Simon Mainwaring

We First provides consulting and training to help companies tell the story of their good work in ways that build their business

Online communities

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Few companies launched on twitter with more bang than ad.ly. As an in-stream advertising platform that enables users to publish content and be paid for it, their arrival attracted a lot of discussion and exponential success. Sean kindly shares what they’re up to now, their new analytics tools for publishers and their plans for the […]

Few companies launched on twitter with more bang than ad.ly. As an in-stream advertising platform that enables users to publish content and be paid for it, their arrival attracted a lot of discussion and exponential success. Sean kindly shares what they’re up to now, their new analytics tools for publishers and their plans for the …

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In a world of 140 characters it’s hardly surprising that our appetite for snappy reductions is insatiable. So as SoMe (Social Media) gives way to MoCo (Mobile Community), I couldn’t help but wonder how far it will go and what the past might have looked like if it was boiled down to the same real …

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My first post in the series focused on conceptual and design fundamentals when planning to build an online community. These came from my experience with brands like ONE.org, Brine and the E.I.F. This post ranks design priorities and outlines the role of the landing page. Ultimately, the success of an online community turns on whether …

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Too often online efforts raise awareness but fail to motivate behavior. Yet that’s what brands need to do whether they want to sell more widgets or change the world for the better. And when those efforts fail, brands understandably become disillusioned, cynical or suspicious of online community building. Yet they have never experienced the power …

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Last week’s post about digital intimacy generated some great debate about how our lives have been changed by social media. It seems appropriate to look back and have some fun with what we might have lost on the way: I miss losing touch with you. I miss the challenge of trying to distil the last …

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The acquisition of friendfeed by facebook was more than the latest battle in the war for social networking supremacy. It was a timeless lesson in creating desire. The strategic positioning of friendfeed made their brand more than desirable. It was irresistable. Here’s a few reasons why and how they did it: KNOW WHO YOUR BOSS …

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