Okay, so what is a blog tribe? Well, it is having a group of other bloggers whom you share some form of  commonality whether it be location, topic matter, interests, life stages, etc. People naturally like to create an “in” group and it may be the reason you see so many people clique’d together at blog conferences.

Unlike the movie Julie & Julia, most successful bloggers don’t just write for themselves. If you are treating your blog as an online diary and not really interacting with others and their blogs, you will find that your traffic is going to minimal at best. Creating a community of others provides an avenue of support, conversation, & a general boost in outlook when it comes to your blog. Traditional tribes always have storytellers that pass down the history of the tribe, and a blog tribe is made up of all the storytellers.

A blog tribe allows for support as you set-up and grow your blog. Elder members of the tribe will train newer members and help guide them in the right direction. Newer members may come with fresh ideas that were never thought of before. Ideally, the members understand the importance of their roles and overall competition is kept down for the good of the whole, rather than the individual.

A blog tribe allows for conversation. Human beings are social creatures and therefore, interpersonal interaction allows for us to satisfy our needs for love. Conversation allows for the exchange of ideas, the betterment of self, and the overall improvement of the community.

A blog tribe provides a boost in outlook because when faced with an issue or problem, there is strength in numbers. When you have a tribe of support, they will come through for you when you need it most.

There are many blogging communities out there and some are designed with a more social sense and some with a more business sense. I myself belong to Social Fabric,  Social Moms (formerly Twitter Moms), Mom Central, Mom Select, Bloggy Moms, the Latina Mom Bloggers Club, a host of other communites and of course, I run Bloggin’ Mamas. Each community has its own culture, guidelines, and goals in mind. You can belong to several communities and have very different experiences. What is important to keep in mind is that when joining these tribes, you should join only those which you can be an active participant in. Relationships are reciprocal so you should not expect others to support you when you don’t support them.

And let me not forget that having a blog tribe can be FUN! When the work is said and done, you can still enjoy the company of your tribe. Meeting face to face only solidifies the bond, hence why blog conferences are so effective and generally well attended.

Because bloggers have power in their voice, it also opens them up to once in a lifetime opportunities especially when they join together. I personally just partied at the Versace Mansion on Cinco de Mayo and networked on the lawn of a Miami mansion on the water while viewing Scarface on a huge screen set-up there. (That’s just a tiny bit of what my tribes have opened me up to.) I have a few friends who just got back from THE White House after a few days of learning how to mobilize the latino voice.

The point is that you should seek out blog communities that interest you, that you can actively participate in, and that will allow you to join. This will help you grow your blog, grow your community, and improve your ability to reach your goals. You are welcome to join one of my existing chapters of Bloggin’ Mamas or start a new one in your area. Having a degree in Sociology, I understand the principles behind building a strong community and base my groups on those principles. Bonus: We are going on a cruise next year 🙂

So tell me about the blog tribes you may already have joined.