

      Good to see you back on my blog; hope all is well.

      Ana

      Reply

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