If you’ve been following our blog you’ll be well aware that we’re looking to grow. Growth is a funny thing because you’d think that any growth is good growth, but you’d be wrong. There are right ways to grow and wrong ways to grow. Right now we’re looking for growth that promotes creativity, passion and impeccable work.
In my search for positive ways to grow I came across Glimmer, a book about how design thinking can change your world. This book was strongly based around Bruce Mau and his incomplete manifesto for growth and for good reason, I believe any person could look at this list of of insightful introspective instructions and find something positive to apply to themselves or their organisation. I know I did… Continue Reading »
This post was written by Sam Schuurman (aka SocialSammy). You can connect with him on both Twitter and Linkedin.
In one of my latest attempts to stay current in an ever-changing space, I searched for SM resources to see if anything had been flying under my radar, or if something has emerged recently that I’m crazy to ignore. What I found was a long list of lists. I started with 22 Essential Social Media Resources and my journey soon spiralled out of control when it became apparent that everyone was putting together some kind of SM whats what. Pick any number between 1 and 100 and chances are there is some kind of top SM resource list for that figure. You get top 5s, plenty of top 10s, this top 50, a top 220+ and even a mammoth 1001 !
I thought about trying to condense each of these into my definitive top 11 list (because I like the number 11); but then I figured, that’s all ready been done plenty of times way better than I ever could. So instead I’m just going to pick out a few gems from the lists that I read.
Infographics
Everyone likes pretty images, so handily these nice infographics combine visuals with good information. They are a nice way to depict new trends without looking at some obscure high school throwback line graph. The one on display (from 97th floor) would be great to give to businesses exploring new social media options. Print it out and stick it on the office wall.
This article is a great reminder of what is important when managing a brand through SM. The differing perspectives of some seasoned pros tells me there is no magic formula that will help you co-ordinate you branding efforts entirely. From transparency to revenue, relationships to the future; each “guru” points to something quite different as the key driver. Each perspective is worth considering, although the one you choose will ultimately depend on what you’re trying to achieve.
Don’t let your Blog be a Loser
No-one wants to be the unpopular kid in class. This witty and informative guide points out ways your blog might be kinda lame and what to do about it. Avoid the perils of being a loner, looking funny, or acting like a spaz.
So there you have it, possibly the least comprehensive social media top list ever complied. Maybe someday this post will feature in a list of marginally informative social media resources. I hope so. Have you seen anything lately that you thnk would make the next SM top list?
This post was written by Andy Moore (aka @MooreOfAndy). You can connect with him on both Twitter and Linkedin.
When we started iThnk it was just a bita fun. We felt that we had some pretty good ideas and that if we shared them maybe someone would listen. It was easy to love the job in the beginning, Andy and I would just work on whatever part of a project was needed.
All this changed when we started making money, not big money but money nonetheless. Now we’re super busy and we’re trying to define our areas of expertise and the tasks that make up our roles.
This is one of the hardest things to do (well in my experience anyway) because I just want to be involved in everything. But it’s at the point where it’s 100% necessary to divide up our energy to increase efficiency and maintain personal sanity. Every company has to do this sort soul searching breakdown of responsibilities but from what I’ve seen the guidelines on how to do this are pretty crap. Continue Reading »
This post was written by Sam Schuurman (aka SocialSammy). You can connect with him on both Twitter and Linkedin.
There is a strange conflict between getting things done and getting more things to do… to translate that, the plethora of ingenious newmarketing strategies (well, pretty good ones at least) we have up the iThnk sleeve are currently getting pushed aside by the day-to-day business activities. We are putting heaps of effort into current tasks at the expense of implementing the strategies we know can help the business grow.
Personally I’d like to blog a lot more, I’m trying to read and comment on more blogs, I’m playing with more social media tools, and I’m giving things a crack I previously would’ve put in the too-hard basket. Why? Four reasons:
1) To practice what we preach to others.
2) To upskill and have more in-house capabilities.
4) To add value to clients by saying “yea sure” and having a willingness to give anything a crack. There isn’t anything that can’t be done, just people that can’t be bothered. Continue Reading »
This post was written by Andy Moore (aka @MooreOfAndy). You can connect with him on both Twitter and Linkedin.
If anyone has ever tried to tell you that blogging is a waste of time you can politely flip them the bird on my behalf. Andy Moore and I started blogging here at iThnk just over 7 months ago and as a result we’ve managed to build some strong connections and establish the start of a new media strategy company.
You may have noticed that we haven’t written in about a week or so it’s because we’ve been uber busy with our new venture and planning an overhaul of iThnk + a new start-up. We want to share our journey with you, we want you to be able to learn from both our highs and our lows as we move iThnk forward. We’ll still pump out analytical blog posts about Social Media, Free & Co-creation and we’ll still seek out interesting characters to provide guest posts but the difference will be that you’ll now be able to see where our thoughts and opinions are coming from and share our in journey.
Most companies still refer to their customers in a ‘them versus us’ sense. How much more money can we get off them? How can we get more of them to buy our products or services? We need to research them so we know what they want. Why have they switched brands? We need to get them back.
If history has taught us anything it’s that everything good comes about due to successful relationships. This mantra can be applied to war, parenting, sports teams…almost nothing comes down to the pure success of one individual. Trusting and valuable relationships are the basis for most anything that it successful.
I know what you’re saying, relationship marketing isn’t a new concept. Everyone practices relationship marketing these days.
The relationship between a company and a customer has the same basic needs as the relationship between romantic couples might have. Both parties need to feel trusted and need to receive trust, both need honesty, attention, respect, love and admiration, both need to feel as if they are really truly desired. Do you feel like this with any company?
The concept of Lovemarks has sought to do this and sure many people love, trust, and desire and give plenty of their attention to their Apple computers. Does Apple give this back to their customers. Is there any form of personal interaction with this company, a company that expects such respect from their customers? Of course the relationship can’t be as personal and intense as a true romantic relationship but companies sure could use a bit of a rough guide.
Throughout my long, frustrating and arduous search for a job during the past few weeks I have come across one company that I believe respects me in a way that no other employer or recruiter has, ever. Over just one meeting and one phone conversation I have created a lasting bond with this company. They trust me enough give me their time, to send me off to some of their best clients for interviews. This trust in me builds my trust in them immensely. They have given me plenty of attention, making sure I know what is happening every step of the way. Going out of their way to chat with me about myself and not just how I would be suited to a particular job. I in turn have chatted with my recruiter about herself and I feel she is more than just a recruiter, she’s someone I can respect as a person and not because of her career status. Moreover the attention I am given makes me feel totally desired. Not like I am just another CV in that darned huge pile, “let’s not bother writing back to each person that has applied, it will take too much of our time, they’re not worth it”. To those companies that haven’t made me feel in the slightest desired, trusted, admired, attended to, or respected, I will never again interact with your company so don’t worry about me being a nuisance any more.
Companies need not only to have knowledge of the concept of relationship marketing. They need to practice it. Try and treat your next customer or potential customer as you would someone you truly desired.
Would you leave them waiting in line while you chatted to your colleague about the weekend events?
Of course not! As soon as you saw them your face would light up with happiness and your attention would turn to them.
Would you ever be left wondering why they had left you for a more improved version of yourself?
No if they were that important to you they would never have left.
Would you try and push them into buying something you knew they didn’t really want or need only to have them dissatisfied with their purchase and you afterwards?
Never! you would talk to them until you had an understanding of what their real need was and then you would help to fulfill that need the best way that suited them.
Would you have to do background research to know their needs and wants?
No you wouldn’t your daily interaction with them would give you a better idea of who they really were and what they truly desired.
Go give your customers a hug today…you won’t regret it!
