I found Likemind's first day inspiring and related a lot to @ygourven, @mollyflatt and @GrowWithOrganic.
Yann discussed how a vision to implement a big change must be done incrementally while keeping the end result always in mind. Molly discussed how culture is built upon a lot of smaller principles and ideas that, historically, are filtered out to provide the "truth" about what we know of the past. She described how it's not so much about being creative, but rather creating, so change is made rather than us simply "tinkering around the edges". James talked about Complex Adaptive Networks, where communities and social spaces are created organically. Even though they are imperfect, they evolve by themselves and self-correct.
A great discussion was had where Glenn @lesanto and Andrew @andjdavies, talked about whether every company is a "publishing company". Does creating content help to make money at the end of the day? Glenn took the role of Devil's Advocate and took the stance that banks write content but they're not a publishing company.
I believe that publishing content, no matter what the industry, will give you an advantage over one that doesn't; whether it makes money or not isn't easily answered. This is because, like social media, it is more involved to monitor and monetise.
If a company produces specialised content then the reader will see the brand as an authority on that subject, putting more trust in their products and service. A good example would be Tesco's, who are venturing into optician based services. If Tesco had a blog written by experts related to the industry, then viewers will make a connection between the content and the service that brand offers, creating trust. This trust can translate into a sale when the viewer makes an emotional connection between needing an optician and Tesco being perceived as an expert on the topic.
I say "perceived" because (as mentioned in the discussion) great content doesn't cover up a poor service. Content isn't a crutch to rely on; it should complement the great, low cost service expected by a company. This is not only true for content, but also search engine optimisation and social media.
Many companies get wrapped up in trying to obtain a number one position in Google, but can overlook a poor service they provide or a business model that isn't quite working. Along with content, if you think that social media isn't worth the time or investment, then it may be a sign that there are more fundamental matters to attend to! Even so, not investing in these opportunities when flexibility allows means you will get left behind because these are not fads, but a real evolution in how consumers are willing to communicate with companies.
The potential of making a significant ROI has to be extremely high for most companies to consider such a venture, but new technology will benefit those that dare.
Thanks for reading, Ross (@rossatorganic)
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