A Review of Unified Tribe
Unified Tribe’s Founder
Katie Freiling is considered by most to be the one of the first to step into the social media stream and utilize self branding to build a huge business.
Her poise, grace, confidence and intuitive understanding of the industry have made her someone that people feel proud to look up to.
Katie has done her time, so to speak, LONG before it was the cool thing to do.
Because she has constantly led with value and giving, Katie has amassed a huge following that is passionate about her and what she represents. This is exactly what we seek to establish when we self-brand.
Social Media Wealth Manifesto
Recently, Katie released her incredibly powerful Social Media Wealth Manifesto in which she lays out a TON of valuable information on how she did what she did! If you haven’t picked it up, you can do so here. The Social Media Wealth Manifesto is free, but that is the affiliate link of my partner Jodie. I don’t actually have one of my own nor do I particularly care to. Do not let its “free” status cause you to ignore it! [Oh wait... she redirected all of the links to the sales page...]
Unified Tribe
Katie’s Social Media Wealth Manifesto was the in fact the lead-up… the freebie… to her newest marketing funnel. It heralded the launch of her just announced Unified Tribe. Now, I don’t want to spend a lot of time today talking about the power of Tribe/Syndication Alliances. I can point you to a lot of great resources as to why you SHOULD be utilizing the power of Tribes in your social media marketing.
Katie’s new program is not just another tribe, however. She’s put an estimated $10k into the development of some custom software that not only prevents freeloading and slacking but rewards those that are doing the work. RP, reciprocity points, are tracked and act like syndication credits. They can be earned and spent as the currency within her system. Because of the stats tracking, keeping people honest is finally not such an issue. Someone that works hard within her system WILL gain the traffic because they earned it.
Will It Work?
Katie’s system will work well for you… if…
- You have your marketing funnel including opt-in offer and auto-responder fully set up
- You have time to invest in doing the syndication time. This is no small block of time.
- You have enough advertising budget to handle a SUSTAINED $67/month (yes, the first month is only $25)
There… I said it.
That right there is what too few are being willing to say and what has been bugging me!
You MUST treat your business like a business! You MUST think critically about time and monetary investments. You MUST have your marketing funnel in place FIRST before you even DREAM of something like this.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
The Good: Katie has built an incredible system that is another beautiful take on the Tribe Syndication Alliance model. The software is brilliant. Because it has the capacity to handle a variety of media types, it may very well replace some of your advertising expenses for both article marketing and video marketing if you’re using paid services. Getting a chance to have Katie present on a monthly webinar is a hot opportunity as she no longer is taking private coaching clients if I understand correctly. Getting recognized and known in a community she represents could be game-changing for you if you properly work it and remember to lead with value. Getting known by individuals currently more successful than yourself is powerful leverage
The Bad: There hasn’t been a lot of talk of what its going to take to make this program cost effective for the average small business owner. We must remember to keep our heads about us and ask rational questions. Lead with your heart, but follow with your head!
The Ugly: If you do not have enough advertising budget to support this (and you MUST have an advertising budget be it of time or capital regardless, and in this case both!), compounded over a year that $700+ could keep you from purchasing things you need “right now”.
If you do not yet have Aweber set up as an auto-responder, and you use some of that money to fund this, you’ve stopped your marketing funnel in its tracks. You can NOT afford to not have your marketing together. If you’re marketing funnel is not in place, would you not be better served finding a course, class, kit or package to help you get there first? Traffic, regardless of the source, will result in ZERO INCOME if you do not have your other ducks in a row.
This also becomes one more “to do list” item on what may already be a full plate. If you already have a core/professional tribe (not just a tribe-with-training-wheels) and syndicate strongly within the existing class & Tribe environments, you may already be doing all you can until your marketing is together. If your focus is correctly on the next step for your business – you’re going to KNOW if this is the right move for you. Paid advertising comes AFTER you have other ducks in a row.
How Do I know If It’s Right For Me?
Here’s some simple questions you can ask yourself…
- Is my marketing funnel including my opt-in offer and auto-responder series fully in place and tested?
- Can I free up enough time to be able to do more Syndicating than I am already doing?
- Can I shift enough advertising budget so that $67/month does not cripple my cash flow?
- Can I find other ways of gaining Syndication and Education that are as effective yet less costly?
- Do you have your OWN product in place to promote?
- What can I work on now, to improve my business now so I CAN make the most of Unified Tribe when I’m ready?
Summary Reviewing Unified Tribe
Katie’s Unified Tribe is a brilliant system of stats tracking for the Tribe Syndication Alliance communities. It brings some work horse software that a lot of people are going to be thrilled to see. Technically speaking, the software is brilliant. The fact that she includes a webinar call and some other training with it just sweeten the deal. Because it can potentially replace other services and expense you may already be paying monthly it’s certainly something to consider! Even if you can not do a sustained $67, the $25 for the first month is actually a very fair number and a great way to add some quick fuel to your business. Checking out the discounted month may be a useful traffic source for you.
However, its incredibly important to be a “informed buyer”. You must be keenly aware of where your business stands, what is and is not in place, what your current advertising budget is, and what your other opportunities are before you consider ANY purchase, particularly a monthly purchase. Subscription services are powerful IF we position ourselves to maximize on them. A lot of subscription services are well worth the money IF we dedicate the resources and pre-planning to making the most of them. If you take advantage of the discounted first month, but plan not to stay, remember to unsubscribe properly so that you do not have a drain on your wallet that you forget to utilize. Know your business and treat it as a business!
Kimberly
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Related posts by Kim:
- Tribe Syndication: A Step-By-Step Guide to Success (Part 1)
- Tribe Syndication Alliance FAQs
- WordPress Plugin Review: No Frames (Tell Toolbars to Stop Traffic Stealing)
- Identity Wars: The search for a Unified Login Solution
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
Kimberly, you have no idea how much I appreciate that you have taken the time to write such a well though out and insightful review of Katie’s Unified Tribe. I have heard a lot of buzz about it and I did download the manifesto, but haven’t had a chance to finish reading it yet. I have been wondering what the details were with the Unified Tribe, but have been too distracted lately with some stuff going on in my personal life to figure out what it is all about.
I LOVE the advice that you have given in this post. I just can’t even tell you how helpful I find this post! Thank you so much! You are a true jem!
.-= Melissa Wright´s last blog ..16 Great Plugins You Need to Have on Your Blog =-.
I have to say that over the last week or so leading up to this there has been a lot of hype and excitement. The opportunity within the Unified tribe has incredible potential.
Thank you for taking the time to evaluate this and to offer some insights that all of us as business owners should consider but often overlook.
.-= Don Enck´s last blog ..Do You Love Your Competition? =-.
Wow, Kimberly. This is a fantastic review as well as great business advice. I really appreciate you taking the time to evaluate Katie’s program, describe it in a nutshell and provide the insight as to what stage a business should be in for a good fit.
There are many choices of how to spend money on my business. Great reviews like this one help me evaluate and make those decisions with better information than I have time to gather on my on. Thank you!
.-= Teresa Ivory´s last blog ..Confidence: Another Gift from My Dad =-.
Kim, you are dead on in this review and thank you for being honest enough to share it. The system has benefit and power, but so many times the monthly cost really can’t be justified in a realistic business plan. Although her community has a lower monthly expense than many and seems to have a big bang for the buck, you need to have the sales funnel set up and that also comes with expense, so a practical look is important. One should always make sure they are utilizing the plethora of free resources that are available to them before they go and spend any money.
Kim thanks for your honest unbiased review.
“Dream, Believe, Become…”
Tracey
.-= Tracey Keefer @ Free MLM Help´s last blog ..Mindset is Power! Own Your Life! =-.
Kimberly,
What a wonderful review of this new opportunity. I appreciate your points about looking at your business intelligently first and foremost. Decisions should be made with all aspects of your business – ie cash flow, time and expertise level, in mind. Like Teresa said, the correct decisions for the correct stage of your business.
Weighing the pros and cons are key to any decision. Thanks for this great information.
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Which Bridge in Life to Use… =-.
This is definitely a very balanced review of a hot topic in the industry right now. You provided not only the facts, but a clear plan for what needs to be in place for maximum effectiveness with the time and resources we each have available.
I agree with Teresa, it is reviews like this that help us make informed decisions. I really appreciate this, thanks Kimberly!
.-= Beth Allen´s last blog ..Is Your Attention on Your Intention? =-.
Very informative review indeed. I love the fact that you also outlined things to think about for the business owner. A lot of times people just goes with what’s currently “hot” without even thinking how it would actually benefit them and would end up being overwhelmed or overloaded, resulting in no action in their part.
.-= Cherrie Bautista@Young And Fabulous´s last blog ..Four Common Habits Of The Young And Fabulous =-.
Along with all the others, this goddess is utterly thrilled to have a sane, logical, educated review of a product that has been hyped out of all recognition.
Katie Freiling is undoubtedly a leader in the industry, and her product – with all it’s tracking and potential – is truly a gold mine of information and connections.
But ONLY if one is positioned to take advantage of it.
And therein lies YOUR genius, Kimberly, in pointing out the facts, the benefits and the pitfalls so that we can make informed, business-minded decisions.
And for that, we are all very grateful.
.-= Jacqueline Gates´s last blog ..The Goddess Guide to Finding your Purpose =-.
Kimberly,
This was a great review of Katie Freiling’s Unified Tribe, I love the fact that you gave the pros and the cons so that people can make an informed decision based on what is right for them in their stage of their business. Thanks so much this was very insightful.
Lori
Kim,
Great review. Very thorough. You brought out some points I had not thought of. Thanks !
Krista
Hi Kimberly
You’ve done an excellent job of this review, and I’m sure everyone will appreciate your opinion on this – I do.
I’m impressed with how you’ve pointed out not only the pros, but the possible cons of joining the Unified Tribe. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and excitement surrounding a launch (especially when you know, like and trust the person!
), however, it’s best to remove the emotion (where you can) in order to make a sound and logical business decision instead. 
I have no doubt in the world that Katie’s system will work, however, I’m very mindful of how much time will be required to make the most of using it. At this point in time, I certainly don’t have any “spare” time to fit it in.
Keep up the great work, Kim!
~ Kylie ~
.-= Kylie Doak´s last blog ..How to Migrate (Export and Import) Posts and Comments Files From One Wordpress Blog to Another =-.
My dear Kimberly,
Once again you provide such value to everyone who may be confused about all of the choices out there. I really appreciate you taking the time and doing a thorough analysis of the new Unified Tribe program. You lay out all of the considerations for anyone to be able to make a wise decision for themselves. So many times, I have jumped in on offers only to find, it was not what I wanted or too overwhelming for me to understand.
You are truly an angel! I applaud you also for your courage to post this article. I can tell you it really assisted me and will assist others who are wondering what to do.
Much love & gratitude,
Kellie
.-= Kellie Hosaka´s last blog ..Are You Afraid Of How Fast Things Are Changing Around You? =-.
Kim,
I don’t no where to start, your accessment of the Unified Tribe is so on point.
To many times I have jumped without truly looking. You are Fair and WELL Balanced on this review.
Thank You
.-= Bill Hartman´s last blog ..Day 30 of 30 Day Challenge =-.
Hey Kim!
Great review, especially looking at everything from all angles.
Here’s my take…
I think the software that Katie created is outstanding, as well as the added value that she has given. I cant remember when last I’ve seen anyone be so generous in any launch.
I can also see that very strong relationships and JV’s being developed there.
Some members that are already in tribes and are doing similar tribe syndication strategies might not see the complete value of paying for it though and many of them are already doing what the software will do.
Then, if you look one step up, we have Synnd. Synnd to me is the ultimate for traffic, SEO and getting the real true benefit of bookmarking. Nothing comes quite close to Synnd and is definitely the most powerful automated bookmarking software available.
But, then on the other hand, is Katie’s Unified Tribe ads one missing element that Synnd does not provide, and that is the community and the ability to build relationships.
Which, as network marketers, is why we are doing all this stuff in the first place.
So depending on where you are at in your business, what level and what resources you already have in place (tribe, Synnd, Bookmarking Demon, etc), there is definitely great value in Katie’s Unified Tribe.
.-= George Fourie´s last blog ..3 Simple Steps For MLM Moms To Create Productivity Out Of Chaos =-.
Thanks Kimberly for such an honest review of Katie’s Unified Tribe! I think you have very clearly clarified the pros and cons of her incredible system. It is definitely an incredible and powerful system she has in place if you have the time and money to utilize it! I love the built in accountability factor!
Kimberly,
Thank you for the excellent review. I appreciate your balanced and unbiased approach to this hot topic. It has also been great to read the comments of others.
Blessings,
John
.-= John McGinn´s last blog ..Help! I need a decision! =-.
Kimberly – Great review of the Unified Tribe. You gave really good views of both the pros and cons of this venture. Thanks for breaking it down for us!
.-= Glyna Humm´s last blog ..My New Favorite Timesaving Toolbar! =-.
Wow, fantastic review! I love the honesty and your willingess to lay it all out on the line. When I first heard of this, it made me think of a few things i.e. Chris Brogan’s The Third Tribe which is a great value considering being able to tap into such a marquee group of a-list bloggers and authority figures in terms of new marketing. Although I know it’s not entirely similar.
The one thing I’m weary of is the amount of “forced” reciprocity, even at the stake of reciprocating just for the sake of reciprocating, whether the content is aligned with one’s values and beliefs AND if it’s even valuable content to syndicate.
Of course, not having the inside look of Unified, I can only make certain assumptions based on face value, so my comment is just food for thought … having said that, it is definitely exciting to see Unified does in the near future and how this platform elevates one’s business.
Janette Stoll
.-= Janette Stoll´s last blog ..10 Tips to a Remarkable and Smarter Direct Sales Business =-.
Hey Kim,
What a Sweet ROI for only 10K. hmmmm!
It just goes to show you that whether something is considered good or bad, by having a huge following, you are much more likely to be successful. I think there is a lesson here
Thanks for sharing and being a True Leader!
Dave and (Dawn)
.-= Dave and Dawn´s last blog ..Spammers Aren’t Courteous! =-.
Go tell it on the mountain Kimberly, wow what a detailed review of the unified tribe. I have to say, You left no stone unturned and I know Katie would be proud to have You represent Her.
Awesome Review!
*Jonathan Sweeting*
.-= Jonathan Sweeting´s last blog ..Viral Content SuperNova! Dominate Alexa and bring the search engines to their knees =-.
Great review and I’ve been looking at the Tribes and it just makes more sense to dig into what WORKS. Great review!
.-= Lawrence Tam´s last blog ..Article Marketing Results From Blogging =-.
Lead with your heart, follow with your head! Wise words!
Thank you Kim, for once a review that isn’t a bit of fluff trying to get you to buy/join!!
You’re a breath of fresh air and ooze integrity.
Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Emma
Hey honey, you have done it once again…a great review. I appreciate you always being on top of things and intelligently giving us an unbiased review to think about.
I am so in love with this post. There are no words to explain how to thank you for this.
Your giving to us is so appreciated. You are not only someone that my mind follows, but my heart. Blessings to you Kimberly for taking the time to do this.
Good Karma is yours my friend. There are a lot of people jumping in or on the fence.
This will help them decide. You are a true leader.
Bless you, Donna
Great review! I appreciate all your unbiased reviews. I do believe Katie’s new tribe will be good.The cost is a good reason to be sure before you sign up.If money is tight there are several free Tribes that work well too.
Thanks!
Beverly
.-= Beverly Monical´s last blog ..Interview With Perry Lawrence aka Ask Mr Video =-.
Kim, there is nothing left to say except thank you for your keen insights and clear explanations.
You truly are the “go to” person and I appreciate you immensely.
Sandy
.-= Sandy & Al Abrams´s last blog ..From The Other Side Of The Nipple: Another Psychic Communication For Mom =-.
This is so appreciated Kimberly. It just makes a ton of sense to
have your homework done and be ready to rock or get yourself
in gear immediately to make the most of the Unified Tribe.
Thanks for all the angles of perspective and the insight you have
brought to light and shared. I got a bunch of new information
here today.
This got me thinking that if it IS an investment you are willing
to make, be sure to make the most of it in every way you can.
The people you meet and the education available on the inside
just might in itself be well worth considering. The $25.00 initial
investment to have a 30-day look around could be enough time
to do this depending on where you are at. Katie initial offer of a
money-back guarantee is there for considering, too.
.-= Robin Lynn Brooks´s last blog ..Listen for that Real Connection in Relationship Building =-.
There’s been a lot of questions why I have posted this article at all, when I help coordinate Syndication Alliance (SA) which “competes” with UT. The same question is also being asked about why I’ve shared this article in other tribe community pages & group sites. These are definitely some things I should address that didn’t belong addressed in the main article due to length:
I posted this review because there is a lot of people in the tribe communities that aren’t thinking clearly about UT and their business position. There’s a lot of people buying into the hype and not thinking about business cash flow. It’s mostly the newer members of the community that are seeing this as “a quick way to make millions” that in some ways its being promoted as. Who looks out for these new guys when no one is willing to step between a quick affiliate sale and them?
There is a time and place for all systems but there is never a time and place for a business to over-reach their cash flow abilities and get themselves in trouble. Although I’ve grabbed a friends link to be able to link to UT at all, I have no vested interest in UT. I’ve been in, looked around, wrote a review and stepped back out. I may at some time step in to play with the discounted first month, but that time is not now.
It makes no difference to me if someone signs with UT or not, only if they do what’s best for their business. As you’ll see, one of the questions I ask is … can you accomplish the same or better using free tools and resources already available to you. That’s where tribe communities like SA, TSA, Daily Crushers, etc come in! There are countless free communities all happy to provide a LOT of whats provided by UT. (There are however no communities 100% identical, and each needs weighed on its own merit.)
There are lots of “competing” (in some peoples views) communities here that actually function as a close woven family. For example TSA and SA, while both tribe communities, use two very different and yet both powerful models. Our communities share many members and that’s a powerful thing to remember. We’re all in this together. Likewise, both TSA and SA groups have members that are now in UT. I feel it serves all the communities when we can call everyone’s eyes to a review that reminds them to do a sanity check. Yes for some, UT is a powerful blessing. For some UT is exactly the right place at the right time. My goal here is to look out for those for whom its NOT.
While I love affiliate marketing with a passion, my biggest fear is to see it built on the shoulders of a novice in a way that it does long term business harm to them. While there is plenty of room to market to novices, and a ton of great products and resources that can benefit the beginner…. there are times that what a beginner needs most is a sanity check.
I’m fiercely protective of my community as a whole. You guys and gals are my people. You’re who stand behind me and support me and keep me going. It is to you I owe the best of intentions. I appreciate all the positive feedback. It makes stepping in the line of fire worthwhile. To you, my friends and readers, my heart belongs. From the bottom of my heart, and with love, I thank you
Kimberly
.-= Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..Make Fan Page FBML Welcome Tabs Easy! =-.
Thanks Kimberly, I agree with you and with a lot of the comments here about Katie’s software. For us newcomers, we definitely have to watch not only our “p”‘s and “q”‘s we have to watch our budget. Thanks agian
.-= Bill Cowan´s last blog ..Second Chance =-.
Kim I sit in wonderment myself, as to why anyone would wonder why you wrote your review? There was no conflict if interest in what you did, nor did you bash anyone or anything. You simply pointed out critical business thinking that many, even seasoned veterans, ignore when caught up in the excitement that some launches generate.
A critical thinker might question the mindset and possibly the integrity of someone who could read more into your review then there was, thereby needing to question your intent…just sayin.
“Dream, Believe, Become…”
Tracey
.-= Tracey Keefer @ Free MLM Help´s last blog ..Mindset is Power! Own Your Life! =-.
I must have been hiding under a rock this is the first I have heard about it. The concept does seem great but you really put into perspective. With the info you have provided someone just has to decide yes or no that simple. Great job.
.-= steve shoemaker´s last blog ..MLM Forum: Twitter 101 part 2 =-.
Hi Kimberly,
I appreciate what you have written and I honestly know that you are coming from a place of wanting to help people. Thanks for the review.
Sally
.-= Sally Bath´s last blog ..Having Fun – Do We Need To Remind Ourselves? =-.
sooooooooo glad i read this. i blindly signed up but obviously have my work cut out for me. thanks for the great review kim!
.-= Melissa McCloud@Herbalife´s last blog ..I’m So Excited I Might Pee Myself! =-.
Kimberly,
Awesome article…people impatiently trying short cuts to generate traffic are not in their right mind sometimes! Be patient and put in the work, and the traffic will come.
Shannon
http://www.newteacherhelp.com
Kimberly,
There has been so much buzz about this new system with little critical review. I really appreciate the time you took to paint the bigger picture. I think your points are well taken especially for the new person. Thanks so much for offering this balanced perspective to the community.
Jodi
.-= Jodi Lee´s last blog ..Quit yer complainin’ =-.
Kimberley, I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this article…. as well as feeling exonerated at the length of some of my own posts!! You write amazingly well, it’s unbiased, objective, informed and beautifully presented as well as giving us such valuable facts and figures. As are all your posts for that matter….
I love that you went through everything so thoroughly.. it was worthy of a university essay! And you’ve certainly answered many of my questions without that I need to go any further for answers. I’m particularly impressed by your second response (above) where you explain WHY you wrote this post, despite being in supposed ‘competition’ with the UT…. as I am sure you will agree there is far more than enough room for everyone here on the net, despite what the voice of scarcity and lack might have us believe, so kudos to you, Madame for being so honest and displaying the highest level of integrity.
I always love connecting with you Kimberly, and I hear nothing but high praise all round whenever your name comes up in conversation.
.-= Sandhan´s last blog ..The Pursuit of Happyness: Happy for No Reason =-.
It’s funny, I was looking for someone to give a review of The Unified Tribe that was more than a sales pitch by an affiliate and this post was by far and away the ONLY one I could find that gave a very thorough, completely unbiased perspective of the system. You have done an excellent job of looking at the system from every angle.
Katie clearly knows what she is doing when it comes to social media, but I wasn’t sure if this syndication network was something that is worth the $67 a month. I love that you mention the other syndication networks out there and that you added more in a comment after the initial post.
While I am not a newbie in this field, I am very appreciative of someone who reminds me to watch my marketing budget
Thanks for looking out for us, Kim! Well done.
.-= Britt Michaelian´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.
Excellent review! Comprehensive and unbiased. It was just what I was looking for. Thank you Kim. You are a valuable inspiration!
I am involved in a small tribe that is more like a mastermind group. We are creating a tight bond. That is something that I think is sorely missing from some of the big tribe options.
A marketing budget is crucial to any business. But considering that most people are not making any money in this business, I was surprised by the number of initial signups for UT.
I was also blessed to get another nugget from this post. Thank you to George Fourie for bringing Synnd to my attention. I had not heard of it before today.
Cheryl James invites you to read…Jim Alvino
Hey Kim,
This is one of the best if not the best review that I have seen on the internet. You talked about the big elephant in the room that most people ignore.
The key to success in business is cash flow. But all too often in the home based business industry is the emphasis put on making more money without the mention of minimizing expenses…because everybody is too busy trying to sell us something!
Most of the gurus have mastered the art of marketing to get new, niave people to spend their money…but few have mastered the art of helping the average person achieve real success in business. That is one of the reasons why the failure rate is so high in our industry.
Thanks for this post.
J
The Cartoon Coach
Carstarphen invites you to read…How to Find a Niche in 3 Easy Steps
Hi Kim, Great assessment. I think the structure of the Unified Tribe is amazing. However, I agree the cost is rather high for most marketers. If it had remained at $25 I think she would have gotten more participation. I found that at first many people were taking part in content syndication, discussions, etc., but after about a month this dropped off. I also found it to be heavily focused on network marketing, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but was not my particular market.
The idea behind it is brilliant and she did an excellent job with Webinars. I hope it continues and thrives. I would love to hear more feedback from people who increased their opt in’s, added team members and made more money from this system.
Rebecca
Hi Kim
I have just finished up in the UT after being in there from the beginning. After spending a good 3 months in it I have to say, for me personally, it was not worth the $84 I had to spend every month for access. I actually got ALOT more from the free NING community that came with the membership. That is where the real networking and action was happening. As much as Katie ROCKS and so does the idea of her product, for me personally, not worth $84 and I think that is why so many people have left!
I hope that it continues to rock for her, she truly deserves an abundance of success!!
cheers
Nat
Nat invites you to read…Enrich With Zemanta – What is it How Do You Use It What Benefit Is It To You
Hey Nat, thanks for the follow up. I was really wondering how it was going in there! I know a lot of folks have left but few have been willing to say why and their final take on it.
Were you able to keep ning access after you left or did they remove you from the member list?
I definitely agree that Katie rocks, and so does the theory behind this product, but at the same time there is an awful lot of people that its just not right for at this time in their business.
Wait a sec, $84? I thought it was about $67, did it go up or did I write it down wrong?
Thanks hun!
Kimberly
No you had it right at $67 but I am over here in Australia so converting it out it was coming to $84ish a month! So not worth it.
The NING community is invite only, so when you initially join the paid component you get the access to the NING for free. I know of people that left after the first month and second month and still have access, however in saying that I did ask KF herself and she told me that only paying members would continue to have access to the NING. So not sure what the go is there really.
I have to also add that for me the majority of the people in there were very very green to blogging and some even new to working online. It was a great place for someone like myself to be able to pass on lots of helpful info and really help to get people going – again this was in the NING community.
And there weren’t too many authority sites in there, only the people who were somehow affiliated with KF like Eric Goldstein and Kary Rogney and I think about 4 others. There were lots of great/fabulous blogs, don’t get me wrong, but few traditionally thought of “authority sites”. Hope that makes sense!
Webinars were great, and since you don’t see too many updates on KF’s blog anymore, I would assume because she is so busy with this and other things she has going on, it’s a great way to access her – still not worth $84.
I truly found the Goldmine was in the NING community and now that I am out and going back to relying on my old Google Reader to traditionally syndicate, I am finding this more authentic and I am really making better connections with people and their blogs, and leaving far more comments then I did when I was part of the UT.
My apologies for this reply being sooo long!
Nat invites you to read…Enrich With Zemanta – What is it How Do You Use It What Benefit Is It To You
Thanks for the extensive reply. I’m serious, I appreciate the details as they allow others to make better decisions.
Sounds like the Ning community was an interesting environment if someone had time to really work it correctly. You’ve probably now tipped her off as to needing to do a database clean up of the ning group.
One thing to remember about the lack of “authority blogging sites” is that JB and KF make up a large “pocket community”. Outside of this pocket community they aren’t particularly well know and certainly not to the degree that others would have likely been present there. That is really in alignment with what I would have expected.
As for the $84, that conversion rate is killer! That makes me wince to read it! Of course I always feel for the aussie students in the social media/ wordpress class I teach too as they face the same conversion numbers. Majority of my students are aussie though.
One of my favorite quirks about KF is that shes a non-techy and I’ve been known to acquire some traffic by answering wordpress and other application questions that are definitely not her strong suite, LOL!
Thanks Nat!
Kimberly
I totally agree with you about the pocket community. And when it comes to her database clean up, she is well aware of it, just not sure what the angle is with holding out on actually doing it! She’s a smart cookie lol
I love that you have scored yourself some traffic from her, that’s golden
Again I just want to make this clear before signing off anything I have said here is purely from my own personal experience and I think KF is super talented
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There are a lot of things that make the UT content syndication system a tad disappointing. Here’s one: Every tweet I make with the UT system (to earn UT credits) ends up with a #UTribe tag on the end of it. To me that lets, at least some, people know that my only interest in the tweet is earning credits. Same impact on Facebook, the wall post is identified as coming from the Unified Tribe… you know “automated.” I don’t get the same satisfaction having a post get a UT tweet as I would from a personal tribe member tweet. I may not be expressing my feeling well enough about this “feature” both as a submitter and a receiver of syndication.
I found that the huge number of people submitting material into the UT system for syndication together with the way it is set up, makes it nearly impossible to get any substantial benefit (at least 15-20 people syndicating your own submitted article or post). Why? Because the list of submissions is a continuous stream, not sorted in any meaningful way, and displayed in groups of nine. Within an hour or two, one’s submission will be buried on page 2 or 3 and soon on page 5 or 6, never to be seen again.
Despite encouragements to submit only your best stuff, I don’t think that happens. Not when I see many people submitting 3-5 pieces within a few hours. Repeatedly.
You are right on spot to talk about ways to spend your money. The UT combines three things: Content syndication, social forum, training. If you want to spend money on syndication, selective use of SYNND is, I believe, way more powerful. There are a lot of other forums, some free (Warrior’s Forum, for example) and some less expensive. Some more expensive (The Third Tribe) but possibly far more active and suitable for collaborating. Training is available everywhere nowadays.
I personally prefer the training at the Renegade Pro because it is organized to some extent. On the UT it relies on a search feature. Also training on demand is much more useful than training by schedule (random webinars).
I have been a member from the beginning but not for much longer. I like to test things out for myself.
Hey Kim,
Really great article! You broke this down really well. Solid article for anyone looking to get started with the tribe!
Ryan Yokome invites you to read…The Unified Tribe Review- Should You Join The Tribe
Thank you so much for your post Kim. You really cleared things up for me that I hadn’t even considered about the UT. I find this information very helpful. Keep up the good work.
Seems interesting, and I was willing to sign up for it on the strength of this review. However, I’m seeing several things off the bat with which I’m not terribly happy: I decided to check out the “Blog Mastery Course”, which seemed worthwhile from the description, but it’s unclear whether my order was ever processed or not—there was no confirmation on the site, nor have I received anything in email.
Having paid my $67 for the first month, I got onto the site, where it turns out that my membership has to be approved. After over an hour, I’ve received no confirmation mail.
The email I have received directs questions to a help center on zendesk, which is not configured. I’m not too impressed so far, hope it gets better quick.
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David I’m glad we were able to catch up on twitter although apologies for the appearance I was ignoring you when in fact I sleep days and am rarely here this early.
Unfortunately, as I noted I am not connected enough to Katie that I have any more of a way to reach her than you do.
It is unfortunate that you are currently out about 400 bucks for the last two hours and have been unable to reach her. Accidents in technology unfortunately do happen and even as much as I love tech I have been hit with my own too. The lack of a fallback system is unfortunate but at only 2 or 3 hours yet there is still a good chance of this being sorted out.
I hope they get things sorted out for you in the very very rapid future! It’s certainly frustrating to feel hung like that!
Thanks for being in touch,
Kimberly
Thanks, Kim. Yeah, I finally got a response and was able to access the content which—as I said on Twitter—looks pretty promising. I’ll be doing my own review once I’ve worked through it. According to Katie, they’ve already fixed the bogus URL to a non-existent help desk. I hope they’ll use an actual email address (with an autoresponder, if they feel the need) for their emails as well.
I’m still waiting to actually get approved to the community which doesn’t happen at quite the “right away” rate suggested in the video—it takes 24 hours, possibly, according to the email I got, and this is something that folks should probably know going in, since you can’t even begin to set up the “Unified Tribe” stuff until you get that approval. That makes about 90 seconds of the first start video actually “usable” while you wait…
David “Lefty” Schlesinger invites you to read…Whats Kept Linux From Being a Success on the Desktop
Okay sounds like they’ve got you sorted out then. Glad to hear she’s got the link to the helpdesk fixed.
I do think it’s unlikely she will route her autoresponder to a real address for a number of reasons but that’s what the helpdesk SHOULD be for.
The inability to start work on it the day you purchase – if the approval is actually that slow (which is was pretty timely originally, but not immediate) – is a pretty big bummer and kinda takes some of the fun out of a purchase like that.
Hope you get in there soon!
Kimberly
(Ooh, I take that back: it’s only 45 seconds.)
David “Lefty” Schlesinger invites you to read…Whats Kept Linux From Being a Success on the Desktop
Thanks Kim for a great review. It is so hard to find an objective review of tools and products on the internet. Too many people are not following the rule of providing value first. You did a fabulous job of providing a quality review with the objective of giving the reader good advice. Thanks for being a great example.
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Great article, thank you for providing honest feedback!
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I read the Manifesto and its very good. What katies says inside the Manifesto is very good info for any beginner like myself but it does not reveal exactly whats inside the membership. Thats why I googled “The Unified Tribe Review,” looking for any real “Case Studys,” which is really dificult to find for any Info product like Internet Marketing. So the only real way is to try it out but personally I won’t try it yet as time will tell if this service is profitable and maybe the monthly price will come down.
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