Third Tribe Marketing: View From The Inside
I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately, so the recent IMTW Podcast with Ed Dale and Paul Colligan is the first I’d heard of the buzz about Third Tribe Marketing.
It’s a new community launched by Darren Rowse (aka Problogger), Brian Clark (aka CopyBlogger), Chris Brogan and Sonia Simone. Third Tribe membership is $47/month, and already has over 2,000 members.
I’m actually traveling again this week, to Australia. I’ll be on a panel with Darren Rowse at the Coming Home Seminar in Melbourne, and on this topic, so I decided to sign up and check it out.
The concept behind it is that there are basically two tribes: the dirty internet marketers 
who monetize everything online, and the social media evangelists that want to protect the social space from marketing clutter and spam.
Third Tribe is a meeting ground in between, where all groups can come together to discuss the topics and learn from each other…
The link is: http://thirdtribemarketing.com
There is a discussion forum of course, but the members area also contains high quality content. There is a live training seminar every month, plus two Live Q&A calls for members. This month the topic is Building A Business Around A Blog. You get the one-hour audio, the PDF transcript and the Next Action Worksheet – along with a list of the links mentioned in the audio for easy access.
You can then use the forum to discuss the training topics, and specifically how you can best implement the ideas in your own business.
Another thing I like about the Third Tribe community is The Niche Corner. This is a great place to discuss niche-specific topics, or network with other bloggers or online business owners in your niche. It’s an ideal place to meet people for things like interviews or guest posting.
While there are many public forums on the net, there is something to be said for a private community where the members have qualified themselves as being serious enough about their business to invest in growth & networking.
And of course, if you’re from the dirty internet marketer tribe (lol) you already know the value of being involved with a group of people that each have an active PayPal account – and are paying $47/month to be there.
On a side note- I can only guess why Ed Dale wanted me on the panel for this topic alongside Darren Rowse, Dan Raine, and Yaro Starak. It shall be an interesting panel indeed! 
So far I am really impressed with Third Tribe. The 4 people behind this community are well-known both for their integrity and quality of content. And the forums are a goldmine of resources and networking opportunities.
This definitely met the criteria in my filter for making an investment in my blog and business. I know the value of just one connection or guest blogging opp goes far beyond the $47/month to be a member.
I am also seeing a lot of familiar faces inside Third Tribe. It will be a great space to communicate openly but privately, and also meet some cool new folks in the space.
Here are some great links if you’d like to read more about the launch & buzz of the new Third Tribe Marketing community:
Is Your Tribe Holding You Down? by Sonia Simone
Third Tribe Marketing is Live by Sonia Simone
What Third Tribe is About by Chris Brogan
Some Of The Third Tribe Conversations by Chris Brogan
The Third Tribe – Launched [My Back Story] by Darren Rowse
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Click Here to Join Me at ThirdTribe!
Best,
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by lynnterry: Third Tribe Marketing: View From The Inside – http://www.clicknewz.com/2258/third-tribe-marketing/...
I have been watching the conversation that is being held by bloggers about 3rd Tribe.It definitely looks interesting but I don’t think it is the right time for me at the moment.
Follow me @Large DogKennels on Twitter.
Sounds like a very interesting concept. I never thought about the different “tribes” and how we effect each other. I know what tribe I fall into, and I’m proud of it. I’ll have to check this out some more thanks for the links.
-Paul Roekle
Follow me @PaulRoekle on Twitter.
It’s interesting, Paul. I travel to a lot of events and have been noticing this for years. There is very little cross-over between the groups (or “tribes”) – unless you count me!
There are SEO’s, internet marketers, bloggers, etc. I am really looking forward to the Third Tribe community and the discussions there.
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
This sounds like a great idea, and also comes just at the right time because I have seen a lot of marketers in recent months talking about how it is much more productive to produce content about your passion than just finding a niche that looks like it might buy. (I guess you can do this kind of thing with outsource peeps once you have a system working.)
The main reason that it seems better to go after your passion than the quick cash is…
- Content will be fun to produce so you can easily get in your two hours content creation a day without wanting to jump of a bridge. (The two hour a day thing is a wicked tip from the lovable Ed Dale)
Great post Lynn
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I agree, it’s much easier to work in a niche where you’re at least interested, if not super passionate. That doesn’t mean you can’t monetize practically any niche – it just becomes “work” (even managing the outsourcing of it)…
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
Lynn–
Glad to see you’ve found the tribe! I’m LittleNetworks in 3T and am finding it a fertile ground of content, thought and connections.
I’m planning on making it to Melbourne this week too – looking forward to this panel and all the top-level content as well as meeting my heroes (like you) in person!
Follow me @LeeLittle on Twitter.
I look forward to meeting you later this week, Lee!
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
Lynn,
. Thanks for the insight into the Third Tribe. I am have been considering joining all weekend as I am a big fan of Sonia Simone (and all the others of course). I did read somewhere that you are welcome to a refund within 30 days if you don’t like what you see inside. That made me decide to try it out and thought others might like to know that too.
WE know you belong right up there with Yaro and Darren and so does Ed
Follow me @braffenberg on Twitter.
That’s true – there is a money back guarantee. Thanks for bringing that up, Bridgett! And yes, for all my teasing, I know exactly where I stand. I am really looking forward to the panel and to the Q&A on the topic. Ed mentioned recording it, so hopefully I’ll be able to share that with Elite Members when I return.
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
Wow – that definitely sounds like a great group to be involved in – I’m going to have to keep that in my radar! Would love to sign up to that later on, when making more consistent income!
Follow me @lisamariemary on Twitter.
hi lynne quick question of the track a little but when looking at your top 3 competition how does it stand for me getting to top 3 if the top three results are from ehow, ezines,articlebase,youtube…iether all of them or some…how do you beat them or is that a leave alone area then? thank you for your great posts still reading…
The process is the same – you analyze the backlinks. For any questions, anytime, feel free to use my free discussion forum too
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
This sounded interesting, but there are just too many offers from this same group of people! Problogger community, Sonia’s internet marketing course, plus other similar paid communities that I got promos for at the same time, such as Yarak’s Become a Blogger Premium, and the SSWT elite group (I chose the latter two).
I couldn’t decide when I received all these offers at once, and actually contacted Brian Clark to help differentiate this group from the others so I could make an informed decision but never heard back from him.
I decided to skip this… one can only belong to so many online forums without making a huge time suck and diluting the positive effects! For me it’s best stick to one or two forums and get (and give) all I can without overwhelming myself.
I’ll be interested to hear more of what you think, Lynn!
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Interesting, Lain. I’m on very few lists and am filtering most of them out lately as I’ve been focusing on specific projects, but I see where it could be confusing. It’s definitely important to choose the communities and opportunities that benefit you the most.
If you are unsure, the best place to start is by defining your current objectives. That way you don’t get distracted or derailed, and the opps you choose will actually help you reach your immediate goals.
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
I would be interested to see what stats they have on their 2,000 members. At $47/month I totally agree that the forum must be packed with serious social media enthusiasts.
Tom (above) said it’s interesting but not for him at this time. At what point in your social media career does membership in The 3rd Tribe benefit most?
I’ll be interested to see how their marketing efforts change over time as they learn what nuance really drives membership. I wish there were a universal “Who will benefit” meter on every forum – Kinda like that “how efficient is this fridge” sign they put in every new refrigerator.
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What kind of stats are you interested in, Dan? Income level (w/online business, specifically) I assume, what else?
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thanks Lynn for the review – good to have you in the tribe.
Looking forward to Friday!
Follow me @problogger on Twitter.
Looking forward to it as well, Darren – should be an awesome session. We’re on in an hour or so!
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
Thanks for reviewing this. I respect that you’ve stayed positive on this group of social mediaists gone IM. But, I’m looking for more critical thinking.
At $47/mos, I’d have to see tremendous benefit from content and leverage relationships in order to join and maintain a membership. I joined “Teaching Sells” and thought Brian and his Bro did a great job. But I left after 3 months as it wasn’t the right time in my business model and, it was obvious that they were just building the community not from expertise, but as an experiment.
Lynn, I think that this area of the world (social media for profit marketing) is so dynamic and so fluid that the best content and connections are out there still free. I disagree with your comment that somehow the $49/month indicates commitment. To me, it indicates groupies and tire kickers like any other subscription community.
I appreciate you not going negative, but I’ve come to expect a higher level of critical thinking, resisting early adoption, and healthy cynicism from you by reading your blog and listening to the IMTW podcast.
I like Chris, Darren and, CopyBlogger guy. I hope this community proves it’s worth. But, other than paying the money, I don’t see any other filter for the folks who join. I will still have to sort out the good from the bad. I can openly be a voyeur on Twitter for free and pick my relationships, and join many networks on Ning.com and other places for free and do the same thing. I don’t see the real benefit. In fact, I see there to be a danger of people, in this new and unproven model, wanting to “please” the gurus/celebrities and just tell them what they want to hear, thus, diluting the network’s value.
So far the marketing, other than the “Names” doesn’t really convince me to fork out my still limited cash. To me, these folks have proven their own worth, but haven’t proven their ability to help others. I’ve built a community of over 2,000 and know that the beginning is, well, only the beginning.
I look forward to more of your thoughts as your involvement grows.
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In any of these (forums/blog comments) you get back in relation to what you put in.
I don’t see how I can’t get $600 of value, not to mention actual cash from business generated, if I stay active.
Any forum, paid or free has the filter problem.
I especially dislike threads that are stated with ambiguous or desperate sounding title and finding the “meat” can be a challenge.
That said, the founders are all actively participating at this time, offering a proven level of expertise. I think that’s worth something and I use that to help filter.
And I think paid does say commitment and helps the founders stay motivated.
My 2c.
PS There’s monthly instructional content too
Follow me @LeeLittle on Twitter.
Hi Matthew,
This is my personal review of Third Tribe, after joining and having a look around. I find it of value to me personally, and very much so relative to the low investment to join.
The most valuable aspect of 3T for me personally is the section of the community for niche discussions. This makes it very easy to work directly with niche bloggers – to find interview opps, guest bloggers, link partners, discuss affiliate programs and other things in our niche, etc.
With a community like this, every person will get something different out of it. The various elements will hold different value for each of us. It sounds like you are more interested in whether they (the community leaders) will work with you personally where I find the niche forums particularly helpful.
I appreciate your response and request, but I think on this one… time will tell, and personal preference (along with objectives, among other things) will play a big role in your take on Third Tribe.
Follow me @lynnterry on Twitter.
Hi Lynn, I agree with several of the posts above… there are just
so many forums onw has time for, but do have strong feelings about
the concept of a third tribe. I am right there with the tribe of
bloggers caught between the pleasure of sharing information and being
cool about making money, so I joined the first day!
It feels like a comfortable place to be so far!
Follow me @francivile on Twitter.
So…
Tribe 1 = dirty marketers making money.
Tribe 2 = ethical bloggers going broke.
Tribe 3 = ethical bloggers making money AND dirty marketers going broke?
Sounds a little too neat and tidy to me…
Follow me @billdotd on Twitter.
LOL – Bill. “We are the evolution of perfection!”
Personally, I find the Third Tribe idealogy appealing, as I’ve been schooled in hype which does not fit my already hyper personality! My
whole “brand” is built on my real personality, so I’d probably benefit
a lot by learning from people who are succeeding by being themselves.
Follow me @GinaParris on Twitter.
Linda,
Great post and great concept. I am glad that someone is willing to step into the middle and be a bridge builder…
@bill- Hilarious, and probably accurate!
The Third Tribe sound a bit like Chamber of commerce that can be found in every city. They also act as a middle man. TT is ofcource more specific on one area.
Hey Lynn did you post anywhere in tribes about how it went with Darren?
Also here is the mind blower about Tribes for me. Not jut the names of people who’s blogs I read often. But some of the most viral threads become the most educational. That email list strategies and giveaway items and the one where Dave Navarro shared his ebooks for free was a selling point for me. Or the guy who sold his first ebook for 1000 in 72 hours. I am ridiculously cautious about what I promote. I believe you should enforce what you endorse.
So far so great. Whether it is short term or long term one thing I think we can all agree on is that time tells all tales.
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[...] ThirdTribe Community The topic this month is “Email Marketing Strategies That Work” [...]
I’d be interested in knowing what you think now.
Personally, I have limited time and finding that for the ROI other things work better.
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